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  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted for providing courts with false information on means forms in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013.

    Damian Green

    The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) rightly has a zero tolerance approach to fraud and works in partnership with the law enforcement agencies to support prosecution where appropriate. According to internal management information there were six convictions for fraud against the Agency in 2011/12, one in 2012/13 and one in 2013/14.

  • Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to ensure that the views of homeowners are taken into account before any change in existing trespass legislation to allow for horizontal shale gas drilling.

    Michael Fallon

    We are currently running a twelve week consultation on proposals for underground drilling access for shale gas, oil and geothermal energy. Homeowners are invited to take part in this consultation, and can respond by post, email or by using our online portal. The Government will not make a decision on this issue until we have analysed the consultation responses. This feedback may help to refine the existing proposal, develop an alternative proposal, or convince the Government that the existing system is fit for purpose.

    In addition to the consultation, we have engaged with groups or organisations that represent homeowners. We held workshops in February and March this year, which were attended by representative groups such as the Country Landowner’s Association, the National Farmers Union and a number of local authorities and elected representatives.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, under what criteria a decision will be made to place a child into a secure college.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Youth Justice Board, with proper consideration of the individual needs of young people and advice from Youth Offending Teams, currently decides the most appropriate establishment in which to place individual young people remanded or sentenced to custody. This will remain the case when there is the option of placement in a Secure College.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions for each type of racially-aggravated offence under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 were prosecuted at each magistrates’ and crown court in Lancashire in 2013.

    Damian Green

    The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ court and found guilty at all courts in Lancashire police force area, for racially and religiously aggravated offences under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 for 2013 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.

    The custody rate has increased since 2010 for racially and religiously aggravated offences in both the magistrates’ court and at the crown court.

    The description of the offences within the statute is “racially or religiously” aggravated and we are unable to disaggregate between the two. The specific circumstances of each case cannot be identified from centrally collected statistics unless specified in statute.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many refused claims for personal independence payment for people residing in the Preston constituency have been (a) appealed and (b) successfully appealed to date.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ decisions on a range of benefits, including a person’s entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

    Claimants for PIP can appeal to the Tribunal on a number of different grounds, such as the rate of benefit awarded. HMCTS is unable to isolate data relating to appeals solely on the basis of a claim for PIP having been refused. HMCTS does not, therefore, hold the specific information requested.

    Information on all appeals against PIP decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014.

  • John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who is responsible for paying defendant costs orders; and which organisation receives payment if costs are awarded for a successful prosecution of a breach.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Defendant Costs Orders are awarded to a defendant when a prosecution is unsuccessful and the defendant is acquitted. The expenditure is called ‘Central Funds’ and are payable at legal aid rates. Central Funds fall under the financial responsibility of the Legal Aid Agency but are operationally administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

    If costs are awarded in a successful prosecution of a breach of a Defendant Costs Order, then whoever the prosecutor is will be entitled to receive the costs.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the success criteria against which the secure college pathfinder will be evaluated.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Ministry of Justice is developing a robust monitoring and evaluation strategy for the Secure College Pathfinder. This will ensure that the most appropriate methods for measuring the performance of the Secure College Pathfinder are in place.

    Detail relating to performance measures against which the Secure College Pathfinder’s construction and operation providers’ performance will be measured will be contained within their individual contracts, which will be published on Contract Finder in due course.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children aged between (a) 10 and 12, (b) 13 and 14 and (c) 15 and 17 years were held in each secure training centre and secure children’s home in each year since May 2010.

    Jeremy Wright

    Informed by advice from local Youth Offending Teams, the Youth Justice Board places young people who are remanded or sentenced to custody in the secure establishment most appropriate to their needs.

    The spreadsheet shows the average number of children and young people aged between a) 10 and 12, b) 13 and 14 and c) 15 and 17 held in each secure training centre and secure children’s home in each year since 2009/10 (April to March).

    The 2013/14 figures will be published in the 2013/14 Youth Justice Statistics in January 2015.

    These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.

  • John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representation he has received from magistrates and the judiciary since 1 June 2014 on service delivery; and if he will seek feedback as part of Test Gate 4 on whether the sale of Community Rehabilitation Companies contracts is having a detrimental impact on sentencing and court processes.

    Jeremy Wright

    On 1 June, as part of our ongoing Transforming Rehabilitation Programme of reform, the new National Probation Service (NPS) and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) formally commenced operation. My officials have been in regular contact with the judiciary and magistracy throughout the transition process, but we have had no specific representations from them concerning service delivery.

    We have made it clear throughout this process that we will manage the reforms in a controlled way and we will not proceed to share sale until thorough testing is complete and we are satisfied that it is safe to do so.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the strategy for combating liver disease referred to in the Prime Minister’s message of support for World Hepatitis Day, published on the 10 Downing Street website on 28 July 2011.

    Jane Ellison

    Responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes from healthcare services, including services for people with liver disease, lies with NHS England.

    NHS England advises that it is adopting a broad strategy for delivering improvements in relation to premature mortality. It is working with commissioners and Public Health England to support clinical commissioning groups to understand where local challenges lie and to identify the evidence in relation to the priorities for reducing mortality at a national level. NHS England is generally not working within a condition specific framework and has no plans to produce a liver specific strategy.