Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they are giving to the National Association of Child Contact Centres; and whether the grant will be for a (1) two year, or (2) three year, period.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
Whilst the Government has no overall responsibility for funding child contact centre provision, we are supportive of the work of the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) and have provided grant funding since 2013. The formal process of awarding any grant to NACCC from April 2022 has not yet been completed, so we are unable to confirm the amount and period for any future grant.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, what progress they have made in developing a report about the extent to which individuals are protected from domestic abuse when using contact centres in England, as set out in section 83 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
The Government is on track to publish a report about the extent to which individuals, when they are using contact centres in England, are protected from the risk of domestic abuse or, in the case of children, other harm. This will be delivered by April 2023 as set out in section 83 of the Domestic Abuse Act.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cyclists have been prosecuted for (1) failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing, and (2) cycling on a pavement in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
The information relating to prosecutions for ‘cyclists failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing’ is covered by the offence ‘pedal cycle - neglect of traffic direction’. The number of defendants prosecuted for ‘pedal cycle - neglect of traffic directions’ offences (the broader offence which includes ‘failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing’) has fluctuated over the last three years; there were 201 prosecutions in 2015, 443 in 2016 and 313 in 2017.
The number of cyclists prosecuted for cycling on a pavement in each of the last three years has been decreasing over the last three years; there were 290 prosecutions in 2015, 225 in 2016 and 200 in 2017.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which jurisdiction will apply in family law disputes where one parent is living in another EU member state after 29 March 2019.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
The UK and EU negotiation teams have agreed the terms of an implementation period running from 30 March 2019 until 31 December 2020, which will mean that the existing rules continue to determine which jurisdiction hears a family law dispute until the end of that period. The UK Government has also been clear that we are seeking a comprehensive future relationship with the EU in the area of civil judicial cooperation, to include rules on which jurisdiction will hear cases in family law disputes involving parties based in EU Member States.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions appeals involving adverse possession have been brought in the last six months.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears cases involving adverse possession that are referred to it by the Land Registry.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publishes official statistics on the operation of HMCTS including the number of land registration receipts received by the Property Chamber. These statistics are published on a quarterly basis and the most recent official statistical publication (covering the period up to the end of December 2014) can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-and-gender-recognition-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2014
Internal management information indicates that there have been 72 references with adverse possession as a main issue lodged with the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) between 1 July 2014 and 31 December 2014.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether relatives of victims of crime are compensated for the cost of attending parole boards to make victim impact statements.
Answered by Mike Penning
This Government is committed to putting victims and witnesses first in the criminal justice system and to ensure they have access to high-quality, effective and timely support to help them cope and, as far as possible, recover from the effects of crime.
We are working with the Parole Board to increase the number of hearings which Parole Board Panels hold using video-link technology at oral hearings. This has the positive benefit of giving more victims the opportunity to deliver their victim personal statement locally rather than incur the cost, inconvenience and potential distress of travelling to the prison in which the Parole Board hearing is taking place.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to promote mediation in the resolution of family and other legal disputes; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Simon Hughes
In order to promote the use of mediation as a first step towards dispute resolution for separating families, as of 22 April 2014 it is now a legislative requirement that anyone considering applying to court for an order about their children or finances is legally obliged to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) first, unless specific exemptions apply (for example domestic violence).
Following this legislative change, attendance at MIAMs increased in consecutive quarters, with 4,023 couples attending a MIAM between Jul-Sept 2014, which is a rise of 11% from the previous quarter and 20% from Jul-Sept 2013. Mediation starts are also rising, with an increase from 1783 in the period Apr-Jun 2014 to 1896 in the period Jul-Sep 2014.
We know that there is a perception by some people that legal aid no longer covers mediation or legal help for mediation. This is not the case, and it is vital that this message is communicated as effectively as possible. Legal aid remains available for family mediation and for legal advice to support family mediation. In addition, as of 3 November 2014, the first single session of mediation is publicly funded in all cases provided one of the people involved is already legally aided. In these cases, both participants will be funded for the MIAM and for the first session of mediation. The combination of the compulsory MIAM and free first mediation session will help to introduce more people to the benefits of mediation, and away from the courts.
A communications campaign - ‘First Stop: Family Mediation’ - has been launched to promote family mediation, and how to access it, and publicising the availability of legal aid for those who are eligible. The campaign went live on 2 January 2015 and includes online advertising, Google key word searches and Google Display adverts that direct people to the Family Mediation Council website and in particular, the find your local mediator tool. Other initiatives included a sponsored Q&A discussion on Mumsnet as well as a social media campaign and media relations in the consumer media. This has resulted in a 320% increase in visitors to the FMC website in the first two months of the year as of 28 February this year compared to the last six months of 2014. The campaign runs until 20 March.
To support the mediation profession, with MoJ assistance and guidance, the Family Mediation Council introduced a new Professional Standards Framework from 1 January 2015. This will provide the basis for a much needed consistent approach in how mediators should operate. It will allow the general public - the clients of mediation – to be confident in the service that is being provided; they will know what it means to go to mediation; they will understand that mediators are to be trusted as properly trained and accredited practitioners; and most importantly, they will know they are protected by a properly regulated profession.
More widely, the Government actively encourages mediation in civil litigation cases through its support of the small-claims mediation service, and the mediation referral website. Signposting literature in the Courts, various provisions in the Civil Procedure Rules and the numerous pre-action protocols promote this. In addition the MoJ has received the Civil Justice Council’s report on Online Dispute Resolution for Low Value Civil Claims, and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time taken is to appeal a decision when a personal independence payment has been refused; what steps his Department plans to take to speed up the process of appeal; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' decisions on a range of benefits, including a person's entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
(1) Claimants for PIP can appeal to the Tribunal on a number of different grounds, such as the rate of benefit awarded. HMCTS is unable to isolate data relating to appeals solely on the basis of a claim for PIP having been refused. HMCTS does not, therefore, hold the specific information requested.
Information on all appeals against PIP decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014
HMCTS has responded strongly to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS tribunal and reduce waiting times. Initiatives have included increasing venue capacity and recruiting additional judges and medically qualified members.
This has resulted in 545,840 appeal disposals in 2013/14. This is a 17% increase compared to 2012/13 (465,500) and a 26% increase compared to 2011/12 (433,600).
(2) I receive regular representations on the SSCS appeals process which are taken into account as we keep the system under review. However, to date, I have not received any representations on the length of time the PIP appeals procedure takes.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received on the length of time the personal independence payment appeals procedure takes.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' decisions on a range of benefits, including a person's entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
(1) Claimants for PIP can appeal to the Tribunal on a number of different grounds, such as the rate of benefit awarded. HMCTS is unable to isolate data relating to appeals solely on the basis of a claim for PIP having been refused. HMCTS does not, therefore, hold the specific information requested.
Information on all appeals against PIP decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014
HMCTS has responded strongly to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS tribunal and reduce waiting times. Initiatives have included increasing venue capacity and recruiting additional judges and medically qualified members.
This has resulted in 545,840 appeal disposals in 2013/14. This is a 17% increase compared to 2012/13 (465,500) and a 26% increase compared to 2011/12 (433,600).
(2) I receive regular representations on the SSCS appeals process which are taken into account as we keep the system under review. However, to date, I have not received any representations on the length of time the PIP appeals procedure takes.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what prosecutions there have been for (a) sheep rustling and (b) other crimes on farms in each of the last three years.
Answered by Damian Green
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 offences of sheep rustling from other offences of theft. Nor is it possible to separately identify which offences occurred on a farm. This information may be held on the individual court files, which can only be checked at disproportionate cost.