Tag: Ann Coffey

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between (a) offence commission and charge, (b) charge and first court appearance and (c) first court appearance to sentencing or acquittal was for all completed sexual offences cases where the victim was (i) a minor and (ii) an adult in each year since 2013.

Mike Penning

Our courts system is in need of urgent reform, which is why we have committed to building a justice system that is swifter and more certain.

We are investing £700 million over the next five years to create a more effective service. We will utilise modern technology to meet the needs of everyone who uses our services.

MOJ do not hold figures on dates of sentencing or acquittals and have instead provided the time from first listing to completion.

The age of a victim is only known where specified as part of the wording of an offence in statute. Figures for sexual offences cases where the victim was a minor are based on cases where the victim was known to be a minor, and figures where the victim was an adult include cases where the age of the victim was not known.

Data included in the attached tables.

Table 1 – the average duration from offence to charge, from charge to first listing, and from first listing to completion for sexual offences cases in Greater Manchester LCJB and in England and Wales, for cases completing in 2013, 2014 and January to September 2015.

Table 2 – the average duration (days) between offence to charge, charge to first listing, and first listing to completion for sexual offence cases completed in England and Wales where the victim was a minor or an adult, 2013 to Q1-Q3 2015.

Table 3 – the average durations for sexual offences cases in England and Wales. These are an update of Tables 5.1 and 5.2 in the ‘Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales’ publication. Figures are for the last 12 months available, from October 2014 to September 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Attorney General, how many people were charged under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 in 2015.

Jeremy Wright

I am answering on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice, as I am the minister that superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who is responsible for bringing charges.

The CPS does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with offences brought by way of Section 1 or Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; or Section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004; or Sections 57 and 58 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. (Sections 57, 58 and 59 were repealed and replaced by section 59A Sexual Offences Act 2003 on 13 April 2013) This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

However, although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with a particular offence, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the human trafficking offences during each of the last three calendar years. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.

2013	2014	2015
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 { 4 }	20	73	48
Coroners and Justice Act 2009 { 71 }	36	26	34
Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 1 }	0	0	5
Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 57 }	22	35	69
Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 58 }	84	35	75
Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59 }	4	4	9
Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59A }	1	17	94
Total Human Trafficking Offences Charged	167	190	334
Data Source: CPS Management Information System

No offences have yet been recorded under section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which came into force on 31st July 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) looked after children went missing and (b) incidents there were of looked after children going missing from their placement there were for each (i) type of placement and (ii) age of child in each of the last five years; and whether each such child who went missing was in a distant placement.

Edward Timpson

Figures on the number of children who had a missing incident in the year ending 31 March 2015, and the number of incidents by placement type and age, are attached. Data for earlier years was only collected for children who were missing for a period of at least 24 hours. Information on the distance of the placement from which a looked after child went missing is not readily available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to create a new legal status of guardian of the property and affairs of a missing person by 1 December 2016.

Sir Oliver Heald

We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department takes to monitor the compliance of local authorities with their statutory duty to secure sufficient accommodation for looked-after children.

Edward Timpson

Local authorities are required, so far as reasonably practicable, to secure sufficient accommodation within the authority’s area to meet the needs of looked after and vulnerable children. Statutory guidance to help local authorities meet this duty was issued in 2010.

Local authorities’ compliance with the “sufficiency duty” is considered as part of Ofsted inspection. In order for a local authority’s overall effectiveness to be judged as good, they must demonstrate a clear strategy for commissioning and developing services and that there are sufficient resources to meet the needs of local children. Ensuring sufficient placements and services for looked after children also forms part of Ofsted’s judgement of local authorities’ leadership and management.

Further details of the Ofsted inspection framework are available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-local-authority-childrens-services-framework

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offences with code (a) 17B, (b) 19D, (c) 19E, (d) 19H, (e) 20B, (f) 21, (g) 22B, (h) 74, and (i) 88A under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 were brought to trial in Greater Manchester in each year since 2008; how many such trials resulted in convictions under each category; and what the conviction rate was for such offences in Greater Manchester in that period.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The number of defendants tried at and found guilty at Crown Courts in Greater Manchester, from 2008 to 2014, for selected sexual offences (with conviction ratio in this area) can be viewed in the attached table.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many offences with code (a) 17B, (b) 19D, (c) 19E, (d) 19H, (e) 20B, (f) 2, (g) 22B, (h) 74 and (i) 88A under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 were recorded by police each year since 2008.

Mr Rob Wilson

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children living in regulated children’s homes who were the responsibility of each local authority were placed (a) within that local authority area, (b) outside the local authority area and (c) more than 20 miles away from their home on the latest date for which figures are available.

Edward Timpson

The information requested is attached.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of quality assurance procedures for registered intermediaries.

Mike Penning

Registered Intermediaries are required to adhere to professional standards as set out in a Code of Conduct and a Code of Ethics. Instances where performance falls below the required level can be investigated by the Quality Assurance Board which oversees and monitors quality issues and reports to the Ministry of Justice. A number of options are available for the board to take, including disciplinary action where it sees fit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 2015 protocol between the association of chief police officers, the crown prosecution service and HM Courts and Tribunals service to expedite cases involving witnesses under 10 years old.

Mike Penning

This Protocol provides additional guidance on support to young witnesses at Court. The protocol came into effect on the 1^st April 2015; currently there are no plans to review it.