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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

100236

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged to date under sections (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 who could not have been charged using sections (i) 2 and (ii) 4.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	211307
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a separate record of the number of people charged and prosecuted for stalking under sections (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 who could not have been charged for harassment using sections (i) 2 and (ii) 4.</p><p> </p><p>The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 does not provide a definitive list of behaviors that would allow for a prosecution for either harassment or stalking and CPS prosecutors determine the most appropriate charges in any given prosecution based on the facts of the case.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Mr Robert Buckland question first answered 27/10/2014 17:09:19 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
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

99891

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of police staff in each police area in England and Wales have received training in sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	211145
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>The College of Policing sets standards and provides relevant training products and services to police forces. This includes a College of Policing training package on stalking which has been completed 56,748 times between October 2012 and 30 September 2014 by police officers and staff in England and Wales.</p><p><br>The Home Office does not hold information which breaks this figure down by police officers and staff for each police area in England and Wales.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 23/10/2014 14:50:11 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