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224888

registered interest
date	03/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Crime: Victims
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 prevent sensitive data relating to a victim of (a) domestic violence and (b) other crimes being disclosed during a court hearing.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	226201
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>This question relates to the disclosure of sensitive information in the civil courts, where robust measures are already in place.</p><p> </p><p>Judges have the power to order non disclosure of details, to have cases heard in private or evidence given via video link or from behind a screen, and to make other orders as necessary to preserve the address or other personal details of a victim of domestic abuse, harassment or stalking. For this to happen it is important that the victim brings any issues to the attention of the judge at the earliest opportunity so that appropriate care can be taken throughout the case.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, in its 2014 Action Plan, A Call to End Violence against Women and Girls, the Government has committed to develop a code of practice to ensure “safe addresses” and other personal information about the identity and whereabouts of victims of domestic and sexual violence are properly protected.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 10/03/2015 17:02:36 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224889

registered interest
date	03/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Victim Support Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what funding the Government provides for victims' support organisations in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	226200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2015 answer text <p>This Government is committed to ensuring that victims of crime have access to high-quality, effective and timely support to help them cope and, as far as possible, recover from the effects of crime. The Ministry of Justice has made more money than ever before available for this purpose, increasing the contribution offenders make to the costs of providing support and have more than doubled the budget under this Government to over £92million for 2015/16.</p><p>Locally accountable Police and Crime Commissioners are now responsible for the provision of support services in their areas and will receive the bulk of the available MoJ funding with which to do so. This is £63.15m in 2015/16.</p><p>Some services remain nationally commissioned. This includes support for families bereaved by homicide, support for victims of rape and modern slavery (jointly funded with the Home Office), and support for witnesses at court. National services have recently been competitively re-commissioned.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 10/03/2015 10:45:33 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224492

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	Pre-trial Procedures
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will introduce pre-trial hearings to determine the nature of cross-examination of victims and witnesses in crown court proceedings.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225840
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>This Government is committed to ensuring vulnerable victims and witnesses have access to high quality, effective and timely support.</p><p> </p><p>The value of pre-trial ground rules is increasingly being recognised and closely links with measures that my Department is implementing to improve the experience of victims and witnesses. These include giving greater opportunity to give evidence away from the court room and, subject to evaluation of the pilot, roll-out of recorded pre-trial cross-examination.</p><p> </p><p>In reviewing how to reduce the distress experienced by vulnerable victims and witnesses in sexual violence cases tried in the Crown Court, we identified that the scope and use of Ground Rules Hearings could be widened.</p><p> </p><p>The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has agreed amendments to the criminal procedure rules which will encourage use of ground rules to facilitate participation of witnesses (including defendants) in trials. These changes take effect from 6 April 2015. The rules will provide that directions can be given for the appropriate treatment and questioning of a witness, especially where the court directs that such questioning is to be conducted through an intermediary, and list things the court should do where directions for appropriate treatment and questioning are required.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 09/03/2015 13:07:15 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224494

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	Victim Personal Statements
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in what proportion of relevant cases were victim impact statements submitted to Crown courts in criminal proceedings in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225895
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>We published a new Victims’ Code in December 2013 which sets out in plain language what support and information people should expect from the moment they report a crime to the end of a trial and beyond and who to demand help from if they are not receiving it. Significantly, for the first time it entitles victims and bereaved relatives to ask to read out their Victim Personal Statement (VPS) to the court before an offender is sentenced. This gives them the opportunity to explain in their own words how the crime has affected them and their family.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service does not record information in relation to the number and proportion of cases in which victim personal statements are submitted in criminal proceedings. The Government has made a commitment to monitor criminal justice agencies’ compliance with the Victims’ Code and in Our Commitment to Victims, published on 15 September 2014, we announced that criminal justice agencies will publish information on how they have improved services for victims by April 2015.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 05/03/2015 17:41:50 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224496

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	Courts: Communication
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 improve communication between civil, family and criminal courts.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225846
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service’s regional structure encourages staff to review and improve internal processes and communication. This promotes the sharing of information and best practice across the three jurisdictions. Internal communications channels ensure that staff in all jurisdictions receive and share the same information.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service is committed to providing an efficient and effective service to users at all of its courts and tribunals.</p><p> </p><p>The Government pledged in “Our Commitment to Victims” to ensure that victims’ needs are at the forefront of our plans to modernise the courts.</p><p> </p><p>In particular,<strong> t</strong>he Government implemented a new Code of Practice for Victims of Crime on 10th December 2013. The Victims’ Code outlines the minimum entitlements every victim of crime must expect to receive from Criminal Justice System partners.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 09/03/2015 15:40:01 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224497

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	Criminal Injuries Compensation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many forms or documents need to be completed by people applying for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225851
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington on 2 March 2015. This can be found on the Parliament.uk website here:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><a title="blocked::http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448" href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448</a></p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 225850 225852 question first answered 09/03/2015 14:58:39 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

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

224499

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	Criminal Injuries Compensation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people (a) applied for and (b) were granted compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in (i) 2013 and (ii) 2014.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225852
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington on 2 March 2015. This can be found on the Parliament.uk website here:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><a title="blocked::http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448" href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448</a></p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 225850 225851 question first answered 09/03/2015 14:58:40 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224502

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	Courts: Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) Crown and (b) magistrates' courts supply discrete waiting areas for victims and witnesses.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225842
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>The Government pledged in “Our Commitment to Victims” to consider the needs of victims and witnesses as we reform the court system. This will include upgrading facilities such as separate waiting areas.</p><p> </p><p>All Crown Court Centres have separate waiting facilities for victims and witnesses.</p><p>97% of magistrates’ courts have some kind of separate witness waiting facility.[1] For those courts that do not have this facility, special arrangements are put in place with advance notice.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service uses information about victims and witnesses in criminal cases to ensure that individual trials are managed effectively and victims and witnesses are not kept waiting around unnecessarily to give their evidence. We do not, however, hold data on the number of victims and witnesses choosing to use the discrete waiting areas.</p><p> </p><p>[1] Her Majesty’s Court Service Annual Report and Accounts 2009-2010</p><p>http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/corporate-reports/hmcs/annual-reports/HMCS-Annual-Report2009-2010-web.pdf?type=Finjan-Download&amp;slot=000000A2&amp;id=000000A1&amp;location=0A64020C</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 225844 question first answered 09/03/2015 16:33:31 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224504

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	Trials
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases where a suspect had been charged in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 their trial began after more than (i) six and (ii) 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225854
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Her Majesty’s Courts &amp; Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has two separate case management systems, LIBRA in the magistrates’ courts, and CREST in the Crown Court. The date of charge and date of trial are recorded in LIBRA, but the date of charge is not always recorded on CREST. Also, as a number of cases charged during this period are yet to enter a plea, it is not possible to identify how many will have a trial, or at what point. A number of offences charged during 2014 will not yet have reached six or twelve months since receipt by HMCTS.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice does, however, publish official statistics on the timeliness of criminal cases in Criminal Courts Statistics Quarterly at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics</a>.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 09/03/2015 16:15:32 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd