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156467

registered interest
date	18/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Offences against Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the outcome of the meeting held with the NSPCC on 14 November to discuss the Serious Crime Bill.
tabling member printed	Lord Harris of Haringey
uin	HL2909
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The meeting between Government officials, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Police and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children to discuss the case for criminalising sexual communications with a child was constructive.</p><p>As my Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary indicated during Home Office oral questions on 17 November (House of Commons, official report, column 17), we will complete our consideration of the case for a new offence in good time to enable an amendment to be tabled to the Serious Crime Bill in the House of Commons should the Government decide to do so.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 03/12/2014 16:47:02 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2671 label Biography information for Lord Harris of Haringey

156493

registered interest
date	18/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Marriage: Humanism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their legislative plans to allow humanist marriages now that the public consultation is closed.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL2935
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government is carefully considering the analysis of the responses we have received and the implications for marriage law and practice if a change were to be made to legislation. We plan to publish the Government’s response to the review by 1 January 2015.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 26/11/2014 13:17:08 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

155689

registered interest
date	17/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Northumberland Prison
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Ministry of Justice advised Sodexo, the contractors managing HM Prison Northumberland at Acklington, not to appear before the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Northumberland County Council; and, if so, on what basis.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL2873
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Ministry has not given Sodexo Justice Services any advice on whether to accept an invitation to appear before the committee. It is a matter for the company itself to decide.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 01/12/2014 15:56:59 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

155367

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	European Court of Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the European Court of Human Rights is continuing to protect freedom of expression and freedom of the press; and if not, whether they will give examples of where this has not been the case.
tabling member printed	Lord Lester of Herne Hill
uin	HL2825
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECtHR) makes clear that everyone, including the press, has the right to freedom of expression. It also makes clear that this right carries duties and responsibilities and consequently can be restricted for the reasons set out in Article 10 where prescribed by law and necessary in a democratic society.</p><p> </p><p>The Government accepts that the ECtHR sometimes has to make difficult judgments as to whether an inference with the right to freedom of expression is justified or as to how the ECtHR balances different rights.</p><p> </p><p>In the Coalition Agreement the Government agreed that the obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, including Article 10, will continue to be enshrined in UK law.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 25/11/2014 16:18:02 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2037 label Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill

147402

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Antisemitism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the current law is sufficient to deal with hate messages against Jews on social media, including Twitter.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL2806
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Yes. The Government is absolutely clear that abusive and threatening behaviour online – whoever the target - is totally unacceptable. A number of offences may be committed by abusing others on social media. A message sent by means of a public electronic communications network, such as a message on Twitter, which is grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing may be an offence under section 127(1) of the Communications Act 2003. Sending indecent, grossly offensive or threatening material to another with the purpose of causing distress or anxiety to a person to whom the material is communicated, including by means of the internet, is an offence under the Malicious Communications Act 1988.</p><p> </p><p>Internet abuse 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.</p><p> </p><p>Changes to the law being taken forward in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill will increase the maximum penalty for offences under the Malicious Communications Act 1988 to 2 years imprisonment, and will mean that the current requirement that prosecutions are brought within 6 months of the offence being committed will no longer apply. The Bill will also extend the time within which prosecutions under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 may be brought, to up to three years from commission of the offence, as long as this is also within 6 months of the prosecutor having knowledge of sufficient evidence to justify proceedings.</p><p> </p><p>These steps will help to ensure that people who commit these awful crimes are prosecuted and properly punished. Where any crime is motivated by or demonstrates hatred based on the race or religion of the victim, the courts will take this into account in passing sentence.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 24/11/2014 17:33:23 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

143448

registered interest
date	07/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Suicide
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many self-inflicted deaths of prisoners occurred in (1) 2003, and (2) 2013.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL2733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The number of self-inflicted deaths in prison in 2003 and 2013 is published in the Safety in Custody statistical bulletin which is available at <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/safety-in-custody-statistics" target="_blank">http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/safety-in-custody-statistics</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths in prisons is a key priority for the Government. We are working hard to understand any trends, but, as is the case in society at large, there is no simple explanation with complex and individual reasons behind any suicide.</p><p> </p><p>We have dedicated resources providing support every day in prisons and have created a specialist team to help share good practice as part of our strenuous efforts to learn from each death.</p><p> </p><p>Young adults are a particularly challenging and vulnerable group, and that is why we have commissioned an independent review into the deaths of 18 to 24-year-olds in prison custody.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 21/11/2014 14:03:56 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

106165

registered interest
date	04/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prerogative of Mercy
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times the royal prerogative of mercy has been exercised in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively in the past five years; and of that number, how many, if any, in each of the countries have been without consultation with the relevant police authorities.
tabling member printed	Lord Rogan
uin	HL2637
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>The exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy may currently take one of three forms:</p><p> </p><p>i) The grant of a Free Pardon;</p><p>ii) The grant of a conditional Pardon;</p><p>iii) Remission of all or part of a penalty by either a) a pledge of public faith, which most commonly occurs when an offender's release dates are incorrectly calculated or b) for meritorious conduct, such as saving the life of another offender/member of staff or coming to the aid of a member of staff.</p><p> </p><p>By Constitutional convention, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (in succession to the Home Secretary) is responsible, in England and Wales (and the Channel Islands), for recommending to Her Majesty the Queen the exercise of the prerogative of mercy to grant a Royal Pardon. In Northern Ireland the responsibility lies with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for reserved matters and the Justice Minister for Northern Ireland for devolved matters, and in Scotland it is devolved to the First Minister. The Secretary of State for Defence also has the responsibility in relation to members of the armed forces.</p><p> </p><p>In the past five years, only two free pardons were granted by Her Majesty the Queen in England in 2009 and 2014 respectively.</p><p> </p><p>With regard to Remission Pardons the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has not been exercised on this basis. However, for England &amp; Wales no records are held for the period prior to 1 February 2013.</p><p> </p><p>In respect of the two free pardons that have been issued, the Police Authority was consulted in one of these decisions while the other pardon was granted posthumously and the Police Authority was not consulted.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 18/11/2014 13:37:45 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2478 label Biography information for Lord Rogan

105749

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings: Autism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they currently provide training to staff in the criminal justice system who engage with people with autism spectrum disorder; and, if not, whether they have any plans to do so.
tabling member printed	Baroness Uddin
uin	HL2566
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>In March 2010 the Department of Health published the three year cross-Government strategy, <em>Fulfilling and rewarding lives: the strategy for adults with autism in England</em>. The strategy was updated in April 2014 and the Ministry of Justice is one of the signatories. As a result, a variety of different pieces of online training guidance were published for those delivering public services in order to meet the needs of those with autism. The criminal justice system has benefited from this guidance and training, which continues to be available. The guidance can be accessed at the following web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/autism-training-resources</p><p> </p><p>A number of charities have developed guidance on Autism specifically for criminal justice professionals, and, the MoJ provides disability and diversity guidance and training, including on learning disabilities that staff can access.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 17/11/2014 17:32:32 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	1827 label Biography information for Baroness Uddin

105788

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Marriage: Humanism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to introduce legislation enabling humanist marriages to be recognised.
tabling member printed	Lord Lester of Herne Hill
uin	HL2601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government has consulted on whether the law should be changed to allow legally valid humanist and potentially other non-religious belief marriages. We are considering the responses we received and the implications for marriage law and practice if a change were to be made. We plan to publish the Government’s response to the review before 1 January 2015.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 17/11/2014 16:28:44 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2037 label Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill

105790

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Parcels
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the ban on the receipt by prisoners in England and Wales of parcels containing for example books, underwear, clothing, stationery and Christmas presents.
tabling member printed	Lord Lester of Herne Hill
uin	HL2603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>There have always been controls on the sending of parcels into prisons; the revised Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) national policy framework has simply ensured greater consistency across the prison estate. We now have simple rules that allow prisoners a parcel of items when they first arrive in prison, and then only further items in exceptional circumstances. The restrictions were introduced to enhance existing security measures and to prevent the IEP policy framework from being undermined.</p><p> </p><p>There is no longer a numerical limit on the amount of underwear that prisoners can have in possession; the amount they can have is subject only to overarching volumetric control limits.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 17/11/2014 16:19:40 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2037 label Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill