Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has for the future funding of independent legal advice for (a) parents and (b) kinship carers involved in the child welfare and family justice system after April 2020.
Answered by Wendy Morton
In the Legal Support Action plan published in February 2019 the Government committed to increase the scope for legal aid in family law cases to cover all Special Guardianship Orders in private family law cases; and removing the means test for those with parental responsibility to oppose placement or adoption orders in family law proceedings.
To support those with family law problems who are not in scope for Legal Aid the government is doubling the funding for the Litigants in Person Support Strategy to £3m for the next two years, to ensure those representing themselves in court understand the process and are better supported through it.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will commence section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The Government is committed to commencing section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 and will do so as soon as possible.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will commence section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to allow for penalties available under section 32 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to come into force.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The government takes animal welfare very seriously and continues to keep the maximum penalties under review.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was collected in fines for offences committed under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in (a) 2014, (b) 2015 and (c) 2016.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many meetings Ministers of her Department have had with social media companies to discuss harmful online content since May 2015.
Answered by Oliver Heald
Details of ministerial meetings with external companies are published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of legislation relating to online abuse on social media.
Answered by Phillip Lee
I refer the hon. member to the answer given to PQ 42962 on 21 July 2016.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will bring forward plans to consolidate existing legislation on online abuse and malicious communication.
Answered by Oliver Heald
Legislation that can be used to prosecute online abuse and related offences includes the Protection from Harassment Act 1997; the Malicious Communications Act 1988; and the Communications Act 2003. The Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 made changes to the relevant offences in these last two Acts which aim to ensure that people who commit them are prosecuted and properly punished.
The Government believes that current legislation is sufficient and does not intend to consolidate existing legislation relating to online abuse and malicious communication.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department takes to assess the risk of re-offending of offenders with learning disabilities before they are moved from in-patient care to care in the community.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
When considering whether to discharge offenders detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 from hospital, the Secretary of State or the First-Tier Tribunal (Mental Health) must decide whether the detention criteria in the Act continue to be met. These are whether the person is suffering from a mental disorder of a nature or degree that warrants detention in hospital for treatment; or it is necessary for the health and safety of the patient or for the protection of others that he or she should receive such treatment; or the appropriate medical treatment is available. Decisions are based on advice provided by clinicians. The risk of re-offending by all patients, including those with learning disabilities, may inform their treatment programmes in hospital - for example, tackling drug addiction or reducing violence. The Secretary of State or the Tribunal will also take such risks into account for the purposes of determining the conditions for discharge into the community. Any learning disabilities may also be reflected in the level of care and support that offenders may be offered once they are in the community.