Attorney General

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) provides legal advice and support to the Attorney General and the Solicitor General (the Law Officers) who give legal advice to government. The AGO helps the Law Officers perform other duties in the public interest, such as looking at sentences which may be too low.



Secretary of State

Lord Hermer
Attorney General

Lord Hermer
Attorney General

Lucy Rigby
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Lord Thomas of Gresford (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Shadow Attorney General
Ben Maguire (LD - North Cornwall)
Liberal Democrat Shadow Attorney General

Conservative
Lord Wolfson of Tredegar (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Attorney General
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Tuesday 29th October 2024
Select Committee Docs
None available
Select Committee Inquiry
None available
Written Answers
Wednesday 18th December 2024
Serious Fraud Office: Equality
To ask the Solicitor General, how many full-time equivalent diversity, equality and inclusion staff are employed by the Serious Fraud …
Secondary Legislation
Wednesday 11th December 2024
Walsall (Electoral Changes) Order 2025
This Order makes changes to electoral arrangements for the borough of Walsall following recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary …
Bills
None available
Dept. Publications
Monday 16th December 2024
12:05

Attorney General Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.


Bills currently before Parliament

Attorney General does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Attorney General has not passed any Acts during the 2024 Parliament

Attorney General - Secondary Legislation

This Order makes changes to electoral arrangements for the borough of Walsall following recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. The area of the borough remains unchanged.
This Order makes changes to electoral arrangements for the borough of Thurrock following recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. This Order does not change the boundary of the borough itself.
View All Attorney General Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
Petitions with most signatures
Attorney General has not participated in any petition debates
View All Attorney General Petitions

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

10th Dec 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many full-time equivalent diversity, equality and inclusion staff are employed by the Serious Fraud Office.

The Serious Fraud Office has one full-time equivalent staff member employed on this basis.

Lucy Rigby
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
9th Dec 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what recent steps she has taken to help ensure the effective prosecution of (a) wildlife, (b) heritage, (c) rural and (d) waste crime in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

This Government is committed to working with the police and other partners to address the blight of rural crime – broadly classified as any crime and anti-social behaviour occurring in rural areas. We are introducing tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, stronger neighbourhood policing, and robust laws to prevent farm theft and fly-tippers.

We are recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and police community support officers across England and Wales.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and partner bodies, can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors work closely with local police officers to tackle farm equipment theft and other rural crime, alongside officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit to tackle wildlife offences. Fly-tipping can be investigated by police but is usually prosecuted by the local authority rather than the CPS.

The CPS provides legal guidance on Wildlife, Rural and Heritage Crime which is available to all its prosecutors, to assist them in dealing with these cases. That guidance is available here: Wildlife, Rural and Heritage Crime | The Crown Prosecution Service. The CPS also provides specialist training to ensure that its prosecutors have the expert knowledge needed to prosecute these crimes.

West Midlands CPS, within which Newcastle-under-Lyme falls, has a dedicated prosecutor to lead on wildlife, heritage, and rural crime.

Lucy Rigby
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
4th Dec 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many employee settlement agreements there were in her Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

The Attorney General’s Office has not entered into any employee settlement agreements since 2020.

Lucy Rigby
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many prosecutions for protest-related offences the Crown Prosecution Service has completed under (a) section (i) 12 and (ii) 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, as amended by section 75 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, (b) each of sections 78 to 80 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and (c) (i) each of sections 1 to 7, (ii) section 9 and (iii) section 27 of the Public Order Act 2023; of those prosecutions, how many and what proportion resulted in (1) a conviction, (2) imprisonment and (3) a financial penalty; and what the average (x) prison sentence and (y) financial penalty was in such cases.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds data on the number of prosecutions where a charge has been authorised and reached a first hearing in the magistrates’ courts for specific offences.

It is important to note that CPS offences data is only extracted into the Case Management Information System once the prosecution case has been finalised, this means that the following offence data only relates to completed prosecutions and not any ongoing prosecutions.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (PCSCA) came into effect in April 2022, amending sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.

The below table provides details of the number of offences charged under these amended sections as well as offences under section 78 PCSCA and section 137 of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended by section 80 PCSCA). To date, there have been no offences charged under section 14ZA(10) of the Public Order Act 1986 (inserted by section 79 PCSCA), where the proceedings have been completed.

2022-2023

2023-2024

2024-2025 Q1

s12 Public Order Act 1986

3

163

1

s14 Public Order Act 1986

59

35

26

s78 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022

52

209

48

s137 Highways Act 1980

706

806

162

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The Public Order Act 2023 came into effect in May 2023. The table below provides details of the number of offences charged under sections 1, 2, and 7 of the Act. To date, there have been no offences charged under sections 3 to 6, 9 or 27 of the Act where the proceedings have been completed.

2023-2024

2024-2025 Q1

s1 Public Order Act 2023

16

13

s2 Public Order Act 2023

4

5

s7 Public Order Act 2023

6

0

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The CPS does not hold data in relation to the outcome of specific offences. Therefore, I am unable to provide an answer to those parts of your question that relate to the proportion of prosecutions for these offences that resulted a conviction, imprisonment and/or financial penalty.

Lucy Rigby
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
20th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase the number of prosecutions for people found to be driving under the influence of drugs.

Enforcement of drug driving legislation and how available resources are deployed is an operational matter for individual Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to determine in conjunction with local crime and policing plans, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes cases that are referred to it by the police.

The Government has announced more than half a billion pounds of additional central government funding for policing next year to support the Government’s Safer Streets Mission.

Section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, introduced in 2015, aligned enforcement of drug driving with that of drink driving by introducing a strict liability offence to avoid the need to prove impairment. CPS management information shows that in the financial year 2023/2024, 25,559 offences were charged under this section which proceeded to a first hearing in the magistrates’ courts.

Lucy Rigby
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
19th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make a comparative assessment of the testimony given to the High Court during AB and others v. Ministry of Defence (2009) and records released by the Atomic Weapons Establishment relating to nuclear test veterans in May 2024.

Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your question.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
19th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make an assessment of whether the restriction of the application of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to terminally ill patients is compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your question.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
14th Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to increase prosecution rates against those who have committed offences relating to female genital mutilation.

This Government has committed to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade and addressing female genital mutilation (FMG) is critical to achieving this.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes prosecuting FGM seriously. It secured the first conviction of conspiring to commit FGM in England and Wales this September and is taking steps to actively increase prosecutions.

Each CPS area has access to a dedicated FGM lead based within the Complex Casework Unit who have expertise in the prosecution of FGM cases. They share best practice to improve the CPS’ response to FGM cases to help increase prosecution rates.

The CPS will provide early investigative advice to the police in all FGM cases, and through the CPS and Police Joint Protocol on FGM, investigators are encouraged to refer every case to the CPS at the earliest stage. The protocol ensures a robust and appropriate criminal justice response and aims to achieve improved and consistent performance in the identification, investigation and prosecution of FGM.

Additionally, the CPS has revised the prosecution guidance for FGM to address common areas of challenge, including the need for expert evidence. The guidance helps prosecutors to navigate the complexities of FGM cases and online training is also available to all prosecutors. The guidance is available here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/female-genital-mutilation.

Lord Hermer
Attorney General
18th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the conviction rate for the offence of stalking; and if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on increasing the maximum sentence for that offence.

This Government is committed to tackling stalking as part of our ambitious mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

Since 2017, there have been yearly increases in the number of stalking offences charged which proceeded to a first hearing in the magistrates’ courts. In 2018/19, there were 2,208 such cases, and in 2023/24, they more than doubled to 5,859. However, more can be done.

In April 2023, the CPS amended prosecutorial guidance on stalking which has assisted prosecutors to better select the appropriate charge.

Earlier this month and in partnership with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, I welcomed the CPS’ Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan, which aims to improve the way that cases are prosecuted and handled. Stalking features prominently in the plan, which applies to all forms of stalking, and is captured within high-harm, high-risk repeat offending.

The Government has also delivered on a manifesto commitment to launch an Independent Review of Sentencing, chaired by former Lord Chancellor David Gauke, to bring sentencing up to date and ensure the framework is consistent and clear to victims and the public.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
14th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the Crown Prosecution Guidance on the definition of online hate speech in the context of protecting freedom of speech.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime, and ensuring that police and prosecutors can spend their time dealing with the issues that matter most to our communities.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has existing guidance on communications offences. As with all guidance, they keep that guidance under regular review. This guidance explains the relevant law and how the CPS applies that law, including to offences committed online which constitute hate crime. It includes clear protections and provisions for the fundamental right of freedom of speech.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
19th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2024 to Question 9603 on Attorney General: Buildings, how many individual desks were occupied in her Department’s HQ office in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff assigned to that HQ workplace attended the office in person on average in the same period.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is based in one location in London, at 102 Petty France. For the period 28 October to 22 November 2024, an average of 27 desks were occupied. For the same period, 57 civil servants were assigned to work at the AGO and on average 27 members of staff attended the office in person at any one time (this figure does not take account of annual leave, sickness, attending training or other government buildings).

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
12th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October to Question 9653 on Insolvency: Assets, in addition to the registered freehold titles that the Bona Vacantia Division is dealing with, how many registered freehold titles are vested in the Crown following dissolution of companies via (a) striking off by the Registrar of Companies and (b) formal liquidation.

The Bona Vacantia Division (“the Division”) of the Government Legal Department acts on behalf of the Treasury Solicitor (the Crown’s Nominee for bona vacantia).

The Division is not automatically informed of the assets of a company on dissolution and the Division only becomes aware of vesting with a referral from an interested party.

The Division is currently dealing with 372 registered freehold titles which appear to have vested as bona vacantia following dissolution via striking off by the Registrar of Companies or formal liquidation (this is the figure as of 15 November 2024, compared to the figure of 380 as of 17 October 2024). As regards leasehold titles, the Division is currently dealing with 66 registered leasehold titles.

At any one time the Division will also be dealing with a number of cases where the land is either unregistered or where the nature of the interest in the land referred to the Division requires clarification. The Division is currently dealing with 76 such cases.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
6th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what progress she has made on plans to create a whistleblowing incentive program within the Serious Fraud Office.

This Government is committed to cracking down on serious fraud and economic crime.


The Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has expressed support for the incentivisation of whistleblowers and the SFO Strategy 2024-29 committed to explore options for achieving this, working with partners in the UK and abroad.


The Government will continue to work with the SFO to understand what reforms could be made to help them deliver their mission as effectively as possible.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
6th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2024 to Question 9603 on Attorney General: Buildings, how many civil servants are assigned to work in her Department's headquarters in London; and how many individual desks are available in the headquarters office.

The Attorney General’s Office is based in only one location in London, at 102 Petty France. I refer the Hon Member to the first line of my response to UIN 9602 tabled on Wednesday 6 November 2024. Please also refer to my response to UIN 9603 tabled on Friday 25 October 2024.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Nov 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates for rural crime.

This Government is committed to working with the police and other partners to address the blight of rural crime – broadly classified as any crime and anti-social behaviour occurring in rural areas. We are introducing tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, stronger neighbourhood policing, and robust laws to prevent farm theft and fly-tippers.

We are recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and police community support officers across England and Wales.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors work closely with local police officers to tackle farm equipment theft, fly-tipping and other rural crime, and officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit to tackle wildlife offences.

The CPS provides specialist training to ensure that its prosecutors have the expert knowledge needed to prosecute rural crime.

Each CPS Area also has a crown prosecutor dedicated to act as a Wildlife, Rural and Heritage Crime Coordinator to ensure the specialist knowledge needed to prosecute such offending is readily available.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to paragraph 7.16 of the Ministerial Code, how many ministers have consulted the law officers on legal proceedings in a personal capacity since 4 July 2024.

Paragraph 7.16 of the Ministerial Code (3.17 of the Ministerial Code updated on 6 November 2024) obliges Ministers involved in legal proceedings in a personal capacity to consult the Law Officers in good time and before legal proceedings are initiated.

The Law Officers do not disclose whether ministers have consulted them on legal proceedings in a personal capacity.

This is due to the long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, that the fact of, and substance of advice from, the Law Officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence. This is set out in paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May, is known as the Law Officers’ Convention, and it applies to your question.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what training her Department provides for prosecutors on links between domestic violence and animal abuse.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this Government and ending the scourge of domestic abuse is a crucial aspect of this.

Prosecutors in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) must have regard to the Government’s statutory guidance framework for controlling or coercive behaviour (the “Framework”). The Framework is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/controlling-or-coercive-behaviour-statutory-guidance-framework.

CPS guidance on controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship explicitly refers to and expands on this Framework. When considering evidence of coercive or controlling behaviour, the guidance states that relevant behaviour can include “threatening to hurt or physically harming a family pet”. CPS guidance is available here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/controlling-or-coercive-behaviour-intimate-or-family-relationship.

CPS prosecutors can access a wide range of domestic abuse learning modules and instructor-led programmes, in which they are prompted to consult the CPS guidance above. Prosecutors also recently completed the roll out of a national course on domestic abuse, which all prosecutors who handle these cases were required to attend.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
16th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many civil servants are assigned to work in each of her Department's offices; and how many desks are available in each office.

For the period 2 to 27 September 2024, there were 54 civil servants assigned to work in the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and 42 desks available.

The AGO superintends the Law Officers’ Departments: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Government Legal Department (GLD), HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), and Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Further information on the Law Officers’ Departments is set out below.

As of 30 September 2024, the CPS had a headcount of 7,286 allocated against 4,347 desks.

The GLD has staff based in five sites across the country: 102 Petty France, London; 1 Ruskin Square, Croydon; 7-8 Wellington Place, Leeds; 2 Rivergate, Bristol; and Three New Bailey, Manchester.

For the period 2 to 27 September 2024, the table below shows a breakdown of the number of civil servants based in GLD offices and the number of desks in each office.

Please note that data for 102 Petty France, London, includes 10 HMCPSI staff, which share this office.

Location

Number of civil servants assigned to work in GLD offices

Number of desks in office

102 Petty France, London

1509

737

1 Ruskin Square, Croydon

86

100

7-8 Wellington Place, Leeds

244

100

2 Rivergate, Bristol

106

38

Three New Bailey, Manchester

135

60

HMCPSI also shares office space with the CPS in Foss House, York. For the same period, HMCPSI had 10 civil servants assigned to work in Foss House.

As of 30 September 2024, the SFO had 534 permanent employees and 133 temporary agency workers, a total of 667 people. The total number of desks available is 432.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7035 on Attorney General: Official Cars, whether either of the two vehicles are electric cars.

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.

The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7035 on Attorney General: Official Cars, if she will name which specific senior officials have access to a Government car; and whether these senior officials had access to a Government car before the 2024 general election.

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.

The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
16th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in her Department since the dissolution of the last Parliament; and on what items this was spent.

Following the dissolution of the last Parliament on 30 May 2024 and before the General Election on 4 July 2024, and prior to the appointment of the Attorney General and I, officials in the Attorney General’s Office arranged for the two ministerial offices to be modestly refurbished. The refurbishment was completed on 30 June 2024 and the costs are set out below.

DescriptionCost
Painting and decorating£3,510.95
Replacement of carpet tiles£6,448.51
IT monitor£151.00
Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for domestic violence; and what steps she plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that victims of domestic violence receive appropriate support to (a) navigate and (b) have confidence in the criminal justice system.

Strengthening the criminal justice system response to domestic abuse and increasing victim confidence are crucial to achieving this Government’s ambitious commitment to halve violence against women and girls this decade.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes prosecuting domestic abuse very seriously and maintains a steady charge rate of over 75% and a conviction rate of approximately 76%.

Next month, in partnership with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the CPS will publish a national joint justice plan to transform how cases of domestic abuse are prosecuted and handled. The plan recognises that better communication between the CPS and NPCC improves case outcomes for victims. Additionally, through its Victim Transformation Programme the CPS is improving the service it provides to victims of crime.

The Ministry of Justice provides funding to Police and Crime Commissioners who commission community-based support services for domestic abuse victims and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors. The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Act) aims to improve support for victims of domestic abuse by placing a duty on local commissioners in England to collaborate when commissioning services for victims of domestic abuse. The duty will require commissioners to assess the needs of victims of domestic abuse in their area and produce a joint local commissioning strategy. The Act will also improve awareness of and compliance with the Victims’ Code, which supports victims of crime to understand what they can expect from the criminal justice system and sets out the minimum level of service that victims should receive.

The Home Office will also ensure that there are specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force and police officers receive stronger training on racism and violence against women and girls.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
21st Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will hold discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service on reducing the number of pre-charge cases awaiting decision.

Public confidence in the criminal justice is underpinned by access to swift justice. It is critical that cases progress through the system as quickly as possible, both before and after a charge is made. Improving timeliness and reducing the backlogs of outstanding cases are a priority for me and for this Government.

I will of course be holding discussions about these issues with the Crown Prosecution Service, with a view to making systemic improvements as quickly as possible.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
14th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, whether (a) the Attorney General has had and (b) officials in his Department have had discussions with the Metropolitan Police on Special Escort Group policing for (i) Taylor Swift and (ii) her entourage.

It is a long-standing convention that the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority. This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention, is provided for in paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May, and applies to your question.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
15th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the advice of the Attorney General on arms exports to Israel required certain export licences to be suspended.

Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your question.

Lord Hermer
Attorney General
16th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many registered freehold titles in England and Wales are vested in the Crown as bona vacantia as a consequence of companies being dissolved through (a) striking off by the Registrar of Companies and (b) a formal liquidation process.

The Bona Vacantia Division (“the Division”) of the Government Legal Department acts on behalf of the Treasury Solicitor (the Crown’s Nominee for bona vacantia).

The Division is currently dealing with 380 freehold titles which appear to have vested as bona vacantia following dissolution via striking off by the Registrar of Companies or formal liquidation.

Freehold titles from companies dissolved following liquidation are less likely to vest as bona vacantia as they are normally disposed of prior to dissolution by the Insolvency Practitioner.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
16th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many and what proportion of desks were occupied in each of her Department’s offices in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff attended each office in person in the same period.

Heads of Department have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Office occupancy data for the period July - September has been published, with further publications to now happen on a quarterly basis. The data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) her officials have held with external stakeholders since 5 July 2024.

Details of ministers’ and senior officials’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what the average length of paternity leave taken by staff in (a) her Department and (b) the Crown Prosecution Service was in each of the last three years.

Our records show that between 2021 and October 2024, Attorney General’s Office and Crown Prosecution Service employees have taken paternity leave for the birth or adoption of a child.

The average working days taken (AWDT) is shown in the table below.

Year

Attorney General’s Office – AWDT

Crown Prosecution Service – AWDT

2021

10

10

2022

0

10

2023

10

10

2024 (Jan to Oct)

10

10

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many people, other than special advisers, have been appointed to civil service posts in her Department without open competition since 4 July 2024; what their (a) job titles and (b) salary bands are; and on what basis each was appointed.

No appointments to civil service posts in the Attorney General’s Office, excluding special advisers, have been made without open competition since 4 July 2024.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many cases are awaiting charging decisions by the Crown Prosecution Service for (a) summary only, (b) either way and (c) indictable only offences.

Management information is held showing the number of cases with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which are awaiting a pre-charge decision.

The overall number of cases which were awaiting a charging decision or administrative triage (completed on files sent by the police to the CPS for a charging decision) as of 25 March 2024 was 13,697. This data is provided in line with the last quarterly data release in March 2024. The next quarterly release is due on 17 October 2024 which will be available on the CPS website at CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service.

These figures do not include cases that have been referred to the CPS but that are currently with the police to action, having been sent back to them with a request for further information.

This count is of the number of cases, not suspects. A single case may cover one suspect or several. No data is available in the report showing whether the alleged offences are summary, either-way or indictable only. To obtain this information would require a manual review at disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to ensure transparency in Crown Prosecution Service decisions.

The Code for Crown Prosecutors makes clear that, when making decisions, prosecutors must be fair and objective and act in the interests of justice. To maintain transparency around its legal decision-making, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has integrated several processes into its working practices to ensure that victims are informed about decisions and the support available to them.

Since January 2020, the CPS has published quarterly bulletins of data tables and summaries of main trends as part of the CPS’s commitment to transparency on prosecution performance, which contain performance data on overall prosecution figures, police referrals, and charging rates in a range of offence types. These can be found here: CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service.

Transparency is important in particular for victims. Under the Victim Communication and Liaison scheme, in certain circumstances the CPS communicates directly with victims to explain its legal decision-making for charging. It also provides enhanced services to bereaved families of victims, including meetings to explain its legal decisions. To improve this offer, the CPS is testing direct communication of its charging decisions in a small number of regional areas, using victims’ preferred method of contact.

Victims may also seek a review of certain CPS decisions not to start a prosecution or to stop a prosecution, under the Victims’ Right to Review scheme.

The CPS also engages with communities impacted by hate crime and Violence Against Women and Girls through convening Local Scrutiny Involvement Panels. These panels enable the CPS to explain its role in the criminal justice system and how prosecutors make charging decisions.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answers of 6 September 2024 to Questions 2306 and 2308 on Ministers: Official Cars, which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have (i) been allocated a dedicated vehicle and (ii) access to use of a shared vehicle from the Government Car Service; what the (A) make, (B) model and (C) fuel type is for each car; and what the budget was for those cars in the 2024-25 financial year.

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles to its ministerial cadre/officials, as under previous administrations.

The Attorney General’s Office is currently allocated two vehicles including allocated and shared vehicles.

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.

The average cost to a department for a single DPC (Department Pool Car) in 2024/25 financial years is £108K per annum.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what her Department's policy is on the allocation of Government Car Service cars to senior officials; what the policy was on 24 May 2024; and which senior officials have been granted access to the service since 4 July 2024.

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles.

The arrangements relating to the using of vehicles in the Government Car Service is set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

There has been no change in this policy since the general election.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what (a) direct ministerial and (b) other public appointments to her Department and associated bodies have (i) been (A) removed from their posts and (B) asked to resign and (ii) been made since 4 July 2024.

No direct ministerial appointments to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) or the Law Officers’ Departments (the Crown Prosecution Service, Serious Fraud Office, Government Legal Department, and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate) have been made or removed or asked to resign since 4 July 2024. While not direct ministerial appointments, the Law Officers and the Law Officers’ Departments routinely seek advice from outside experts on the law, including counsel, solicitors or academic specialists. Arrangements for using counsel, solicitors and academics are principally via panels of counsel, panels of law firms or their academic institutions.

As regards public appointments, following an open competition, two non-executive directors were appointed by the Attorney General to the board of the Serious Fraud Office on 1 October 2024. More information can be found here: Serious Fraud Office welcomes two new non-executive directors - Serious Fraud Office (sfo.gov.uk).

No other public appointments to the AGO and Law Officers’ Departments have been made or removed or asked to resign since 4 July 2024

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
11th Sep 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, if she has provided advice on whether F-35 components supplied by the UK to Israel via a third party are used by Israel in Gaza in compliance with international humanitarian law.

Paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code states: ‘the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority’. This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention, and it applies to your question.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will publish the number of cases awaiting charging decisions by the Crown Prosecution Service, broken down by (a) whether they are (i) summary only, (ii) either way and (iii) indictable only offences and (b) by Crown Prosecution Service region.

Management information is held showing the number of cases with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which are awaiting a pre-charge decision.

The table below shows the overall number of cases which were awaiting a charging decision or administrative triage (completed on files sent by the police to the CPS for a charging decision) as of 25 March 2024. This data is provided in line with the last quarterly data release in March 2024.

25/03/2024

Cymru Wales

1,354

East Midlands

1,107

East Of England

868

London North

803

London South

833

Merseyside and Cheshire

733

North East

852

North West

1,088

South East

912

South West

1,167

Thames & Chiltern

759

Wessex

631

West Midlands

1,571

Yorkshire & Humberside

1,019

Total

13,697

Data Source: CPS Pre-Charge Decision Workload Report

These figures do not include cases that have been referred to the CPS but that are currently with the police to action, having been sent back to them with a request for further information.

This count is of the number of cases, not suspects. A single case may cover one suspect or several.

No data is available in the report showing whether the alleged offences are summary, either-way or indictable only. To obtain this information would require a manual review at disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates for knife crime.

This Government is committed to halving knife crime in the next decade as set out in our Safer Streets Mission.

From Tuesday 24 September, it will be illegal to own zombie-style knives and machetes as they will be added to the list of dangerous prohibited items already banned, including zombie knives, butterfly knives, Samurai swords, and push daggers. The Government will also legislate to ban ninja swords and strengthen rules to prevent online sales of knives.

The Crown Prosecution Service and National Police Chiefs’ Council also work closely to prevent and tackle knife crime. Guidance setting out their joint approach to knife crime offending can be found here: Offensive Weapons, Knife Crime Practical Guidance | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk).

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, whether he has made an assessment of the compatibility of the introduction of VAT on independent school fees with the Government's obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code states: ‘the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority’. This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention. Authority to make such disclosures is rarely given.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what the cost to her Department was of ministerial severance payments in each year from 19 December 2019 to 30 May 2024; which Ministers received a severance payment in that period; and how much each Minister received.

Details of ministerial severance payments are published in the HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor Annual Report and Accounts. These can be found here: Transparency andfreedom of information releases - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

I confirm that over the period 19 December 2019 to 30 May 2024, the following payments were made:

The Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Cox KC MP – £23,612 (February 2020)

The Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC – £14,490 (August 2022)

Edward Timpson CBE KC – £14,490 (October 2022)

The Rt Hon Sir Michael Ellis KC – £23,612 (November 2022)

Information on any payments from 31 May 2024 will be released in due course.

All severance payments were made under the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, which provides for severance payments to ministers who cease to hold office and are not re-appointed to government within three weeks. This reflects the lack of any notice period when ministers leave government.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what the Government's policy is on the role of the law officers on (a) freedom of information requests, (b) appeals and (c) tribunals on decisions undertaken by the previous Government.

The Law Officers’ role in respect of assessing exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act) for papers of a previous administration is set out at paragraph 11.24 of the Cabinet Manual:

When a decision is required on the application of sections 36 or 53 of the FOI Act to papers of a previous administration, the Attorney General will act, as appropriate, as the accountable person for all government departments under section 53 and a Law Officer will act as the qualified person under section 36.

Once an assessment is made it is returned to the relevant department who then apply the public interest test (where applicable). Any appeals or tribunal proceedings would be for the relevant department.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what the Government's policy is on the publication of its legal advice.

The Law Officers’ Convention, reflected in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code, is a long-standing convention observed by successive governments. It exists to preserve the ability of the Government and ministers to seek the advice of the Law Officers and not to be disadvantaged by disclosing when they have done so, and what advice they received.

As you may know, on some occasions the Government has published summaries of its legal position on specific matters, for example, on military activity in the Red Sea (see here: Summary of the UK Government Legal Position: The legality of UK military action to target Houthi facilities in Yemen on 12 January 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory direct ministerial appointments excluding special advisers she has made; and (i) who the appointee was and (ii) what the (A) remuneration, (B) title and (C) terms of reference was for each appointment.

As of this date, I can confirm that, excluding special advisers, the Attorney General and I have not made any direct statutory or non-statutory ministerial appointments.

Of course, the Law Officers and wider government legal teams for which they are responsible do make use of outside experts on the law, whether counsel, law firms or academic specialists. Arrangements for using counsel or academics are principally through the Attorney General’s panels and an off-panel nomination process or via their academic institution, whereas law firms are principally instructed through a panel firm procurement process.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
29th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that there are sufficient counsel available to prosecute rape offences.

Good quality prosecutorial advocacy underpins our ability to deliver timely justice. The criminal justice system needs a resilient supply of advocates – both prosecution and defence – and the Crown Prosecution Service (“CPS”) recognises that this is currently proving challenging, particularly in rape cases. Addressing this shortfall is a priority for the CPS.

The CPS Advocate Panel is a time-limited quality-assured list of external junior advocates – self-employed barristers and solicitor agents – who undertake criminal prosecution advocacy for the CPS.

There are currently around 770 advocates on the CPS’ specialist Advocate Panel for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (the “RASSO Panel”). Whilst there has been a decline in numbers over the past five years, there has been a notable increase of just under 100 RASSO Panel advocates during the last 12 months.

Notwithstanding this increase, with RASSO caseloads at record levels, further action is needed to drive up numbers to provide sufficient counsel. The CPS has taken steps to do so, which have included revising the entry requirements for the RASSO Panel, moving away from a written application for experienced advocates but still requiring them to have completed CPS-accredited RASSO training (or commit to do so within 3 months). A further change to support the progression of advocates into RASSO work and improving the pipeline will be announced later this month.

The CPS is also working with the Bar to improve the provision of RASSO training, to support wellbeing, and to promote the fact that – notwithstanding the challenges – RASSO work can be hugely fulfilling and support career progression.

Lord Hermer
Attorney General
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps her Department is taking to co-ordinate with other Departments on tackling fraud through the Serious Fraud Office.

I work closely with other government departments, including the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, to support the Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) mission to tackle fraud. My department will continue to support this mission through our superintendence of the SFO. I visited the SFO earlier this month to learn about their important work to deliver justice for victims of economic crime and protect the UK’s reputation as a safe place to do business.

The SFO works effectively with other law enforcement agencies through the National Economic Crime Centre to collectively co-ordinate the UK’s response to fraud. Earlier this year this co-ordination led to the National Crime Agency arresting four individuals following an SFO search of three sites in relation to an investigation into an alleged £140m investment fraud.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
15th May 2024
To ask the Attorney General, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) receives its human resources shared service from the Government Legal Department (GLD). The GLD are signed up as Disability Confident and have progressed through the levels, achieving Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) status.

Please note that, excluding the GLD, I am responding on behalf of the AGO only, and not the departments superintended by myself and the Attorney General (the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, and Serious Fraud Office).

16th May 2024
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2024 to Question 25822 on War Crimes: Gaza and with reference to paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code, updated on 22 December 2022, if she will hold discussions with the Prime Minister on the potential merits of using her authority to publish summaries of advice provided to him on alleged war crimes in Gaza since 1 April 2024.

As per my previous answer to UIN 25822 tabled on Thursday 16 May, and as reflected in the Ministerial Code, I do not confirm publicly whether I or any other Law Officer has advised on a particular issue or the content of any advice, save where I, as a Law Officer, explicitly consent. That consent is rarely given.

17th May 2024
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2023 to Question 125287 on Rape: Prosecutions, how many (a) completed prosecutions and (b) convictions there were for murder in England and Wales in each quarter from 1 January 2005 to 30 September 2015.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on its Case Management System showing the number of defendants allocated the Principal Offence Category of Homicide at completion of prosecution. Please note that homicide consists of a range of offences, including, among others:

  • Murder
  • Attempted murder
  • Conspiring or soliciting to commit murder
  • Manslaughter (corporate, gross negligence, unlawful act)
  • Infanticide
  • Child destruction
  • Aiding or assisting suicide
  • Causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult
  • Causing death by careless or dangerous driving
  • Manslaughter due to diminished responsibility
  • Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking

The Principal Offence Category indicates the most serious offence with which a defendant is charged.

The table below shows the number of completed prosecutions and convictions for homicide from the start of January 2005 to the end of September 2015. The data provided in the table is in financial quarters.

‘Total completed prosecutions’ refer to the conclusion of a prosecution case against a defendant such as conviction after trial, guilty plea, acquittal, or the prosecution against the defendant being dropped. ‘Convictions’ refer to convictions after trial and guilty pleas.

Quarter

04/05-Q4

05/06-Q1

05/06-Q2

05/06-Q3

05/06-Q4

06/07-Q1

06/07-Q2

06/07-Q3

Total completed prosecutions

338

267

337

335

414

274

305

317

Convictions

253

212

255

283

317

217

239

261

Quarter

06/07-Q4

07/08-Q1

07/08-Q2

07/08-Q3

07/08-Q4

08/09-Q1

08/09-Q2

08/09-Q3

Total completed prosecutions

325

296

328

347

301

344

313

378

Convictions

249

234

269

266

234

288

246

329

Quarter

08/09-Q4

09/10-Q1

09/10-Q2

09/10-Q3

09/10-Q4

10/11-Q1

10/11-Q2

10/11-Q3

Total completed prosecutions

358

266

292

312

305

241

251

276

Convictions

289

209

246

255

236

204

205

224

Quarter

10/11-Q4

11/12-Q1

11/12-Q2

11/12-Q3

11/12-Q4

12/13-Q1

12/13-Q2

12/13-Q3

Total completed prosecutions

269

208

225

245

244

253

289

283

Convictions

212

167

187

207

205

204

223

222

Quarter

12/13-Q4

13/14-Q1

13/14-Q2

13/14-Q3

13/14-Q4

14/15-Q1

14/15-Q2

Total completed prosecutions

201

259

254

236

226

263

220

Convictions

166

206

208

195

174

214

172

Quarter

14/15-Q3

14/15-Q4

15/16-Q1

15/16-Q2

Total completed prosecutions

224

195

268

259

Convictions

180

161

220

196

17th May 2024
To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Answer of 20 January 2023 to Question 125287 on Rape: Prosecutions, how many (a) completed prosecutions and (b) convictions there were for people smuggling in each quarter from the start of January 2005 to the end of September 2015.

The Immigration Act 1971 (the Act) sets out offences for illegal entry, illegal working, and assisting unlawful immigration into the United Kingdom.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information showing the number of offences charged by way of section 24 (illegal entry/arrival), section 25 (assisting unlawful immigration to member State or the UK), section 25A (helping an asylum-seeker to enter the UK), and section 25B (assisting entry to the UK in breach of deportation or exclusion order) of the Act in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing at a magistrates’ court.

The table attached shows the number of these offences from the start of January 2005 to the end of September 2015.

The CPS does not hold data which shows the number of defendants charged with, prosecuted, and convicted for offences created by the Act. The figures in the table relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. An individual defendant may be charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data is held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at completion of prosecution.