Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to help increase levels of defence manufacturing.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Our UK industry partners are at the heart of our One Defence approach. This Government is committed to supporting defence manufacturing in the UK and will bring forward a Defence Industrial Strategy which ensures the imperatives of national security and a high-growth economy are aligned.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent reports of violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will champion freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, including through the UN, G7, in multilateral fora and in bilateral relationships. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. The Egyptian Government has stated a firm commitment to protect the rights of Coptic Christians and their freedom of worship. Protections for freedom of religion are enshrined in the constitution. President Sisi has publicly committed in recent years to uphold minority rights and FoRB. I will continue to make clear to the Egyptian authorities the importance we attach to these issues.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of abolishing business rates.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government will create a fairer business rates system that protects the high-street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.
Autumn Budget 2024 announced the first steps including an intention to introduce permanently lower multipliers for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties from April 2026. To fund this sustainably the government also intends to introduce a higher multiplier on properties with Rateable Values (RV) of £500,000 or more.
During the interim period, for 2025-26, RHL properties will receive a 40% relief on business rates bills up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. The small business multiplier paid by properties with RVs below £51,000 will also be frozen for a further year.
The government published a discussion paper at Budget which sets out priority areas for further reform and invites stakeholders to a conversation about transforming the system over the Parliament.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) met and (ii) had discussions with UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I am not aware of any recent meetings by FCDO Ministers or senior officials with UNSR Francesca Albanese. The Foreign Secretary regularly engages with UN representatives to discuss aspects of shared interests and concerns. Minister Dodds and I met Sigrid Kaag, the UN Senior Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, on 21 October, where we highlighted the urgent need to increase aid and protect civilians in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Secretary-General António Guterres on 16 October, to discuss the indispensable role of the UN in addressing the challenges in the Middle East.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of age-based eligibility criteria for the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In June 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) suggested an initial respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme to potentially vaccinate a cohort aged from 75 to 79 years old, and then for those turning 75 years old in subsequent years. The Department accepted the JCVI’s advice, and this is the current policy for the programme.
The JCVI has not provided advice on other groups, as the analysis that informed their advice looked at burden by age. The JCVI noted that the burden of RSV in older adults is comparatively less well understood than in infants, and is considered to be underestimated by existing routine surveillance. The committee agreed that more work was required to obtain better estimates of the RSV burden in adults. These analyses will include people in clinical risk groups.
RSV vaccination programmes to protect older adults and newborn babies, via maternal vaccination, began on 1 September in England. The Department will consider any further JCVI advice on who should be offered an RSV immunisation, as the committee continues to keep the evidence under review.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to increase transport connectivity between the East Midlands and London.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is undertaking an internal review of the department’s capital spend portfolio which will support the development of our new long-term strategy for transport infrastructure. We are working at pace to improve transport provision across the country including transport infrastructure between the East Midlands and London. Any decisions about aspirations for transport improvements will be subject to broader discussions and fiscal decisions made at the Budget on the 30 October 2024 in spring 2025.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Answer of 20 January 2023 to Question 125287 on Rape: Prosecutions, how many (a) completed prosecutions and (b) convictions there were for burglary in each quarter from the start of January 2005 to the end of September 2015.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on its Case Management System showing the number of defendants allocated the Principal Offence Category of Burglary at completion of prosecution. The Principal Offence Category indicates the most serious offence with which a defendant is charged.
The table below shows the number of completed prosecutions and convictions for burglary from the start of January 2005 to the end of September 2015. The data provided in the table is in financial quarters.
‘Total completed prosecutions’ refer to the conclusion of a prosecution case against a defendant such as conviction after trial, guilty plea, acquittal, or the prosecution against the defendant being dropped. ‘Convictions’ refer to convictions after trial and guilty pleas.
Quarter | 04/05-Q4 | 05/06-Q1 | 05/06-Q2 | 05/06-Q3 | 05/06-Q4 | 06/07-Q1 | 06/07-Q2 | 06/07-Q3 |
Total completed prosecutions | 7,199 | 7,190 | 7,545 | 6,874 | 7,456 | 6,502 | 7,481 | 7,254 |
Convictions | 5,903 | 5,978 | 6,254 | 5,741 | 6,222 | 5,542 | 6,276 | 6,211 |
Quarter | 06/07-Q4 | 07/08-Q1 | 07/08-Q2 | 07/08-Q3 | 07/08-Q4 | 08/09-Q1 | 08/09-Q2 | 08/09-Q3 |
Total completed prosecutions | 7,434 | 7,088 | 8,062 | 7,179 | 7,303 | 7,185 | 7,886 | 7,123 |
Convictions | 6,321 | 6,089 | 6,930 | 6,170 | 6,322 | 6,294 | 6,855 | 6,185 |
Quarter | 08/09-Q4 | 09/10-Q1 | 09/10-Q2 | 09/10-Q3 | 09/10-Q4 | 10/11-Q1 | 10/11-Q2 | 10/11-Q3 |
Total completed prosecutions | 6,889 | 6,545 | 7,339 | 6,899 | 6,729 | 6,905 | 7,841 | 7,312 |
Convictions | 6,002 | 5,682 | 6,341 | 5,931 | 5,746 | 5,972 | 6,716 | 6,283 |
Quarter | 10/11-Q4 | 11/12-Q1 | 11/12-Q2 | 11/12-Q3 | 11/12-Q4 | 12/13-Q1 | 12/13-Q2 | 12/13-Q3 |
Total completed prosecutions | 7,091 | 6,883 | 7,980 | 7,254 | 7,163 | 6,386 | 6,742 | 6,330 |
Convictions | 6,030 | 5,889 | 6,883 | 6,268 | 6,037 | 5,417 | 5,628 | 5,313 |
Quarter | 12/13-Q4 | 13/14-Q1 | 13/14-Q2 | 13/14-Q3 | 13/14-Q4 | 14/15-Q1 | 14/15-Q2 | |
Total completed prosecutions | 5,829 | 5,632 | 6,025 | 5,826 | 5,692 | 5,269 | 5,560 | |
Convictions | 4,891 | 4,805 | 5,205 | 5,012 | 4,884 | 4,499 | 4,694 | |
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Quarter | 14/15-Q3 | 14/15-Q4 | 15/16-Q1 | 15/16-Q2 |
Total completed prosecutions | 5,311 | 5,363 | 4,633 | 4,807 |
Convictions | 4,499 | 4,521 | 3,900 | 4,065 |
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Answer of 20 January 2023 to Question 125287 on Rape: Prosecutions, how many (a) completed prosecutions and (b) convictions there were for all crimes in each quarter from the start of January 2005 to the end of September 2015.
Answered by Robert Courts
The table below shows the number of completed prosecutions and convictions for all crimes prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from the start of January 2005 to the end of September 2015. The data provided in the table is in financial quarters and has been drawn from the CPS’ Case Management System.
‘Total completed prosecutions’ refer to the conclusion of a prosecution case against a defendant such as conviction after trial, guilty plea, acquittal, or the prosecution against the defendant being dropped. ‘Convictions’ refer to convictions after trial and guilty pleas.
Quarter | 04/05-Q4 | 05/06-Q1 | 05/06-Q2 | 05/06-Q3 | 05/06-Q4 | 06/07-Q1 | 06/07-Q2 | 06/07-Q3 |
Total completed prosecutions | 295,088 | 290,259 | 300,855 | 272,200 | 296,790 | 264,447 | 282,732 | 255,895 |
Convictions | 240,245 | 238,312 | 245,023 | 222,887 | 245,472 | 220,338 | 235,011 | 213,242 |
Quarter | 06/07-Q4 | 07/08-Q1 | 07/08-Q2 | 07/08-Q3 | 07/08-Q4 | 08/09-Q1 | 08/09-Q2 | 08/09-Q3 |
Total completed prosecutions | 275,227 | 260,614 | 280,807 | 255,669 | 267,104 | 257,252 | 271,022 | 245,976 |
Convictions | 232,051 | 220,494 | 238,103 | 217,259 | 230,107 | 222,868 | 234,996 | 212,865 |
Quarter | 08/09-Q4 | 09/10-Q1 | 09/10-Q2 | 09/10-Q3 | 09/10-Q4 | 10/11-Q1 | 10/11-Q2 | 10/11-Q3 |
Total completed prosecutions | 258,348 | 244,268 | 256,691 | 236,971 | 244,802 | 237,855 | 251,790 | 233,047 |
Convictions | 223,876 | 211,200 | 221,084 | 203,540 | 210,397 | 204,215 | 214,659 | 199,748 |
Quarter | 10/11-Q4 | 11/12-Q1 | 11/12-Q2 | 11/12-Q3 | 11/12-Q4 | 12/13-Q1 | 12/13-Q2 | 12/13-Q3 |
Total completed prosecutions | 236,142 | 220,036 | 236,042 | 216,311 | 224,116 | 201,542 | 215,469 | 196,592 |
Convictions | 202,709 | 189,566 | 202,547 | 185,534 | 193,010 | 174,000 | 185,133 | 167,079 |
Quarter | 12/13-Q4 | 13/14-Q1 | 13/14-Q2 | 13/14-Q3 | 13/14-Q4 | 14/15-Q1 | 14/15-Q2 |
Total completed prosecutions | 192,855 | 186,541 | 189,668 | 176,437 | 184,050 | 163,574 | 170,234 |
Convictions | 163,541 | 159,634 | 161,268 | 149,810 | 156,177 | 137,257 | 142,020 |
Quarter | 14/15-Q3 | 14/15-Q4 | 15/16-Q1 | 15/16-Q2 |
Total completed prosecutions | 163,142 | 167,540 | 159,605 | 163,656 |
Convictions | 135,909 | 139,596 | 132,942 | 135,324 |
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support the victims of crime.
Answered by Laura Farris
The Government is committed to supporting victims of crime.
The Victims and Prisoners Bill, which is currently in Report stage of the second House, introduces measures to better serve victims and the public, through improving victims’ experiences of the Criminal Justice System. The Bill places the overarching principles of the Victims’ Code into primary legislation and places a statutory duty on relevant agencies to provide services in accordance with the Victims’ Code, unless there is a good reason not to. The Bill sets up new oversight mechanisms to monitor and improve Code compliance through new mandatory data collection. There will be a series of consequences in place for bodies that do not comply with the Code, delivered by new local and national oversight mechanisms, with robust independent scrutiny by the Victims’ Commissioner.
The Government recognises the importance of services which support victims, and so the Bill also introduces a duty on Police and Crime Commissioners Local Authorities and Integrated Care Boards to collaborate when commissioning support services for victims of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and serious violence in England. Alongside this, the government has quadrupled funding for victims’ support services in cash terms since 2009/10. This includes funding to increase the number of Independent Sexual Violence Advisers and Independent Domestic Violence Advisers to around 1,000 by 2024/25, a 24/7 Rape Support Helpline, and an improved Homicide Support Service.
In addition to supporting victims directly, the Government is committed to making sure the punishment fits the crime. The average custodial sentence has increased by around 50% since 2010 and serious offenders now spend a higher proportion of their sentence in custody.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of proposals to house asylum seekers at the former RAF base at Scampton.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
Cost information is prospective and commercially sensitive, and as such is not available to be released. The pressure on the asylum system from small boat arrivals has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which are more appropriate and offer better value for the taxpayer than expensive hotels.