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1702526

registered interest
date	19/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Convictions: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of cases referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission for appeal were successful in each year since 2019.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	22830
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>The number and proportion of successful cases referred by the CCRC and heard by appeal courts each year since 2019/20 is:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Number of successful referrals</p></td><td><p>Proportion of successful referrals</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>58.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/21</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>88%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/22</p></td><td><p>57</p></td><td><p>88%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022/23</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>89%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2023/24</p></td><td><p>19</p></td><td><p>79%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2024/25 (year to date)</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris question first answered 24/04/2024 13:10:32 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1702527

registered interest
date	19/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Miscarriages of Justice: Convictions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help support victims of historic miscarriages of justice to appeal their convictions.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	22831
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>Where the normal time limit for appeals through the courts has passed and where an individual believes they have been wrongly convicted of a crime in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, including in historic cases, they can apply to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which is an independent public body funded by the Ministry of Justice. The CCRC can investigate and where it considers that there is a real possibility that the conviction would not be upheld were the reference to be made, can refer cases back to the courts.</p><p>There is no time limit on any application and the service is free.</p><p>To ensure that the appeals system is working effectively, the Government has asked the Law Commission to conduct an independent and wide-ranging Review of the appeals system. The Review will consider the issues raised by the Westminster Commission (2021) on miscarriages of justice, which includes the tests used by the CCRC and the Court of Appeal, and the government will then consider the review’s findings, and any recommendations for change in the law, very carefully.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris question first answered 24/04/2024 13:12:20 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1702528

registered interest
date	19/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Convictions: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions under joint enterprise legislation have been successfully overturned on appeal.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	22832
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice does not currently collate data on whether a prosecution or conviction relied on the doctrine of joint enterprise or whether an appeal in such a case resulted in the conviction being quashed or the sentence changed.</p><p>The Crown Prosecution Service has recently updated their case management system to enable better tracking of homicide and attempted homicide cases involving joint enterprise.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris question first answered 29/04/2024 15:36:10 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1698524

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Mental Health Treatment Requirements were issued per year in each year since 2019.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	20483
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>We are firmly committed to working with our partners to increase the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs), which can form part of a tough and effective sentence that enables offenders to tackle the health-related causes of their offending behaviour.</p><p>There has been a sustained increase in the use of MHTRs, and the number of MHTRs sentenced has nearly tripled in the last ten years, from 760 in in 2012 to 2,000 in 2022.</p><p>Data on the number of MHTRs issued per year in each year is published on the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly page which can be accessed using the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2022" target="_blank">Offender Management Statistics quarterly: October to December 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).</a></p><p>Annual data for 2023 is due to be published at the end of April 2024, alongside Q3 and Q4 quarterly data for 2023.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 15/04/2024 09:49:17 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1698525

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people with mental illness held in UK prisons.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	20484
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The prevalence of mental health needs in prison is higher than amongst the general population and we are firmly committed to delivering improvements to mental health treatment for vulnerable people in the criminal justice system. An HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report 2022/23 highlighted that, of the surveyed prison population, 82% of female prisoners and 59% of male prisoners reported having a mental health need. The report can be found at: <a href="https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/annual-report-2022-23/" target="_blank">https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/annual-report-2022-23/.</a></p><p>Many people with mental health needs can be well supported in prison, and all prisoners have access to integrated mental health services commissioned by NHS England as per the national <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/service-specification-mental-health-for-prisons-in-england-2.pdf" target="_blank">Service Specification for Integrated Mental Health Service for Prisons in England.</a></p><p>However, with the right treatment and support to tackle the causes of their offending behaviour, many offenders can be managed more effectively in the community, and we are committed to diverting offenders with mental health needs away from prison or out of the criminal justice system altogether, where appropriate.</p><p>Together with NHS England, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Home Office, we are strengthening Liaison &amp; Diversion services, which are present in police custody suites and criminal courts in England. We are also working to increase the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements as part of community or suspended sentences.</p><p>To reduce inappropriate remands into custody solely on mental health grounds we are piloting a Health and Justice Hub in the Northeast, in partnership with HMCTS and NHS England, to improve the way that courts, health services and prisons work together at a local level to better support defendants with severe mental health needs.</p><p>The nationwide expansion of the HMPPS Bail Information Service, as well as the additional funding recently announced by the Chancellor, will also help to ensure judges have the necessary information to make a timely and informed decision on bailing a vulnerable individual with confidence.</p><p>Taken together, these steps will help reduce the number of people with mental illness in prisons and divert them into the appropriate support to tackle the root causes of their offending.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 20485 question first answered 15/04/2024 10:21:05 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1698526

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of mental illness on the size of the prison population.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	20485
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The prevalence of mental health needs in prison is higher than amongst the general population and we are firmly committed to delivering improvements to mental health treatment for vulnerable people in the criminal justice system. An HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report 2022/23 highlighted that, of the surveyed prison population, 82% of female prisoners and 59% of male prisoners reported having a mental health need. The report can be found at: <a href="https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/annual-report-2022-23/" target="_blank">https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/annual-report-2022-23/.</a></p><p>Many people with mental health needs can be well supported in prison, and all prisoners have access to integrated mental health services commissioned by NHS England as per the national <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/service-specification-mental-health-for-prisons-in-england-2.pdf" target="_blank">Service Specification for Integrated Mental Health Service for Prisons in England.</a></p><p>However, with the right treatment and support to tackle the causes of their offending behaviour, many offenders can be managed more effectively in the community, and we are committed to diverting offenders with mental health needs away from prison or out of the criminal justice system altogether, where appropriate.</p><p>Together with NHS England, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Home Office, we are strengthening Liaison &amp; Diversion services, which are present in police custody suites and criminal courts in England. We are also working to increase the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements as part of community or suspended sentences.</p><p>To reduce inappropriate remands into custody solely on mental health grounds we are piloting a Health and Justice Hub in the Northeast, in partnership with HMCTS and NHS England, to improve the way that courts, health services and prisons work together at a local level to better support defendants with severe mental health needs.</p><p>The nationwide expansion of the HMPPS Bail Information Service, as well as the additional funding recently announced by the Chancellor, will also help to ensure judges have the necessary information to make a timely and informed decision on bailing a vulnerable individual with confidence.</p><p>Taken together, these steps will help reduce the number of people with mental illness in prisons and divert them into the appropriate support to tackle the root causes of their offending.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 20484 question first answered 15/04/2024 10:21:05 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1698668

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Family Courts: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce delays in the family courts.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	20487
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>In the Spring Budget, we announced an additional £55 million to improve productivity, support earlier resolution of family disputes and reduce the number of cases coming to court. This includes creating a digital advice tool for separating couples, piloting early legal advice and supporting the expansion of the private law Pathfinder model.</p><p>We are also investing up to £23.6 million in the family mediation voucher scheme, which we intend will allow for its continuation up to March 2025. As of March 2024, over 26,000 families have successfully used the scheme to attempt to resolve their private law disputes outside of court.</p><p>In addition, we are working with the Department for Education and other partners on the Family Justice Board to tackle the longest running cases and increase the proportion of public law proceedings that conclude within the 26-week timeline. The Department for Education is also investing an extra £10 million to deliver new initiatives to address the longest delays in public law.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 15/04/2024 11:21:34 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1698669

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Family Courts: Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce family court waiting times for domestic abuse victims seeking to divorce abusive partners.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	20488
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>In April 2022, the Government implemented the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act (“DDSA”) 2020. The DDSA provides a minimum period of 26 weeks to obtain a divorce, and benefits victims of domestic abuse by making it no longer possible for abusive respondents to exercise control by ‘defending’ a divorce and prolonging proceedings. The DDSA did not provide an exemption for domestic abuse victims from the 26-week minimum period because to do so would require a victim to set out allegations, risking further abuse by a perpetrator.</p><p>The Government is working with the Family Procedure Rule Committee to consider whether a pilot can be established to test a new, fast-track procedure for contested financial cases on divorce under a certain value threshold. The pilot will aim to provide swifter outcomes for litigants, including victims of domestic abuse.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 15/04/2024 11:23:15 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1654838

registered interest
date	20/07/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Judicial Appointments Commission for England and Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the Judicial Appointments Commission fulfils its statutory duty to select solely on merit.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	195586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/09/2023 answer text <p>The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is independent from government. It has a statutory duty under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 to select on merit and to encourage diversity. The JAC is governed by an independent Board of Commissioners, appointed by His Majesty the King on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor. A key objective of the Board is to ensure the JAC is upholding its statutory functions and duties, including to appoint solely on merit.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the JAC’s selection process, there are several provisions in place to uphold its statutory requirement to select based on merit. This includes scrutiny by a Selection and Character Committee made up of the JAC’s Commissioners. The JAC submits annual reports to parliament about its performance and is also subject to triennial independent reviews. The Lord Chancellor also meets the JAC Chair regularly to discuss the Commission’s work.</p><p> </p><p>Any complaints about judicial recruitment decisions can be considered by the Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman, an independent body able to investigate complaints about the administration of the judicial appointment process.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 04/09/2023 08:55:30 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1611515

registered interest
date	17/04/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Lay Observers: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason the role of the Chair of the National Council of Lay Observers is not remunerated; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of remunerating that role in line with the level of remuneration provided to the Chair of the National Board of the Independent Monitoring Boards.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	181143
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2023 answer text <p>The Government’s assessment is that it does not currently have statutory authority to remunerate the role of the Chair of the National Council of Lay Observers. The department has considered the merits of remunerating this role and, when parliamentary time allows, our intention remains to introduce a statutory framework to combine the Independent Monitoring Boards’ Management Board and Lay Observers’ National Council into a single Board under a single, remunerated Chair. The intention is to recognise both the unified Board and the Chair role in legislation.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 20/04/2023 14:15:29 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan