Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason Crown courts can refuse to release audio recordings of criminal hearings.
Answered by Heidi Alexander - Secretary of State for Transport
Access to audio recordings of proceedings in the Crown Court is at the discretion of the Court, subject to procedures and principles set out in the Criminal Procedure Rules and Criminal Practice Directions.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time has been between (a) an application for a warrant and (b) a hearing to decide the issuing of that warrant under section 26 of the Theft Act 1968 in each of the last five calendar years.
Answered by Mike Freer
This information is not collected or collated. The procedure for applying for warrants is designed to provide timely access to the courts as required by applicant law enforcement agencies.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) security and (b) other effects of the merger between Three and Vodafone on (i) his Department's and (ii) his Department's agencies and bodies' contracts with Vodafone.
Answered by Mike Freer
As an open economy, this Government welcomes and encourages investment where it supports the Prime Minister’s goal of boosting UK growth and jobs, meets our stringent legal and regulatory requirements, and does not compromise our national security. The Government has robust powers under the National Security & Investment Act, which it introduced, to block or impose remedies on transactions that pose a national security risk.
As you will appreciate, we cannot comment on specific acquisitions nor the applicability of the National Security and Investment regime.
It is the responsibility of Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to assess the impact on consumers and competition in the market, with input from sectoral regulators.
The Investment Security Unit works closely with the Competition and Markets Authority on cases that are being considered for both national security and competition reasons. A memorandum of understanding has been agreed between the Investment Security Unit and the CMA to assist joint working: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/operation-of-the-national-security-and-investment-act-2021-memorandum-of-understanding/mou-between-beis-and-the-cma-on-the-operation-of-the-national-security-and-investment-act-2021.
The Ministry of Justice does not believe that there will be any effects on the current contracts that it has with Vodafone.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of lasting power of attorney applications initiated with the Office of the Public Guardian were resolved within (a) two weeks, (b) four weeks, (c) eight weeks, (d) 12 weeks and (e) more than 12 weeks in the calendar year 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The current average time to register a lasting power of attorney (LPA) is 81.8 days. The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) target to register LPAs is 40 days. It should be noted that the OPG must carry out checks on receipt of the LPA before notices are issued, and then must observe a statutory waiting period of 4 weeks to allow for objections before the registration process can be completed. This statutory waiting period cannot be waived and is included in the calculation for the number of days to register an LPA. We know the delays are frustrating for customers and we are committed to reducing the time it is currently taking to register LPAs.
OPG staff are working day and night to tackle the Covid backlog. Frontline operational staff whose role requires them to be office-based have worked in the office throughout the pandemic and continue to do so. The OPG rapidly changed working practices and processes during the pandemic to continue to deliver their services. In 2020 to 2021, the OPG processed an average of 53,000 LPA applications per month despite the many restrictions in place. This rose to an average of 60,000 per month in the last financial year, reaching over 70,000 in March 2022. The OPG have also hired extra staff, which is having an impact, with the number of LPAs being registered each month back to what it was before the pandemic.
The below table details the proportion of the lasting powers of attorney (LPA) registered between 2018 and 2022 within each of the timeframes.
LPAs registered within: | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
2 weeks | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
4 weeks | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
8 weeks | 91.2% | 58.8% | 1.2% | 0.3% |
12 weeks | 8% | 40% | 65% | 25.4% |
Over 12 weeks | 0.8% | 1.2% | 33.8% | 74.3% |
The below table details the proportion of the lasting powers of attorney (LPA) registered within 2022 (1st January to 31st May).
LPAs registered within: | In the calendar year of 2022 (1st Jan up until 31st May) |
2 weeks | 0% |
4 weeks | 0% |
8 weeks | 0.2% |
12 weeks | 0.8% |
Over 12 weeks | 99% |
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of lasting power of attorney applications initiated with the Office of the Public Guardian were resolved within (a) two weeks, (b) four weeks, (c) eight weeks, (d) 12 weeks and (e) more than 12 weeks in each year between 2018 and 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The current average time to register a lasting power of attorney (LPA) is 81.8 days. The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) target to register LPAs is 40 days. It should be noted that the OPG must carry out checks on receipt of the LPA before notices are issued, and then must observe a statutory waiting period of 4 weeks to allow for objections before the registration process can be completed. This statutory waiting period cannot be waived and is included in the calculation for the number of days to register an LPA. We know the delays are frustrating for customers and we are committed to reducing the time it is currently taking to register LPAs.
OPG staff are working day and night to tackle the Covid backlog. Frontline operational staff whose role requires them to be office-based have worked in the office throughout the pandemic and continue to do so. The OPG rapidly changed working practices and processes during the pandemic to continue to deliver their services. In 2020 to 2021, the OPG processed an average of 53,000 LPA applications per month despite the many restrictions in place. This rose to an average of 60,000 per month in the last financial year, reaching over 70,000 in March 2022. The OPG have also hired extra staff, which is having an impact, with the number of LPAs being registered each month back to what it was before the pandemic.
The below table details the proportion of the lasting powers of attorney (LPA) registered between 2018 and 2022 within each of the timeframes.
LPAs registered within: | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
2 weeks | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
4 weeks | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
8 weeks | 91.2% | 58.8% | 1.2% | 0.3% |
12 weeks | 8% | 40% | 65% | 25.4% |
Over 12 weeks | 0.8% | 1.2% | 33.8% | 74.3% |
The below table details the proportion of the lasting powers of attorney (LPA) registered within 2022 (1st January to 31st May).
LPAs registered within: | In the calendar year of 2022 (1st Jan up until 31st May) |
2 weeks | 0% |
4 weeks | 0% |
8 weeks | 0.2% |
12 weeks | 0.8% |
Over 12 weeks | 99% |
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time is for the Office of the Public Guardian to approve a lasting power of attorney.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The current average time to register a lasting power of attorney (LPA) is 81.8 days. The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) target to register LPAs is 40 days. It should be noted that the OPG must carry out checks on receipt of the LPA before notices are issued, and then must observe a statutory waiting period of 4 weeks to allow for objections before the registration process can be completed. This statutory waiting period cannot be waived and is included in the calculation for the number of days to register an LPA. We know the delays are frustrating for customers and we are committed to reducing the time it is currently taking to register LPAs.
OPG staff are working day and night to tackle the Covid backlog. Frontline operational staff whose role requires them to be office-based have worked in the office throughout the pandemic and continue to do so. The OPG rapidly changed working practices and processes during the pandemic to continue to deliver their services. In 2020 to 2021, the OPG processed an average of 53,000 LPA applications per month despite the many restrictions in place. This rose to an average of 60,000 per month in the last financial year, reaching over 70,000 in March 2022. The OPG have also hired extra staff, which is having an impact, with the number of LPAs being registered each month back to what it was before the pandemic.
The below table details the proportion of the lasting powers of attorney (LPA) registered between 2018 and 2022 within each of the timeframes.
LPAs registered within: | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
2 weeks | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
4 weeks | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
8 weeks | 91.2% | 58.8% | 1.2% | 0.3% |
12 weeks | 8% | 40% | 65% | 25.4% |
Over 12 weeks | 0.8% | 1.2% | 33.8% | 74.3% |
The below table details the proportion of the lasting powers of attorney (LPA) registered within 2022 (1st January to 31st May).
LPAs registered within: | In the calendar year of 2022 (1st Jan up until 31st May) |
2 weeks | 0% |
4 weeks | 0% |
8 weeks | 0.2% |
12 weeks | 0.8% |
Over 12 weeks | 99% |
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what (a) public interest grounds and (b) risk assessment evidence Jeremy Bamber was given a whole life tariff.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Jeremy Bamber was given a whole life order in 1986 for the murder of five members of his family. Prior to the introduction of legislative guidelines in 2003, the minimum period to be served in custody by those given a mandatory life sentence for murder was set by the Home Secretary. This included whether a whole life order should be imposed.
The Home Secretary’s decision to impose a whole life order on Jeremy Bamber would have reflected the exceptionally high seriousness of his offending and would have taken into account all the relevant circumstances of the case.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what (a) public interest grounds and (b) risk assessment evidence Jeremy Bamber remains in prison, in the context of his sentence in 1986 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
HMPPS has an obligation to protect the public by preventing escape of the most dangerous offenders. All category A prisoners must be held within a high security prison.
Offenders are required to undertake work to address their risk reduction; only when this work has been sufficiently completed, and the risk of harm to the public is significantly reduced, can a prisoner have his security category reduced.
All category A prisoners are subject to regular reviews of their status.
Mr Bamber was convicted of five counts of Murder and sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on the 28 June 1986 with a whole life tariff imposed.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what (a) public interest grounds and (b) risk assessment evidence Jeremy Bamber has been denied transfer to a lower category prison status.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
HMPPS has an obligation to protect the public by preventing escape of the most dangerous offenders. All category A prisoners must be held within a high security prison.
Offenders are required to undertake work to address their risk reduction; only when this work has been sufficiently completed, and the risk of harm to the public is significantly reduced, can a prisoner have his security category reduced.
All category A prisoners are subject to regular reviews of their status.
Mr Bamber was convicted of five counts of Murder and sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on the 28 June 1986 with a whole life tariff imposed.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what (a) public interest grounds and (b) risk assessment evidence Jeremy Bamber has remained a category A prisoner for 36 years.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
HMPPS has an obligation to protect the public by preventing escape of the most dangerous offenders. All category A prisoners must be held within a high security prison.
Offenders are required to undertake work to address their risk reduction; only when this work has been sufficiently completed, and the risk of harm to the public is significantly reduced, can a prisoner have his security category reduced.
All category A prisoners are subject to regular reviews of their status.
Mr Bamber was convicted of five counts of Murder and sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on the 28 June 1986 with a whole life tariff imposed.