Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many royal pardons were granted to people with terrorism-related convictions between 1991 and 2003.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
I can confirm that no applications for Royal Prerogative of Mercy were recommended to Her Majesty the Queen for terrorism related offences between 1991 and 2003.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar on 18 November (HL4189), why their records only date back to 2014; whether they were transferred to other government departments; and if so, which ones.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
The previous answer of 2014 referred to above was an error. Records held in the Ministry of Justice date back to May 2003 and the answer should have been clear that records therefore date back 18 years. We now know that records were originally held by the Home Office and were transferred to the Ministry of Justice after it was created in May 2007. These records are selected for permanent preservation and are transferred to The National Archives. I can confirm that no applications for Royal Prerogative of Mercy were recommended to Her Majesty the Queen for terrorism related offences during this time.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Royal Pardons have been issued to those convicted of terrorism in the last 30 years.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
Our records date back to 2014 and there were no Royal Pardons issued to those convicted of terrorism in that time.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Her Majesty's Prison Service in England and Wales recognises Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a condition that can justify early retirement on medical grounds for affected staff.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
HMPPS recognises Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a condition that can lead to early retirement on medical grounds for affected staff. HMPPS has an ill health retirement process in place for all employees, with cases referred to our occupational health providers for expert medical advice and recommendations.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff of Her Majesty's Prison Service have been granted early retirement on medical grounds having been diagnosed as suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
Information on the number of staff who have exited through medical retirement due to a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not available as there is no classification for this on the centralised recording of medical retirement.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial compensation was paid out in respect of criminal damage and criminal injuries as a result of terrorist activity in Great Britain for claims lodged between 1970 and 1998.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) does not hold this information. Before 2012, CICA did not record the specific crime of which their applicants had been a victim. This was because payments are based primarily on the injuries sustained rather than the crime of which they were a victim.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial compensation was paid out in respect of criminal damage and criminal injury claims lodged between 1970 and 1998 as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Faulks
This matter is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Compensation Services (formerly known as the Compensation Agency), within the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. Compensation Services administers five statutory compensation schemes in Northern Ireland including criminal injuries and criminal damage.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the reported loss of records of royal pardons granted between 1987 and 1997 applies to the whole of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy may currently take one of three forms:
i) The grant of a Free Pardon;
ii) The grant of a conditional Pardon;
iii) Remission of all or part of a penalty
By Constitutional convention, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (in succession to the Home Secretary) is responsible, in England and Wales (and the Channel Islands), for recommending to Her Majesty the exercise of the prerogative of mercy to grant a Royal Pardon. In Northern Ireland the responsibility lies with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for reserved matters and the Justice Minister for Northern Ireland for devolved matters. In Scotland it is devolved to the First Minister. The Secretary of State for Defence also has the responsibility in relation to members of the armed forces.
Each department or administration is responsible for maintaining their records. I am not aware of any problems with retrieving such records for this period relating to royal pardons granted on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for Justice.