Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they advised the United Nations 4th Universal Periodic Review of the UK that due to the lack of an Executive in Northern Ireland it was not possible to provide as comprehensive a response for Northern Ireland as for other parts of the UK; and why was the Northern Ireland Office not able to seek out the information required.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Universal Periodic Review can raise any human rights issue, in both reserved and devolved areas.
On reserved areas, the Northern Ireland Office was able to provide responses to recommendations, for example those concerning the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, based on policy positions and ongoing activity. However, for devolved areas it would be for the Northern Ireland Executive to provide a policy position, for instance in response to recommendations concerning equality legislation, employment policy for disabled people and the labour inspection regime. As no Executive was formed after the elections in 2022, and in the absence of Ministers, officials from the Northern Ireland departments were unable to provide the necessary response where Ministerial decisions or clearances are required.
The UK Government worked closely with the Devolved Governments to ensure that our Universal Periodic Review dialogue captured the range of action that had been and was being taken on a wide variety of human rights issues across the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what answer, if any, they gave to the question from the government of China posed to the UK submitted in advance of the United Nations 4th Universal Periodic Review which asked, “What measures has the UK taken to eliminate the mentality and legacies of colonialism and to address the root causes of its long-lasting systemic and institutional racism and xenophobia?".
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In his opening statement at the UK’s Interactive Dialogue under the Universal Periodic Review, my colleague, Minister Freer, provided answers to some of the questions the UK received in advance of the session. However, there was not time to respond to all the questions and the UK provided no answer specifically to the question posed by China.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total cost of legal aid in England and Wales in the last five years.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The total expenditure under the legal aid scheme in the last five years is set out in the table attached.
This data is sourced from the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) official statistics which are published on a quarterly basis.
Expenditure in financial year 2020/21 was reduced due to the impact of COVID-19.
Full financial statements including operating costs are published in the Legal Aid Agency's Annual Report and Accounts.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many over 75 year-olds have been prosecuted for non-payment of the BBC licence fee since the free licence was abolished.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
The Ministry of Justice holds data on prosecutions for TV licence evasion up to December 2020. Since the free TV licence was abolished in August 2020, there have been no prosecutions for defendants aged over 75 years.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will examine the adequacy of the grounds for the refusal of legal aid to the victims of the Hyde Park bombing; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Over thirty years later families and friends are still suffering from the horrific consequences of the Hyde Park bombings. I would like to express my deepest sympathies to those affected by this terrorist crime.
All individual case funding decisions are taken by the Legal Aid Agency. Ministers are prevented by law from intervening in this process. It is important that these decisions are, and are seen to be, free from political and Government influence.
This matter is currently ongoing, and as such it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this time.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government has had discussion with the Legal Aid Agency on the funding of civil proceedings against John Downey; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Over thirty years later families and friends are still suffering from the horrific consequences of the Hyde Park bombings. I would like to express my deepest sympathies to those affected by this terrorist crime.
All individual case funding decisions are taken by the Legal Aid Agency. Ministers are prevented by law from intervening in this process. It is important that these decisions are, and are seen to be, free from political and Government influence.
This matter is currently ongoing, and as such it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this time.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Legal Aid Agency has provided funding for John Downey.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
John Downey was granted legal aid to fund his representation in relation to the prosecution brought against him in 2013.
Anyone facing a Crown Court trial is eligible for legal aid, subject to a strict means test. Applicants who meet the relevant means thresholds may still be required to pay a significant contribution towards the costs of their defence.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will add the Professional Paralegal Register to the statutory list of approved regulators under the Legal Services Act 2007.
Answered by Phillip Lee
The Government values the role paralegals play.
The legal profession in England and Wales is independent of Government, and under the Legal Services Act 2007, only a person authorised by an approved regulator may provide a reserved legal activity.
The 2007 Act provides the powers for the Legal Services Board to make recommendations to government for bodies to be designated as approved regulators, and it has not made a recommendation in respect of the Professional Paralegal Register. The government has no plans to make such a designation without having had a recommendation.
My department has not had any recent discussions with representatives of paralegals about either their approach to sector self-regulation or the possibility of the Professional Paralegal Register being designated as an approved regulator under the Legal Services Act 2007.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with the Professional Paralegal Register on the level of registration on that register since that body was created.
Answered by Phillip Lee
The Government values the role paralegals play.
The legal profession in England and Wales is independent of Government, and under the Legal Services Act 2007, only a person authorised by an approved regulator may provide a reserved legal activity.
The 2007 Act provides the powers for the Legal Services Board to make recommendations to government for bodies to be designated as approved regulators, and it has not made a recommendation in respect of the Professional Paralegal Register. The government has no plans to make such a designation without having had a recommendation.
My department has not had any recent discussions with representatives of paralegals about either their approach to sector self-regulation or the possibility of the Professional Paralegal Register being designated as an approved regulator under the Legal Services Act 2007.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with (a) representatives of the paralegal profession, (b) the Professional Paralegal Register and (c) the Institute of Paralegals on the effectiveness of the registration system for that profession.
Answered by Phillip Lee
The Government values the role paralegals play.
The legal profession in England and Wales is independent of Government, and under the Legal Services Act 2007, only a person authorised by an approved regulator may provide a reserved legal activity.
The 2007 Act provides the powers for the Legal Services Board to make recommendations to government for bodies to be designated as approved regulators, and it has not made a recommendation in respect of the Professional Paralegal Register. The government has no plans to make such a designation without having had a recommendation.
My department has not had any recent discussions with representatives of paralegals about either their approach to sector self-regulation or the possibility of the Professional Paralegal Register being designated as an approved regulator under the Legal Services Act 2007.