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answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered question first ministerially corrected answering member label attachment file name file name title title previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
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753555

registered interest
date	18/07/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to introduce legislation to make it an offence to repeatedly order goods or services for another person if the purpose of such actions is to cause distress, anxiety or to disrupt that person's daily life.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	5643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2017 answer text <p>The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (the 1997 Act) already makes it an offence for someone to pursue a course of conduct which amounts to harassment of another and which they know, or ought to know, amounts to harassment of the other. Harassment is generally understood to involve improper, oppressive and unreasonable conduct that is targeted at an individual and calculated to alarm them or cause them distress.</p><p>Depending on the circumstances, repeatedly sending letters or unwanted 'gifts' or other objects to someone or arranging for others to deliver unwanted items to them could constitute harassment. Where such behaviour is reported to the police, it would be for them to investigate, for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether a prosecution should be brought, and for the court to determine whether the elements of the offence are made out.</p><p>The Government has no plans to introduce additional legislation in this area.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 26/07/2017 14:43:26 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

751433

registered interest
date	12/07/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the Government's policy is on whether a person should be permitted repeatedly to order goods and services for another person for the purposes of causing distress, anxiety or disrupting that person's daily life in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	4485
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2017 answer text <p>The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 makes it an offence for someone to pursue a course of conduct which amounts to harassment of another and which they know, or ought to know, amounts to harassment of the other.</p><p>Harassment is generally understood to involve improper, oppressive and unreasonable conduct that is targeted at an individual and calculated to alarm them or cause them distress. Depending on the circumstances, repeatedly sending letters or unwanted 'gifts' or other objects to someone or arranging for others to deliver unwanted items to them could constitute harassment.</p><p>Where such behaviour is reported to the police, it would be for them to investigate, for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether a prosecution should be brought, and for the court to determine whether the elements of the offence are made out.</p> answering member constituency Esher and Walton answering member printed Dominic Raab question first answered 20/07/2017 14:32:03 answering member 4007 label Biography information for Dominic Raab
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

657961

registered interest
date	13/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of harassment or stalking have had proceedings against them in family courts initiated by the perpetrator of that staling or harassment in England and Wales in 2014 and 2015.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	57297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2016 answer text <p>The Government is clear that stalking and harassment are totally unacceptable. That is why we have recently announced that there will be a new civil stalking protection order, to support victims of stalking at an earlier stage that address the perpetrators behaviour before it becomes entrenched.</p><p> </p><p>We do not hold data on how many victims of stalking or harassment have been involved in family proceedings initiated by the perpetrator of the abuse. The court do have powers to deal with unmeritorious claims and applications. The court can strike out any action it views as an abuse of process or issue an order restricting the litigants ability to continue with further applications or claims, either of its own motion or on request by a party to the proceedings.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work with the judiciary to consider what additional protections may be necessary for victims of stalking or harassment.</p> answering member constituency Bracknell answering member printed Dr Phillip Lee question first answered 21/12/2016 17:09:47 answering member 3921 label Biography information for Dr Phillip Lee
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

654478

registered interest
date	07/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate her Department has made of how frequently perpetrators of harassment or stalking seek indirectly to contact their victim through (a) civil and (b) family court action.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	56620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2016 answer text <p>The Government is clear that stalking and harassment, which cause misery for victims, are totally unacceptable. The fixated nature of stalking may result in a prolonged campaign sometimes lasting many years. So we are determined to do everything possible to protect all victims of stalking and stop perpetrators at the earliest opportunity – even before the stage at which a perpetrator might be prosecuted. That is why, following a public consultation, we have recently announced that there will be a new civil stalking protection order, to support victims of stalking at an earlier stage and address the perpetrator’s behaviours before they become entrenched.</p><p>The number of restraining orders imposed as result of stalking and harassment in England and Wales, 2014 and 2015 can be viewed in the table. Information on the specific restrictions included in a restraining order is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p>Nor do we hold data on how frequently perpetrators of these crimes seek to contact their victims through action in the civil or family courts. The courts do have powers to deal with unmeritorious claims and applications. The court may strike out the action as an abuse of process or issue an order restricting the litigant’s ability to continue with further applications or claims, either of its own motion or on request by a party to the proceedings.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 16/12/2016 12:51:16 question first ministerially corrected 19/01/2017 17:42:13 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah attachment 1 file name Final table 56513-56515.xls title Table 56513-56515 previous answer version 26921 answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

224498

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of stalking or harassment have reported being the subject of vexatious civil or family court applications in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Her Majesty’s Courts &amp; Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does not record the number of applications to the civil and family courts which are deemed to be vexatious. However, HMCTS does record the number of ‘totally without merit’ orders that are made following an application being deemed as totally without merit. The data provided in this answer relates to orders made when applications are deemed to be totally without merit.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS maintains a national database which lists all civil and family totally without merit orders. The retention period for entries on the database is three years and therefore only data relating to this period is set out in the table below. In addition, the orders may relate to multiple applications and therefore the volume of orders will not necessarily represent the number of applications received by HMCTS.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Table One: Totally without merit orders made in the last three years</strong>[1]</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Time period</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Totally Without Merit Orders made</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 March 2012 – 28 February 2013</p></td><td><p>2080</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 March 2013 – 28 February 2014</p></td><td><p>3004</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 March 2014 – 28 February 2015</p></td><td><p>1495</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>HMCTS does not record the number of victims that have reported vexatious applications or the nature of proceedings, including whether they relate to stalking or harassment. In order to provide the information HMCTS would have to manually review each file that relates to stalking and harassment claims. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><br /><p>[1] This data is internal HMCTS management information and it is not subject to the same level of checking as Official Statistics.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 225848 question first answered 09/03/2015 15:26:16 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

100235

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, of the people who have been charged under (a) section 2A and (b) section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, how many have so far (a) received a custodial sentence, (b) received a non-custodial sentence, (c) not proceeded with and (d) still pending.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	211308
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The stalking offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, sections 2A (stalking) and 4A (stalking involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress), have been available from 25 November 2012. The two stalking offences provide further options for prosecutors when considering charges relating to harassing behaviour. The section 2A offence has a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and/or a fine, and the section 4A offence has a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment.</p><p> </p><p>A court dealing with a person convicted of any offence, including those under sections 2, 2A, 4 or 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, may make a restraining order prohibiting the defendant from doing anything described in the order. This order can be made in addition to a custodial sentence or other sentence. The order can be especially useful in preventing continued stalking and harassment by defendants, including those who are given sentences of imprisonment. Breach of a restraining order has a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.</p><p> </p><p>Sentencing in individual cases is entirely a matter for our independent courts, taking account of all the circumstances of each case.</p><p> </p><p>The number of restraining orders issued at all courts and those found guilty of breach of a restraining order under the Protection of Harassment Act 1997 in England and Wales from 2011 to 2013 (latest available) can be viewed in table 1.</p><p> </p><p>The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court, found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentencing breakdown, for selected offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, in England &amp; Wales, from 2012 to 2013, can be viewed in table 2. The Ministry of Justice does not hold figures on cases not yet dealt with.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning attachment 1 file name Table 1 - Number of Restraining Orders.xls title Number of Restraining Orders 2 file name Table 2 - Defendants proceeded against.xls title Defendants proceeded against grouped question UIN 211306 question first answered 28/10/2014 14:06:48 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

100237

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many restraining orders were issued by the courts under the provisions of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013; and how many of those restraining orders were (i) breached or (ii) enforced.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	211306
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The stalking offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, sections 2A (stalking) and 4A (stalking involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress), have been available from 25 November 2012. The two stalking offences provide further options for prosecutors when considering charges relating to harassing behaviour. The section 2A offence has a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and/or a fine, and the section 4A offence has a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment.</p><p> </p><p>A court dealing with a person convicted of any offence, including those under sections 2, 2A, 4 or 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, may make a restraining order prohibiting the defendant from doing anything described in the order. This order can be made in addition to a custodial sentence or other sentence. The order can be especially useful in preventing continued stalking and harassment by defendants, including those who are given sentences of imprisonment. Breach of a restraining order has a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.</p><p> </p><p>Sentencing in individual cases is entirely a matter for our independent courts, taking account of all the circumstances of each case.</p><p> </p><p>The number of restraining orders issued at all courts and those found guilty of breach of a restraining order under the Protection of Harassment Act 1997 in England and Wales from 2011 to 2013 (latest available) can be viewed in table 1.</p><p> </p><p>The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court, found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentencing breakdown, for selected offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, in England &amp; Wales, from 2012 to 2013, can be viewed in table 2. The Ministry of Justice does not hold figures on cases not yet dealt with.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning attachment 1 file name Table 1 - Number of Restraining Orders.xls title Number of Restraining Orders 2 file name Table 2 - Defendants proceeded against.xls title Defendants proceeded against grouped question UIN 211308 question first answered 28/10/2014 14:06:48 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

99925

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in respect of how many alleged offences under section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 proceedings are currently active in magistrates' courts in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	211138
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>As of 30 June 2014, the latest date for which data is available, there were 157 proceedings under Section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 outstanding in magistrates’ courts in England and Wales.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 27/10/2014 14:58:32 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd