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1216018

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Terrorism: Prison Sentences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on prison sentences for terrorism offences.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	62436
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>In the development of the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill there has been official and ministerial engagement with our Ministry of Justice counterparts in Northern Ireland’s Department of Justice to discuss the breadth of the Bill’s provisions, including prison sentences for terrorism offences.</p><p>We will continue this engagement throughout the Bill’s progress and once it is enacted to ensure we have a consistent approach to managing terrorist offenders in the United Kingdom.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 29/06/2020 16:15:04 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1216026

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Coronavirus
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 merits of using performance venues and centres for the arts as additional courtroom spaces during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	St Albans
tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
uin	62643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 16 June, to Question 56017.</p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) officials are looking at how we make the best possible use of the existing estate, as well as creating more capacity. This means considering whether any recently closed courts which are still owned by HMCTS are suitable for reopening, and identifying alternative spaces to further extend provision.</p><p>We are looking at a range of venues that may be appropriate, including performance venues and centres for the arts. Any additional capacity will need to meet standards for safety and security and be compliant with Covid-19 public health guidance.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 29/06/2020 15:40:39 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

1216030

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Ombudsman
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how his Department ensures that the office of the Legal Ombudsman does not discriminate against people suffering from mental health issues during the decision making process.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	62649
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) is an arm’s length body – which administers the Legal Ombudsman scheme (LeO) – and makes decisions in relation to cases considered under the scheme independently of, and without influence from, the Ministry of Justice.</p><p>We are aware that LeO staff receive training on reasonable adjustments and have Dedicated Vulnerable Customers Champions to identify customers who may need additional assistance or reasonable adjustments to access its service. This includes adjustments for mental health reasons.</p><p>The OLC also has a service complaints process, of which the last stage is escalation to the Service Complaint Adjudicator who is appointed by the Board and independent of the OLC.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 25/06/2020 16:45:59 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1216041

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Public Inquiries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory public inquiries being undertaken by his Department.
tabling member constituency	Ashfield
tabling member printed	Lee Anderson
uin	62615
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice is not conducting any inquires at this time. All previous public inquiries carried out by the Ministry of Justice, whether statutory or non-statutory, have concluded and the reports have been published.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 30/06/2020 16:04:57 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4743 label Biography information for Lee Anderson

1216092

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Profession: Disclosure of Information
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 prevalence of use of non-disclosure agreements by legal professionals; and what steps his department is taking to help ensure that non-disclosure agreements are not misused.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	62650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>The legal profession in England and Wales is independent of Government and legal professionals are regulated by a number of regulators including the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB). Legal professionals must comply with a detailed Code of Conduct, which ensures that high standards of conduct are met.</p><p>The SRA has issued guidance via a warning notice to all regulated individuals and entities on the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). The SRA warning notice confirms that they consider NDAs to be improperly used if they prevent a person from reporting misconduct, making a protected disclosure, reporting an offence or cooperating with criminal activity. The SRA has also been taking enforcement action against solicitors over the misuse of NDAs.</p><p>The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy has published its response to views on consultation on confidentiality clauses. This proposes new legislation to further protect consumers in the provision of such legal services and deter rogue practice.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 25/06/2020 16:48:25 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1216093

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Judiciary: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training is provided to the judicary on supporting people in court with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Kingston and Surbiton
tabling member printed	Sir Edward Davey
uin	62266
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>Responsibility for judicial training rests with the Lord Chief Justice and with the Senior President of Tribunals and is exercised through the Judicial College.</p><p>To preserve judicial independence, the judiciary and professional staff in the Judicial College are responsible for the design, content, and delivery of judicial training.</p><p>The Judicial College provides training on vulnerable litigants including those with learning disabilities for judges and magistrates sitting in criminal, family and youth courts. In addition, the Equal Treatment Bench Book contains specific guidance for the judiciary on how to identify and accommodate court users with learning disabilities.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 25/06/2020 15:50:35 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	188 label Biography information for Ed Davey

1216172

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Remote Hearings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether it remains his Department's policy to maintain virtual court hearings as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
tabling member constituency	Tottenham
tabling member printed	Mr David Lammy
uin	62277
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>Audio and video technology has long played a role in the court room – they are not a new phenomenon. In response to the current pandemic, HMCTS have increased the capacity for telephone and video hearings so that participants can join hearings remotely where appropriate. Audio and video hearings provide an additional channel for progressing a case, and the decision to hold a hearing this way is for the judge, panel or magistrate, taking into account the needs of the parties and the nature of the hearing.</p><p>Our scaled-up audio and video capability includes more BT MeetMe teleconferencing accounts and the roll-out of virtual rooms, via a cloud video platform, to all jurisdictions. Separately, as part of the £1bn HMCTS reform programme, we are testing a bespoke video hearings service that will support court users before and during a hearing.</p><p>We will continue to provide options for the use of audio and video technology in hearings and their use will remain subject to judicial discretion.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 29/06/2020 14:06:30 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	206 label Biography information for Mr David Lammy

1216173

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Coronavirus
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 tackle the backlog of cases in Magistrates’ Courts and Crown Courts as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
tabling member constituency	Tottenham
tabling member printed	Mr David Lammy
uin	62278
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>COVID-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for the criminal justice system, but we have kept courts open and cases flowing through the system throughout. The UK has been a global leader and we are ahead of comparable systems, keeping our system open and functioning throughout COVID-19. The most time-critical hearings have continued to take place in the Magistrates’ Courts, including hearings where the defendant is in custody or there is a risk to the public, as well as dealing with applications to extend custody time limits.</p><p>In the Crown Court, whilst jury trials were paused we kept the system moving, disposing of over 5,000 cases. Jury trials were restarted on 18 May, and by mid-July all courts will have reopened. This has all been enabled through significantly increased use of technology, with over 6,500 cases heard remotely, and with close collaboration and joint working with partners and stakeholders across the criminal justice system.</p><p>There is more we need to do and HMCTS are pursuing an ambitious plan to continue to increase capacity, including increasing the use of video and audio enabled justice via a national rollout of Cloud Video Platform (CVP), expanded opening hours, and exploring ways to gain additional court capacity. This will all be set out in more detail in a Courts Recovery Plan which will be published soon.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 30/06/2020 14:16:20 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	206 label Biography information for Mr David Lammy

1216174

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to convert empty public buildings into temporary courts to tackle the backlog of cases as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Tottenham
tabling member printed	Mr David Lammy
uin	62279
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>I refer the Rt Hon Member to my answer of 16 June, to Question 56017.</p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) officials are looking at how we make the best possible use of the existing estate, as well as creating more capacity. This means considering whether any recently closed courts which are still owned by HMCTS are suitable for reopening, and identifying alternative spaces to further extend provision.</p><p>We are looking at a range of venues that may be appropriate. Any additional capacity will need to meet standards for safety and security and be compliant with Covid-19 public health guidance</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 29/06/2020 15:27:18 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	206 label Biography information for Mr David Lammy

1216175

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Remand in Custody
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 prioritise cases in which a person on remand has a Custody Time Limit that (a) has expired and (b) is about to expire.
tabling member constituency	Tottenham
tabling member printed	Mr David Lammy
uin	62280
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>HMCTS is working closely with the Judiciary and criminal justice agencies to ensure that cases that need to be prioritised can be. The introduction of emergency legislation enabling the courts to make greater use of audio and video technology for any preliminary hearings where appropriate, has ensured that priority cases, including custody cases, have been heard.</p><p>The prioritisation of cases and trials is a judicial decision and the senior judiciary has issued the following guidance:</p><p><a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Note-on-Listing-Magistrates-SPJ-DSPJ-14.04.20-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Note-on-Listing-Magistrates-SPJ-DSPJ-14.04.20-FINAL.pdf</a></p><p><a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/27032020_Protocol-for-CTL-cases_FINAL-signed-1.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/27032020_Protocol-for-CTL-cases_FINAL-signed-1.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 25/06/2020 15:54:16 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	206 label Biography information for Mr David Lammy