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171665

registered interest
date	18/12/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Young Offenders
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of changes in the numbers of young offenders in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the causes of those changes.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	219491
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>Reducing offending by young people is a key priority for the Ministry of Justice and the Government routinely publishes data on the number of cautioning and sentencing occasions for young people as part of the Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly report: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly</a> (see Table Q6.1).</p><p> </p><p>Table 1 below shows the numbers of cautioning and sentencing occasions for 10-17 year olds residing in England and Wales in each of the last five years, for the 12 months ending June.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>First Occasion</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Further Occasions</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>56,742</p></td><td><p>87,859</p></td><td><p>144,601</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>43,170</p></td><td><p>74,602</p></td><td><p>117,772</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>34,136</p></td><td><p>59,581</p></td><td><p>93,716</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>26,267</p></td><td><p>44,018</p></td><td><p>70,285</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>22,080</p></td><td><p>37,132</p></td><td><p>59,213</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>The reduction in the numbers of cautions and sentences has been largely driven by the fall in First Time Entrants (FTEs) to the Youth Justice System (see First Occasion column in Table 1).</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice, in partnership with the Youth Justice Board and other Government Departments, keeps under review the effectiveness of all elements of the youth justice system, and associated services for young people and their families at risk of developing offending behaviour. [1]</p><br /><p>Notes to Table 1</p><p>(1) The first occasion on which offenders received a caution or conviction for offences committed in England and Wales. Where there were multiple offences on the same occasion, the primary offence as recorded on the Police National Computer would be counted.</p><p> </p><p>(2) Subsequent occasions on which offenders received a further youth caution, caution or conviction for offences committed in England and Wales. Where there were multiple offences on the same occasion, the primary offence as recorded on the Police National Computer would be counted.</p><p>(3) Cautions include juveniles receiving reprimands and warnings or youth cautions. Youth Cautions were introduced on April 8th 2013 replacing reprimands and warnings for young offenders. The guidance is published at the link http://www.justice gov.uk/out-of-court-disposals</p><p>(4) Includes offenders whose gender is not recorded on the Police National Computer.</p><p> </p><p>(5) Figures include offenders residing only in England and Wales at the time of their caution or conviction.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 05/01/2015 17:04:49 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

171667

registered interest
date	18/12/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Accommodation
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 ensure the availability of places in the prison estate to safely accommodate those sentenced to custodial sentences by the courts.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	219492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>This Government will always ensure that we have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts and we continue to modernise the prison estate so that it delivers best value for the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p>We have a long term strategy for managing the prison estate which will provide more adult male prison capacity than we inherited from the previous Government. We also have a range of contingencies available to manage temporary or unexpected increases in the population.</p><p> </p><p>We are expecting to open over 2,000 adult male prison places in the coming months, which include 1,250 new places at four new house-blocks. We are also building a new prison in Wrexham that will increase capacity by a further 2,100 places by 2017.</p><p> </p><p>Taken together, these measures will enable us to accommodate safely those sentenced to custody by the courts.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 05/01/2015 17:31:02 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

171668

registered interest
date	18/12/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Kidnapping: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many UK parents have applied for the return of their child from another country under the 1980 Hague Convention in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	219489
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>We take every case of international parental child abduction very seriously and the Government works with other countries to help resolve cases in the best interests of the children involved as quickly as possible.</p><p>The table below shows the number of applications for return received from parents by the Central Authorities for England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in each of the last five years. The Central Authorities do not record the nationality of the applicant. Figures for 2014 have not yet been finalised.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Calendar year</p></td><td><p>England and Wales</p></td><td><p>Northern Ireland</p></td><td><p>Scotland</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>214</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>236</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>150</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>167</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>200</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>214</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>220</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>246</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>222</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>243</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The Central Authorities are the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit for England and Wales, the Central Business Unit of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service for Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Government for Scotland.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes question first answered 05/01/2015 13:55:33 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

170763

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Squatting: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Crown Prosecution Service on ensuring that prosecutions are made under squatting legislation.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	219044
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2015 answer text <p>Squatting in someone’s home can cause the rightful owner untold misery and it is right that the practice is now criminal. We worked closely with the enforcement agencies when preparing for the commencement of the offence of squatting in a residential building, created by section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. Prosecutions will always be brought where appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 07/01/2015 17:39:02 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

166792

registered interest
date	28/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment: Social Media
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent people who have been convicted for online harassment or hate crime accessing any other social media internet platforms.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	216377
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government is absolutely clear that abusive or threatening behaviour, or harassment, online or offline, is totally unacceptable. A number of offences may be committed by such behaviour, in particular under section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 or section 127 of the Communications Act 2003. Changes to the law being taken forward in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill will help to ensure that people who commit those offences are prosecuted and properly punished. Online harassment could also amount to an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 if it is carried out as part of a ‘course of conduct’ which amounts to harassment or puts someone in fear of violence. Where any crime is motivated by or demonstrates hatred based on certain characteristics (such as sexual orientation) of the victim, the courts must take this into account in passing sentence.</p><p> </p><p>The Government expects social media companies to have robust processes in place to respond promptly when abuse is reported; including acting quickly to assess the report, removing content which does not comply with the acceptable use policies or terms and conditions in place and, where appropriate, suspending or terminating the accounts of those breaching the rules in place.</p><p> </p><p>Where a convicted offender receives a community order or a suspended sentence order the court may impose requirements, including a prohibited activity requirement, which could be used to restrict use of the internet or social media.</p><p> </p><p>Where a convicted offender receives an immediate custodial sentence and is released on licence a condition could be imposed to limit the offender’s access and use of the internet. Licence conditions are set by the prison governor or Parole Board.</p><p> </p><p>We have no plans for further legislation to inhibit convicted offenders from accessing social media.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 05/12/2014 14:58:06 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

166795

registered interest
date	28/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Administration of Estates
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 enable the executors of an estate to access the funds held in an executor's bank account prior to obtaining grant of probate to allow them to better manage that estate.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	216376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>A bank may permit an executor to withdraw money from the deceased’s bank account before probate is granted. However, the bank in question will be liable to the deceased’s estate if it releases funds to the wrong person. The bank may therefore insist on production of proof of the executor’s right to administer the deceased’s estate, namely the grant of probate, before releasing the money.</p><p> </p><p>The Government considers that this strikes a fair balance between the parties and has no plans to change the law at present.</p><p> </p><p>Information about the role of executors and the significance of the grant of probate is available from various sources including <a href="https://www.gov.uk/wills-probate-inheritance/overview" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/wills-probate-inheritance/overview</a> and <a href="http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ihtmanual/ihtm05101.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ihtmanual/ihtm05101.htm</a>.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 05/12/2014 14:52:34 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

78751

registered interest
date	17/07/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Coroners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the coroners' out-of-hours service.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2014 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy only. It does not have operational responsibility for the coroner service and has therefore neither made an assessment of the effectiveness of coroners’ out of hours services nor taken steps to promote minimal invasive autopsies. I am, however, aware of the requirements of faith communities both for timely funerals and to preserve a body after death and the Chief Coroner has issued guidance to coroners on both out of hours services and on less invasive post mortem examinations. I am working with the Chief Coroner to consider how the service for all those who come into contact with coroners’ services can be improved.</p><p> </p><p>Part I of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and a suite of rules and regulations came into force in July 2013 with the aim of modernising the coroner system and improving the coroner service for bereaved people and others who come into contact with coroner services. This included the appointment of the first ever Chief Coroner to oversee the new system and drive improvement. The Ministry of Justice is committed to reviewing the impact of these reforms eighteen months after their implementation. Reform of death certification is led by the Department of Health.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 206511 206514 question first answered 30/07/2014 15:18:14 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

78759

registered interest
date	17/07/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Post-mortems
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to promote minimal invasive autopsies.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206514
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2014 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy only. It does not have operational responsibility for the coroner service and has therefore neither made an assessment of the effectiveness of coroners’ out of hours services nor taken steps to promote minimal invasive autopsies. I am, however, aware of the requirements of faith communities both for timely funerals and to preserve a body after death and the Chief Coroner has issued guidance to coroners on both out of hours services and on less invasive post mortem examinations. I am working with the Chief Coroner to consider how the service for all those who come into contact with coroners’ services can be improved.</p><p> </p><p>Part I of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and a suite of rules and regulations came into force in July 2013 with the aim of modernising the coroner system and improving the coroner service for bereaved people and others who come into contact with coroner services. This included the appointment of the first ever Chief Coroner to oversee the new system and drive improvement. The Ministry of Justice is committed to reviewing the impact of these reforms eighteen months after their implementation. Reform of death certification is led by the Department of Health.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 206510 206511 question first answered 30/07/2014 15:18:15 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

78762

registered interest
date	17/07/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Coroners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which the recommendations of her Department's report, Reforming the Coroner and Death Certification Service, published in 2004, have been implemented.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206511
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2014 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy only. It does not have operational responsibility for the coroner service and has therefore neither made an assessment of the effectiveness of coroners’ out of hours services nor taken steps to promote minimal invasive autopsies. I am, however, aware of the requirements of faith communities both for timely funerals and to preserve a body after death and the Chief Coroner has issued guidance to coroners on both out of hours services and on less invasive post mortem examinations. I am working with the Chief Coroner to consider how the service for all those who come into contact with coroners’ services can be improved.</p><p> </p><p>Part I of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and a suite of rules and regulations came into force in July 2013 with the aim of modernising the coroner system and improving the coroner service for bereaved people and others who come into contact with coroner services. This included the appointment of the first ever Chief Coroner to oversee the new system and drive improvement. The Ministry of Justice is committed to reviewing the impact of these reforms eighteen months after their implementation. Reform of death certification is led by the Department of Health.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 206510 206514 question first answered 30/07/2014 15:18:15 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

62217

registered interest
date	17/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Cemeteries: Greater London
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of grave spaces that have been created in London since the introduction of the London Local Authorities Act 2007.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	200635
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2014 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice has not made an estimate of the number of grave spaces created since the introduction of the London Local Authorities Act 2007 or the number of local authorities who have used powers under the Act to re-use graves. However, as the Ministry of Justice has responsibility for burial law and policy, I am keeping the issue of burial space under active review including considering what legislative changes might be necessary to address a shortage of graves.</p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 200636 question first answered 23/06/2014 15:43:33 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord