The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-11-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have refused to answer freedom of information requests from The Guardian in relation to non-UK migrant families.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The Guardian has received responses to their requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-12-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 14 December (HL4095), why the occupations of those appointed as lay magistrates are no longer recorded.
Lord Faulks
The information is no longer recorded because it does not form part of published statistics on the magistracy. Additionally, the enduring accuracy of the recorded information could not be guaranteed subsequent to appointment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-04-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent and impact of the number of defendants in criminal cases appearing without representation as revealed in the report by Transform Justice Justice Denied? The experience of unrepresented defendants in the criminal courts.
Lord Faulks
Data on litigants in person in Magistrates’ Courts is not centrally recorded. There has been no change in the scope or eligibility for legal aid in the magistrates’ courts since means testing was introduced in 2006.
Legal aid is available, where necessary, for both magistrates’ and Crown Court cases, subject to defendants being means tested.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much tax has accrued to the Exchequer from the reported removal of £6.1 billion from pension funds since the new pensions flexibility rules were introduced, and how much they estimate will accrue by 2020.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The latest estimate of the tax revenue consequences of the introduction of pensions flexibility was set out in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook in March 2016. This stated, in paragraph 4.40, that: “tax from pension withdrawals relating to the pension flexibility measure is expected to be around £0.9 billion for the whole of 2015-16, around £0.2 billion higher than assumed in the original costing”.
The estimated longer term tax impacts of the pensions flexibility measures announced at Budget 2014 were set out in Chart 1.11 (page 45) of the Budget 2014 document.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-10-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of increasing reliance on district judges, what role they envisage for lay magistrates.
Lord Keen of Elie
We are committed to giving magistrates the strongest possible role in a more proportionate courts system, now and in the future.
Magistrates and District Judges bring different but valuable skills to our justice system. We are working with magistrates to review their role to make sure that the justice system is making full use of their skills, and that they are dealing with more of the crimes that affect and matter most to their communities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) local authority, and (2) housing association, supported housing schemes there are in England, and how many residents participate in each type of scheme.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
We do not hold this information. More information on the scale, shape and cost of the supported accommodation sector should be available through the evidence review jointly commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions. The review is due to report by April 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia in relation to the death sentence imposed on Abdullah ah-Zaher; and whether they will consider taking action in the event of representations on this, and similar cases, going unheeded.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government is very concerned about the case of Abdullah al-Zaher. We have raised these cases at a senior level in the Government of Saudi Arabia. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, especially in cases which do not meet the minimum standards defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This includes the execution of a minor and the use of the death penalty for a crime which is not deemed “the most serious”. We take every opportunity to make the Saudi authorities aware of our views.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-05-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why spending on court fine collection is being cut, in the light of the value of fines that remain uncollected.
Lord Faulks
In recent years efficiency savings have been required right across HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Continuous improvement practices within compliance and enforcement have led to record totals of financial impositions collected each year for the last four years.
Following the decision to modernise the compliance and enforcement service through an in-house solution, HM Courts and Tribunals Service has been working to develop a new strategy which will lead to further investment in the service and further increased collections.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the total cost, by 2020, of the discounts available under the starter homes scheme created by the Housing and Planning Act 2016.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The 2015 Conservative manifesto had the clear objective to build affordable homes, including Starter Homes to support young people into home ownership. They will be sold at a minimum 20 per cent discount on open market value and for no more than the price cap of £250,000 (£450,000 in London). The amount of discount will vary according to local property prices.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact of the changes proposed in the Housing and Planning Bill on supported housing schemes.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
A full impact assessment of the Housing and Planning Bill has already been published (attached) and can be accessed at: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-010.pdf.
“