Illegal Immigrants: Olympic Games 2012
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of people who came to the UK to (a) participate in and (b) spectate at the 2012 Olympic Games who remain in the country illegally. [197837]
James Brokenshire: Close to 70,000 records of individuals who were accredited by LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) have been investigated. These individuals were subject to immigration control. This would include athletes, coaches, sponsors, etc. but the records do not include those who came merely to watch the Games.
At the time of the investigations, 82 individuals had claimed asylum and 50 had not returned but were in possession of another form of legitimate leave.
Immigration Controls
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken so that immigration officers ensure the removal of any face coverings before authorising an individual's entry to the UK. [197802]
James Brokenshire: All passengers wearing a veil or face covering on arrival in the United Kingdom will be asked to remove their veil so that their appearance can be compared with the photograph in their passport. If a passenger refuses to remove their veil they will be detained until they do so.
Immigration: Telephone Services
Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual cost is of the asylum and immigration hotline open to hon. Members. [197460]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the hon. Member, on 12 May. A copy of the letter was also placed in the House Library.
The MPs' hotline is a dedicated resource, for Members, based in Croydon and answers queries on Members' constituents' immigration queries. The staffing costs of the MPs' hotline for 2013 were £180,240.
Licensing Laws: Wales
David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which people from Wales responded to the consultation on the relaxation of licensing hours during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. [198131]
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Norman Baker: The Government received 25 responses to the online consultation on the relaxation of licensing hours during the FIFA World Cup from respondents who identified themselves as living or working in Wales. This included nine from members of the public, seven from licensing authorities, three from the licensed trade or trade organisations and two from the police and four from ‘other’. The response to the consultation is available online at the gov.uk website.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration and Security dated 10 March 2014, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms S. Ejaz. [197502]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 6 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 13 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs S. Rajabbi. [197505]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 6 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 17 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr A. A. Dada Shzadeh. [197507]
James Brokenshire: A Home Office official replied to the right hon. Member on 2 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 17 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M. Barzi. [197508]
James Brokenshire: I replied to the right hon. Member today, 13 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 19 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr F. Mir. [197509]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 8 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 24 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Abdul Rehman. [197510]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 8 May 2014.
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Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 19 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr F. Mir. [198192]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 8 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 17 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Asif Rafiq. [198193]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 8 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 17 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M. Barzi. [198194]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right. hon. Member today, 13 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Immigration and Security Minister dated 27 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Dr M. Hatamleh. [198195]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 6 May 2014.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration and Security dated 16 March 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms S. Ejaz. [198196]
James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 6 May 2014.
Metals: Licensing
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of applicants for scrap metal dealer's licences who were not known to their local authority under the previous registration system. [198269]
Norman Baker: No estimate has been made of the proportion of applicants for scrap metal dealer’s licences who were not known to their local authority under the previous registration system.
Offenders: Deportation
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time spent in prison awaiting deportation for those foreign national prisoners beyond the end of their sentence was in the latest period for which figures are available. [195725]
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James Brokenshire: The average length of time foreign national offenders (FNOs) were held in prison beyond the end of their sentence pending deportation, as of 31 December 2013 is 234 calendar days. This is the mean average, calculated using the table shown which was provided in response to PQ 195817.
It should be noted that the small number of FNOs who fall in the 24 to 60 and 60+ months categories (45 individuals out of 850) heavily skew the mean. By way of context, the modal average length of time in prison for the same cases is 32 days.
| Time held beyond end of sentence | Total |
| Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to FNO cases who met the criteria for deportation only. 4. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 ( - = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. 5. Data are a snapshot of individuals detained in prison on 31 December 2013. | |
We make every effort to ensure that a person’s removal by deportation coincides, as far as possible, with his/her release from prison on completion of sentence. Where a detainee refuses to cooperate with the removal or deportation process, detention may be prolonged.
The Immigration Bill will have a significant impact on the ability of FNOs to delay removal by mounting legal challenges while in the UK. The current appeals system means that 17 different types of decision can be appealed. The Immigration Bill will simplify the appeals system and mean that appeals can only be brought where the Home Office has refused a protection (asylum or humanitarian protection) claim, a human rights claim or a claim based on EU free movement rights. It will also give us the power to certify that where deportation will not cause serious irreversible harm, the appeal will be heard after the FNO has left the country.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals who have served their sentence but are awaiting deportation there are in each prison. [195803]
James Brokenshire: The number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) detained in prison beyond the end of their sentence pending deportation (as of 31 December 2013) is shown in the following table:
| Prison name | Total |
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| Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to criteria FNO cases only. 4. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 ( ‘-’ = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. 5. Data is a snapshot of individuals detained in prison on 31 December 2013. | |
We make every effort to ensure that a person’s removal by deportation coincides, as far as possible, with his/her release from prison on completion of sentence. Where a detainee refuses to co-operate with the removal or deportation process, detention may be prolonged.
The Immigration Bill will have a significant impact on the ability of FNOs to delay removal by mounting legal challenges while in the UK. The current appeals system means that 17 different types of decision can be appealed. The Immigration Bill will simplify the appeals system and mean that appeals can only be brought where the Home Office has refused a protection (asylum or humanitarian protection) claim, a human rights claim or a claim based on EU free movement rights. It will also give us the power to certify that where deportation will not cause serious irreversible harm, the appeal will be heard after the offender has left the country.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals in prison awaiting deportation beyond the end of their sentence have spent (a) up to one month, (b) up to two months, (c) up to six months, (d) up to 12 months, (e) up to 24 months, (f) up to 60 months and (g) over 60 months awaiting deportation. [195817]
James Brokenshire: The following table shows the number of time served Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) in prison pending deportation, based on the length of time held beyond the end of their sentence, as of 31 December 2013.
| Time held beyond end of sentence | Total |
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| 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to FNO cases who met the criteria for deportation only. 4. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 ( - = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. 5. Data is a snapshot of individuals detained in prison on 31 December 2013. | |
We make every effort to ensure that a person’s removal by deportation coincides, as far as possible, with his/her release from prison on completion of sentence. Where a detainee refuses to cooperate with the removal or deportation process, detention may be prolonged.
The Immigration Bill will have a significant impact on the ability of FNOs to delay removal by mounting legal challenges whilst in the UK. The current appeals system means that 17 different types of decision can be appealed. The Immigration Bill will simplify the appeals system and mean that appeals can only be brought where the Home Office has refused a protection (asylum or humanitarian protection) claim, a human rights claim or a claim based on EU free movement rights. It will also give us the power to certify that where deportation will not cause serious irreversible harm, the appeal will be heard after the FNO has left the country.
Official Visits: Uganda
Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the names are of all those issued visas in connection with the current visit of President Museveni of Uganda. [197911]
James Brokenshire: It is not the policy of the Home Office to comment on the detail of individual applications.
Private Investigators
Sir Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, column 346W, on private investigations, when the terms and conditions for private investigator licences will be published. [198138]
Karen Bradley: The terms and conditions for licences to conduct private investigations will be issued by the Security Industry Authority (SIA)-the regulator of the private security industry-before the implementation of the new statutory licensing requirement.
Proceeds of Crime
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which countries the UK has asset sharing agreements for the purposes of freezing, confiscating and repatriating the proceeds of crime; and how many such agreements have been reached since 2010-11. [197341]
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Karen Bradley: The UK is party to a number of multilateral international agreements that contain asset recovery and asset sharing provisions. These include the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime, the UN Convention Against Corruption and the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime. The UK does not require a formal international agreement to be able to co-operate with another country in respect of freezing, confiscating and sharing or repatriating the proceeds of crime but does have 37 bilateral mutual legal assistance agreements with other countries including such provisions. These are:
1. Algeria
2. Antigua and Barbuda
3. Argentina
4. Australia
5. Bahamas
6. Bahrain
7. Barbados
8. Brazil
9. Canada
10. Chile
11. Colombia
12. Ecuador
13. Grenada
14. Guyana
15. Hong Kong SAR
16. India
17. Ireland
18. Italy
19. Jordan
20. Libya
21. Malaysia
22. Mexico
23. Netherlands
24. Nigeria
25. Panama
26. Paraguay
27. Philippines
28. Romania
29. Saudi Arabia
30. Spain
31. Sweden
32. Thailand
33. UAE
34. Ukraine
35. Uruguay
36. USA
37. Vietnam
The agreements with Jordan and Malaysia have been concluded since 2010.
There are a further six bilateral agreements limited to the issue of asset sharing. These are:
1. Canada
2. Jersey
3. Hong Kong SAR
4. Ireland
5. Jamaica
6. Netherlands
These were all concluded prior to 2010.
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Roads: Lighting
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has undertaken on the relationship between levels of street lighting and the incidence of (a) burglaries, (b) offences against the person and (c) other crimes. [197999]
Norman Baker: The Home Office has not undertaken any recent research into the relationship between levels of street lighting and the incidence of crimes.
Metal Theft
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the export of stolen scrap metal. [198210]
Norman Baker: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and EU counterparts as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice her Department has issued to police forces on working with the UK Border Force in preventing the export of stolen scrap metal. [198211]
Norman Baker: The Home Office has not issued guidance on this point to police forces. However, work is underway in UK Border Force and other law enforcement organisations to tackle this problem, including the better profiling and identification of containers that may contain stolen metal. They are also looking at whether there are technological solutions that can be used to better secure our borders.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what organisation will take over the competencies of the National Metal Theft Taskforce once funding for that body ends. [198212]
Norman Baker: The Home Office will continue to contribute to the funding of the National Metal Theft Taskforce until 30 September 2014. The decision to provide funding until that date ensures the Taskforce operates concurrently with the first year of the new licensing scheme under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. After that date, future enforcement activity will become the responsibility of individual police forces based on their local crime priorities. It was never the intention that the Taskforce would continue indefinitely.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of stolen scrap metal exported for sale abroad. [198268]
Norman Baker: The Home Office has not undertaken an assessment of the level of stolen scrap metal exported for sale abroad.
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We are aware of the risk that stolen metals may be directly exported and so work is underway with UK Border Force and other law enforcement organisations to deal with this, including the better profiling and identification of containers that may contain stolen metal. We are also looking to see whether there are any technological solutions we can use to better secure our borders.
UK Visas and Immigration Directorate
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed by the UK Visa and Immigration Directorate on 1 April 2014. [197261]
James Brokenshire: The number of people (paid and unpaid civil servants as well as agency and contractors substituting as civil servants) employed by UK Visas and Immigration on 31 March 2014 was 7,107 (6,598.67 full-time equivalent).
In line with Office for National Statistics guidelines, all Government Departments are required to report their official statistics relating to numbers of employees using calendar month end dates. This answer has therefore been provided using information as at 31 March 2014 rather than 1 April 2014.
Justice
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in (a) Rossendale and (b) Darwen were found guilty of (i) drunk and disorderly behaviour and (ii) drunk and aggravated behaviour in each of the last three years. [194835]
Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information the location of an offence or the home address of an offender. This detailed information may be held on the court record but due to the size and complexity is not reported centrally to the MOJ. As such, the information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Arrest Warrants
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate procedural safeguards are in place for vulnerable defendants in European Arrest Warrant proceedings. [184542]
Mr Vara: Legal aid is available for extradition proceedings in the same way as any other criminal proceedings, subject to passing the interests of justice test and means test; and the services of an interpreter are available to any defendant who needs them. These safeguards are not limited to vulnerable defendants.
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At Westminster magistrates court, which is the only court that deals with outgoing extraditions, a court-based mental health team makes an assessment of defendants making their first appearance in custody, who include all defendants in extradition cases.
Bail
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what average period of time is spent on bail by an offender whose case is dealt with in a (a) magistrates court and (b) Crown court where the offender (i) pleads guilty at the outset, (ii) changes their plea to guilty during the course of the proceedings and (iii) pleads not guilty. [197785]
Mr Vara: Information on bail and remand collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice and held on the court proceedings database does not include any information on the length of time defendants were held on bail or remand. This information could only be ascertained by reference to individual court files which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
Brighton
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement. [197441]
Jeremy Wright: Although reducing and rationalising the Ministry of Justice estate could result in relocations, there is no centrally driven relocation target to this effect. Any relocation is done based on the operational needs of the Department. The Ministry of Justice currently has no plans to relocate its staff or offices to Brighton. The Ministry of Justice continues to work with the Government Property Unit to ensure that the Ministry of Justice estate operates in an efficient manner and represents value for money.
Burglary
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the effect of burglary on children. [196614]
Damian Green: I recognise that burglary can have severe emotional and other negative effects on victims, particularly on children, for whom the safety and security of the home is especially important.
The Government’s new Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, which came into force on 10 December 2013, gives victims of crime clearer entitlements from criminal justice agencies and better tailors services to individual need. Under the code, criminal justice agencies must provide enhanced services to vulnerable victims, including victims under the age of 18. The code contains a section dedicated to the needs of children and young people.
The code also entitles victims to make a victim personal statement (VPS) which provides them with a stronger voice in the criminal justice process. Therefore child victims of burglary, or other crimes, are able to explain in their own words how the crime has affected them.
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CAFCASS
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of levels of satisfaction with CAFCASS among younger children who do not complete formal feedback forms. [197639]
Simon Hughes: While complaints made to CAFCASS by children and young people are monitored nationally, it collects, monitors and acts on feedback at a local level. CAFCASS has commissioned the Family Justice Young People’s Board to review how children and young people provide feedback to CAFCASS and advise on ways to encourage more feedback both via formal and informal routes. CAFCASS now has various methods of obtaining feedback from the children and young people it works with which include more formal methods such as feedback forms and more informal and child-friendly methods such as ‘feedback trees’. Feedback trees encourage children to write out or draw their feelings on how CAFCASS has worked with them, allowing CAFCASS practitioners to build on this feedback. There is no central or national monitoring of this informal feedback.
Compensation
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the target time is for a decision on an application for compensation. [193876]
Damian Green: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) does not have a target. The average (mean) time between application receipt and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) initially deciding the case was 8.8 months in 2012-13.
This time taken varies depending on the individual’s circumstances and the complexity of the case: for some serious injuries claims can only be finalised when the extent of the impact on their health or ability to earn becomes clear. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) seeks to decide cases as quickly as possible.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications were made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority's hardship fund in 2012-13; and what proportion of such applications was successful. [197801]
Damian Green: The hardship fund opened on 27 November 2012 so only covered four months of the 2012-13 financial year. In that time the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority received nine applications for hardship funds. Two of these were withdrawn by the applicant and one was redirected to be considered under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which was more appropriate to the facts in that case.
All six of the remaining applications were successful.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many staff were employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on (a) 31 March 2011, (b) 31 March 2012 and (c) 31 March 2013; [193899]
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(2) how many senior decision makers were employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each region on (a) 31 March 2011, (b) 31 March 2012 and (c) 31 March 2013. [193735]
Damian Green: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) divides its case work between six teams, each of which handles applications from a particular region of Great Britain. When the need arises they also create cross-regional special exercise teams to carry out projects. All of these teams work from a single office. Northern Ireland has a separate Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which CICA does not administer. The six regional teams are numbered as follows:
1. Scotland and Wales
2. North-west England
3. North-east England
4. Midlands
5. South England
6. London
CICA publish detailed datasets of their staff numbers broken down by job title, but these do not specify which regional team someone works in. The table sets out how many staff CICA employed on the dates specified, and how many of those were senior decision makers (SDMs) and decision makers (DMs) in each region. CICA may move staff between regions throughout the year to fill temporary staff vacancies or address variances in the number of cases each region is handling. These figures do not show if staff were temporarily redeployed to assist another region on the date specified.
In recent years CICA have invested in improved technology and introduced more efficient processes which have allowed them to reduce administration costs while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
| Number of SDMs | Number of DMs | Number of staff | |
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Criminal Proceedings
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made implementing the recommendations of Getting It Right for Victims and Witnesses, Cm 8288, published in January 2012; and if he will make a statement. [197988]
Damian Green: We have made great progress in implementing all recommendations from the ‘Getting it right for victims and witnesses’ consultation.
From 1 October this year the majority of support services for victims of crime will be commissioned locally by PCCs, who are best placed to understand the needs of victims in their community. MOJ are nationally commissioning a number of services for victims and witnesses, specifically the Homicide Service, the court based witness service and the rape support fund, as well as some national helplines for victims.
Support services, whether commissioned locally or nationally, will for the first time be focused on outcomes, supporting victims to cope with the immediate impacts of crime, and as far as is possible, help them to recover.
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime came into force on 10 December 2013. The Code gives victims of crime clearer entitlements from the criminal justice system and tailors services to individual need so they get the right support at the right time. It also includes a section dedicated to people under 18, their parents and guardians and a separate chapter for businesses.
We wanted to give victims a stronger voice in the criminal justice system. That is why the new Victims’ Code entitles victims to make a Victim Personal Statement to leave the in no doubt about the impact of their crime on the victim. The Code now includes an improved complaints process.
The Government has also published the Witness Charter alongside the Victims’ Code, which demonstrates our commitment to improving all witnesses’ experience of the criminal justice system.
We are currently piloting pre-trial cross-examination in Leeds, Liverpool and Kingston–upon–Thames crown courts, allowing vulnerable witnesses to give evidence in advance and sparing them from facing questioning during the trial.
We reformed the Victim Surcharge in October 2012 to increase fines and extend it to a wider range of cases to ensure more offenders pay towards the cost of victims’ services. Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) were increased from 1 July 2013 for the same aim. A clause included in the ASB, Crime and Policing Act 2014 will prevent offenders sentenced in the magistrates’ courts from discharging the Surcharge as additional days in custody.
We implemented a revised Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme in November 2012 that focuses on seriously injured victims of serious crime.
More money than ever before will be available for services to support victims of crime, with a potential total budget of up to £100 million, double MOJ's current spending of around £50 million.
Data Protection
Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to consult on the introduction of custodial sentences under section 77 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 relating to data protection breaches; and if he will make a statement. [198236]
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Simon Hughes: The Government is currently reviewing the sanctions available for breaches under the Data Protection Act 1998. This includes considering whether to consult on introducing section 77 (CJIA) and commence the enhanced public interest defence under section 78 (CJIA).
Electronic Government
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the oral answer of 30 April 2014, Official Report, column 815, how the assisted digital service for lasting power of attorney is provided and accessed; and what assisted digital services are in place for other Government digital services. [198286]
Simon Hughes: The Office of the Public Guardian (an Executive agency of the Ministry of Justice) is piloting an assisted digital service through three third sector organisations: Alzheimer's Society, Age UK and CAB. Customers identified as requiring the service are signposted by the OPG contact centre to the providers national contact numbers. The pilots are being used to assess the extent of the assisted digital need and to evaluate different methods for delivery.
Before going live every digital by default service is required to make sure appropriate assisted digital support is in place. Services are working with GDS to understand who their assisted digital users are and what this support should look like.
Family Courts
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of (a) judges and (b) magistrates who deal with family court cases are (i) male and (ii) female. [197799]
Mr Vara: The Government are committed to judicial diversity—it is important that judges and magistrates reflect the diverse communities in which they serve. I am able to provide an answer to the first part of the question—the following table provides the gender breakdown of judges who deal with family cases.
| Number | Percentage | |
I am unable to provide an answer to the information requested about magistrates—to do so would require each of the 47 local advisory committees to check the individual personal records of all of the family court magistrates in their respective areas. This would incur disproportionate costs. Information on magistrates’ diversity more generally is published on the judiciary website at:
http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/magistrates-statistics
In relation to my hon. Friend’s question about the gender profile of magistrates who sit in the family court, I trust it will be of some assistance if I explain that the gender profile for the 21,641 serving magistrates overall is currently 10,317 (48%) male and 11,324 (52%) female.
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Ford Prison
Mr Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners released on temporary licence from Ford Open Prison failed to return in each of the last five years. [197782]
Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the number of releases on temporary licence and failures to return recorded at HMP Ford since 2008. Data on failures to return is unavailable before 2009 and centrally held data on temporary releases is unavailable for 2009 and 2010 when a new prison database system was introduced.
Data on temporary release failures for 2013 will be published later this year:
| HMP Ford: Release on temporary licence and failures to return | |||||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
Failures on ROTL remain very rare, consistently accounting for less that one tenth of 1% of all releases, but they are taken seriously. In March, we announced a range of measures to strengthen the existing temporary release provisions to ensure that the right balance is always struck between facilitating resettlement and protecting the public. Under our plans, there will be a more consistent, tougher approach to dealing with ROTL failures and, in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, we are seeking to increase the maximum penalty for failing to return from ROTL from six months’ to two years’ imprisonment.
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Fraud: Social Security Benefits
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of (a) men and (b) women found guilty of benefit fraud in each of the last 10 years received (i) immediate custodial sentences and (B) non-custodial sentences. [197800]
Jeremy Wright: The sentencing framework and sentencing guidelines apply equally to all offenders. Sentencing is entirely a matter for the courts, taking account of all the circumstances of each case. This will include the seriousness of the offence, including all aggravating and mitigating factors, and a guilty plea.
Fraud has a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and there are various other offences which are specific to benefit fraud, with maximum penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment. The courts must follow the relevant sentencing guideline in their approach to sentencing. Last year, the Sentencing Council conducted a public consultation on a new draft guideline for fraud and a new definitive guideline, informed by the responses received, will apply in due course.
In addition to criminal penalties, those convicted of benefit fraud also face a restriction on their benefits for an extended period.
The number of men and women sentenced at all courts for offences relating to benefit fraud in England and Wales from 2002 to 2012 (latest data available) can be viewed in the table.
Please note that court proceedings statistics for the year 2013 are planned to be published by the Ministry of Justice on 15 May 2014.
| Males and Females sentenced at all courts for offences relating to benefit fraud1, England and Wales, 2002-122, 3, 4 | ||||
| Sex | Year | Sentenced | Immediate custody | Non custodial sentences5 |
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| "-" Nil 1 Includes the following offences: Social Security Administration Act 1992 added by Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997-Dishonest representation for obtaining benefits Social Security Administration Act 1992-False representation. Contravention of regulations etc. Social Security Administration Act 1992 as amended by Social security Act 1998-Knowingly being concerned in fraudulent evasion of contributions Social Security Administration Act 1992-Illegal possession of documents relating to benefits etc. 2 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 4 Excludes those cases where the defendant's sex was 'not stated'. 5 Includes the following: absolute and conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, suspended sentence, otherwise dealt with. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. | ||||
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 9 April 2014, Official Report, columns 244-46W, on fraud: social security benefits, how many of the convictions listed were dealt with at (a) magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts. [197883]
Mr Vara: Pursuant to the answer of 9 April 2014, Official Report, columns 244-46W, the number of men and women found guilty for offences relating to benefit fraud by court type in England and Wales from 2008 to 2012 (latest data available) is shown in the following table.
Please note that court proceedings statistics for the year 2013 are planned to be published by the Ministry of Justice on 15 May 2014.
| Males and females found guilty for benefit fraud1, by court type, England and Wales, 2008-122, 3, 4 | ||||||
| Court type | Gender | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| 1 Includes the following offences: Social Security Administration Act 1992 added by Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997—Dishonest representation for obtaining benefits Social Security Administration Act 1992—False representation. Contravention of regulations etc. Social Security Administration Act 1992 as amended by Social Security Act 1998—Knowingly being concerned in fraudulent evasion of contributions. Social Security Administration Act 1992—Illegal possession of documents relating to benefits etc. 2 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 4 Excludes those cases where the defendant’s sex was ‘not stated’. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice. | ||||||
Health: Research
Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that the proposed General European Data Protection Regulation does not prevent health research involving personal data from taking place. [187610]
Simon Hughes: The Government are aware of the concerns raised by representatives of the research community about amendments to the proposed EU General Data Protection Regulation that could prevent health research involving personal data from taking place. These concerns centre on amendments to the proposed Regulation that have been agreed by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) committee of the European Parliament.
The Government’s view is that the ability of researchers to process personal data in the way that they are legitimately able to do so at present must be preserved. The Government is alert to the concerns raised and will continue to engage with representatives of the research community about the processing of personal data for medical research purposes under the proposed Regulation.
Negotiations on the EU data protection framework are ongoing and the final text will be subject to the
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co-decision of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament under the ordinary legislative procedure. However, negotiations have yet to begin between the Council and the Parliament as the Council has not yet agreed a position on the text.
Magistrates Courts
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of magistrates' use of two year sentencing powers; and if he will make a statement. [197786]
Jeremy Wright: A Detention and Training Order, the main custodial sentence for children and young people, can be up to 24 months in length and is available to magistrates sitting in the Youth Court. The Government has not made an assessment of magistrates use of this order.
There are a range of disposals available to magistrates when dealing with children and young people which are designed to address offending behaviour. Through our reforms this Government have taken steps to improve the youth sentencing framework.
Northern Ireland
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he last met the Minister for Justice in Northern Ireland; and what subjects were discussed at this meeting. [197835]
Damian Green: The Lord Chancellor had a meeting with David Ford, the Northern Ireland Justice Minister on 6 February 2013 in Belfast at which they discussed matters of mutual interest in relation to justice policy.
Offences against Children
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many women have been charged with child sex offences but not convicted in each of the last three years. [195893]
Simon Hughes: The proportion of offenders given custody for sexual offences has increased since 2003.
The number of female defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty or not guilty at all courts for sexual offences against children, in England and Wales from 2008 to 2012 (the latest data available), can be viewed in the table.
Court Proceedings data for calendar year 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014 Charging data is not held by the Ministry of Justice.
| Female defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced for sexual offences against children1, England and Wales, 2008-122, 3 | |||||
| Outcome | 20084 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
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| 1 Includes sexual offences against a child where the age of the victim has been recognised: Sexual Offences Act 2003, s1, s5, s6, s7, s8, s9, s10, s11, s12, s14, s15, s16, s17, s18, s19, s25, s26, s47, s48, s49, s50; Criminal Justice Act 1988, s160; Protection of Children Act 1978, s1; Indecency with Children Act 1960, s1; Sexual Offences Act 1956, s28. 2 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 4 Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. 5 Conviction ratio is calculated as the number of convictions as a proportion of the number of proceedings. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. | |||||
| Female defendants found not guilty1 of sexual offences against children2, England and Wales, 2008-123, 4 | |
| Number | |
| 1 Includes cases where proceedings discontinued, discharged, withdrawn, dismissed at all courts and, at Crown courts only, defendants not tried and acquitted. The number found guilty and found not guilty in a year can be greater than the number proceeded against in that year if they include cases from previous years. 2 Includes sexual offences against a child where the age of the victim has been recognised: Sexual Offences Act 2003, s1, s5, s6, s7, s8, s9, s10, s11, s12, s14, s15, s16, s17, s18, s19, s25, s26, s47, s48, s49, s50; Criminal Justice Act 1988, s160. 3 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 4 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 5 Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. | |
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to sections 33 or 41 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, where the person caused to watch the sexual activity in question was a child, in each of the last four years; [194004]
(2) how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to sections 31 or 39 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, where the person caused or incited to engage in sexual activity was a child, in each of the last four years; [194005]
(3) how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to section 36 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, where the person who agreed to be present or in a place from which the person committing the offence could be observed was a child, in each of the last four years; [194006]
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(4) how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to sections 32 or 40 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, where the person who was present or in a place from which the person committing the offence could be seen was a child, in each of the last four years; [194007]
(5) how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to sections 35 or 37 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, where the person induced, threatened or received was a child in each of the last four years; [194008]
(6) how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to sections 30, 34 or 38 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, where the offence was committed against a child in each of the last four years. [194009]
Damian Green:
Our laws in these areas are robust and clear. The Government takes very seriously all matters
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relating to sexual abuse including the abuse of children. The proportion of offenders sentenced who were sentenced to immediate custody rose to 86% in 2012, compared to 58% in 2009.
The number of defendants found guilty of offences under sections 30 to 41 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in England and Wales from 2008 to 2012 can be viewed in the table.
Court proceedings data for England and Wales for 2013 are planned for publication as part of the Criminal Justice Statistics publication in May 2014.
It is not possible separately to identify the age of the victim from centrally held data or to give figures for each individual offence requested.
| Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences under Sections 30-41 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, England and Wales, 2008-121, 2, 3 | |||||
| Outcome | 20084 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| 1 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 The number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. 4 Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. 5 Conviction ratio is calculated as the number of convictions as a proportion of the number of proceedings. 6 The proportion of offenders sentenced who are sentenced to immediate custody. Note: The category Otherwise Dealt With (ODW) includes: one day in police cells; disqualification order; restraining order; confiscation order; travel restriction order; disqualification from driving; recommendation for deportation; and other miscellaneous disposals. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||||
Open Prisons
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 1 May 2014, Official Report, column 763W, on open prisons, what offences were committed by each of the offenders in prison for violence against the person. [197807]
Jeremy Wright: Open prisons have been used since 1936, because they are the most effective means of ensuring that prisoners are suitably risk-assessed before they are released into the community under appropriate licence conditions. These prisons also provide effective supervision for prisoners who do not require the security conditions of the closed estate, because they have been assessed as having a low risk of harm to the public and a low risk of absconding by the independent Parole Board and/or NOMS.
Indeterminate sentence prisoners located in open conditions have been rigorously risk assessed and categorised as being of a low enough risk to the public to warrant their placement in an open prison. They will have previously spent time in prisons with higher levels of security, before being transferred to open conditions if recommended by the Parole Board—or directed through NOMS. Time spent in open prisons affords prisoners the opportunity to find work, re-establish family ties, reintegrate into the community and ensure housing needs are met. For many prisoners, in particular those, such as indeterminate sentence prisoners who have spent a considerable amount of time in custody; these are
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essential components for successful reintegration in the community and therefore an important factor in protecting the public. To release these prisoners directly from a closed prison without the resettlement benefits of the open estate would undoubtedly lead to higher levels of post-release re-offending.
The requested information is provided in the following table.
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.
| Prisoners serving an immediate custodial sentence in the open estate1 for violence against the person offences, 31 December 2013, England and Wales | |
| Number | |
| 1 Based on predominant function of the prison and therefore excludes prisoners held in open wings of closed establishments. Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as withy any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. | |
Police Cautions: Copeland
Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many police cautions were issued in Copeland constituency in each of the last five years. [196695]
Damian Green: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
Simple cautions (previously police cautions) are a non-statutory disposal available to the police to dispose of any offence committed by an adult designed for dealing with low level, mainly first time offending. The Ministry of Justice issues guidance on the process to be followed by the police and the CPS when they are administering simple cautions for adult offenders
The Government are clear that serious offences should always be brought to court, and to ensure that there is increased public confidence in the justice system, last year announced changes to stop the use of cautions for indictable only offences and certain serious either way offences unless there are exceptional circumstances and a senior police officer, as well as the CPS for certain cases, has agreed that a caution should be administered.
The MOJ guidance on Adult Simple Cautions was amended in November last year to reflect these changes, and we are legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill to place statutory restrictions around their use.
Information on cautions is not held by parliamentary constituency. This information may be on the police record, which can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Prerogative of Mercy
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether all people who received a Royal Prerogative of Mercy had their names listed in the London Gazette. [197901]
Damian Green: There are no statutory requirements relating to the publication of pardons granted under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy. However, by convention, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery places a notice of such pardons granted in England and Wales in the London Gazette.
Prison Accommodation
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent purchasing additional prison places from existing privately run prisons in each month since 1 January 2014; from which prisons such additional spaces have been purchased; how many additional spaces were agreed; for how long each such additional space has been purchased for; and what the cost was for each space agreed. [197071]
Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice has purchased the following additional prisoner places (APPs) in existing privately run prisons since February 2014.
We are unable to provide the cost of APPs at each prison as this information is commercially sensitive.
We have presented the following information setting out at which prisons the APPs have been purchased since February 2014, and the duration of these places.
| Prison | Number of places | Duration (months) |
Prison Service
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the required prison officers in post figures are as part of the benchmarking process for each prison; and what the corresponding current full-time equivalent prison officer figures are. [194299]
Jeremy Wright: Benchmarking public sector prisons started last summer and concludes by April 2015. The numbers in the following table relate to the prisons in which the process of applying the benchmark, during which the number of prisons officers and all other staff are determined, has been completed.
Benchmarking is by far the best means of delivering value for money for the public purse (savings of £175 million by 2015-16). It optimises the skills of staff by introducing new ways of working and puts all prison officers in prison-facing roles.
Our benchmarking approach has been agreed with the unions, and it will help the wider strategy of reconfiguring the prison estate which the NAO has
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commented is the most coherent and comprehensive for many years. Benchmarking delivers efficiencies while ensuring that public sector prisons can operate safely, decently and securely.
| Benchmark FTE prison officer and prison officer specialists (as at 7 March 2014) | |
| Establishment | Benchmark FTE |
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| Note: Please note these figures are subject to change as a result of further reviews to ensure a safe, decent and secure environment is maintained. | |
The number of full-time equivalent prison officers employed in each establishment of the Public Sector Prison Service of England and Wales, as at December 2013, is published in the National Offender Management Service workforce statistics at;
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the staff sickness rate has been in (a) the prison estate and (b) HM Prison High Down in each month since September 2013. [197104]
Jeremy Wright: Sickness absence is measured as the average working days lost (AWDL) per staff year, which is the measure used across all Government Departments.
Sickness rates in adult prisons have fallen over the last ten years and remain below the rate of 14.8 days lost, across public sector adult prisons, in 2002-03.
Information on staff sickness rates for High Down and for all prisons in England and Wales are published in Management Information Addendum to the NOMS Annual Report. The latest figures, which relate to 2012-13, can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225231/prs-data-12-13.xls
Figures for 2013-14 will be published on 31 July 2014.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the ratio of prison officers to inmates of each gender was in each (a) prison establishment and (b) category of prison in each of the last five years. [197839]
Jeremy Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 261W.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, columns 130-1W, on prisons: disciplinary proceedings, what the sex was of each of the 11 employees dismissed for conducting an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner; and how many employees were disciplined but not dismissed for the same misconduct in the same period, broken down by sex. [197872]
Jeremy Wright: The vast majority of Prison Service staff are honest, hard-working professionals. When a member of staff has an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner or ex prisoner, their actions fail to meet the professional standards expected of them in the course of their duty.