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26 Jan 2010 : Column 722W—continued
Coroners: Northern Ireland
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what recent steps have been taken to improve the service provided by the Coroners Service for Northern Ireland; [312697]
(2) what steps he plans to take to reduce delays in inquests held by the Coroners Service for Northern Ireland. [312698]
Bridget Prentice: The Coroners Rules in Northern Ireland require that where an inquest is necessary it must be held as soon as is practicable after the coroner has been notified of the death.
The Coroners Service for Northern Ireland was extensively reorganised in 2006. The following changes have been introduced with the objective of improving service delivery:
1. A full-time coronial judiciary was established under a senior coroner, replacing the previous structure which largely depended on part-time coroners.
2. A High Court judge was assigned to be the presiding judge for the Coroners Service.
3. A medical officer was appointed to provide independent medical advice to the coroners.
4. Legal officers were appointed to support the coroners in the handling of complex cases.
5. Administrative support to the coroners was improved, including the appointment of coroners' liaison officers whose role is to liaise with bereaved families to provide information and support throughout the coroner's investigation.
6. An improved IT system was introduced which allows cases to be tracked effectively.
7. Protocols have been agreed with partner agencies, including the State Pathology Department and PSNI (who investigate deaths on behalf of the coroners in Northern Ireland), setting targets for the production of reports.
The Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Court Administration recently reported favourably on the improvements made in the Coroners Service (Coroners Service for Northern Ireland: A follow-up review of the administrative systems supporting bereaved families provided by the Coroners Service for Northern Ireland-November 2009).
Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many recovery notices have been made under section 7A of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995; and how much compensation has been so recovered. [312511]
Claire Ward: There have been no recovery notices made under section 7A of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995 as this section is un-commenced.
Custodial Treatment
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners who received indeterminate sentences for public protection at each tariff length have been received into custody in each month since the sentence was introduced; [311888]
(2) how many indeterminate sentences for public protection have been handed down for each type of offence in each month since December 2008. [311965]
Maria Eagle: The information requested is currently being collated by officials in the National Offender Management Service. I will write to the hon. Member once this work is complete and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Cycling: Fines
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many fines for cycling on pavements have been issued in each local highway authority area in each of the last five years. [312418]
Claire Ward: The available information is provided in the following table.
Sentencing Statistics 2008 will be published on 28 January 2010.
The figures which we have provided are shown by police force area and not by local highway authority, because the courts proceeding database does not hold this information.
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