First elected: 1st May 1997
Left House: 6th November 2019 (Standing Down)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Continue to fund free TV licences for the over 75 in the future.
Gov Responded - 24 Jun 2019 Debated on - 15 Jul 2019 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsRemoving them will only penalize the poorest old age pensioners, many who rely on their television for company and their main source of entertainment.
Public inquiry into the bias in the BBC
Gov Responded - 14 Jan 2019 Debated on - 15 Jul 2019 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsThe impartiality of the BBC is in question and needs addressing so as to protect its charter
Abolish the BBC television license.
Gov Responded - 26 Jun 2019 Debated on - 15 Jul 2019 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsThe quality of BBC programmes do not reflect the price of the TV license. It is far too expensive for the majority of people and should be abolished.
Violet-Grace’s Law - Life sentences for Death by Dangerous Driving
Gov Responded - 25 Feb 2019 Debated on - 8 Jul 2019 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsThe men who killed our daughter drove a stolen a car at 83 mph in a 30 mph zone. They killed our 4-year-old daughter Violet-Grace and severely injured her nan, who has life-changing injuries. They will serve less time in prison than Violet was alive. I don’t want other families to suffer like this.
Give parents the right to opt their child out of Relationship and Sex Education
Gov Responded - 9 Jan 2019 Debated on - 25 Feb 2019 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsWe believe it is the parent’s fundamental right to teach their child RSE topics or to at least decide who teaches them and when and how they are taught. We want the right to opt our children out of RSE when it becomes mandatory in Sept 2020.
Lower the age for smear tests from 25 to 18 to prevent cervical cancer.
Gov Responded - 13 Sep 2018 Debated on - 28 Jan 2019 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsHi I'm Natasha, I am making this petition because I want to make a difference to all woman living in the UK.
I am 30 years old and I have metastatic cervical cancer. I believe that the age of screening should be lowered to age 18 to enable all woman to detect cell changes and prevent cancer.
Ban the sale of fireworks to the public. Displays for licenced venues only.
Gov Responded - 21 Nov 2018 Debated on - 26 Nov 2018 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsEvery year fireworks are set off unnecessarily.
Fireworks are a nuisance to the public. They scare animals, young children and people with a phobia.
They injure thousands of people every year.
They cause damage to buildings, vehicles,emergancy vehicles etc.
Lastly Kids are STILL being sold them.
Reject calls to add Staffordshire Bull Terriers to the Dangerous Dogs Act
Gov Responded - 5 Jul 2018 Debated on - 16 Jul 2018 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsPETA, an organisation that is meant to be dedicated to protecting animals, has proposed to the UK government that it should add Staffordshire Bull Terriers to the dangerous dogs act, effectively banning them outright. Breed Specific Legislation is not the solution to the problem of dog attacks.
British citizens should be able to appeal the refusal of a family 'visit visa'
Debated on - 9 Jul 2018 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsThe appeals process for Family Visit Visa was removed on 25 June, 2013 to save costs. My recent personal experience confirmed that the UKBA seem to have cut the process of justice and accountability while cutting their costs. How can this be justified?
Is UKBA now the Judge, Jury and Executioner?
Introduce automatic approval of visit visas for families of British Citizens
Gov Responded - 22 Jan 2018 Debated on - 9 Jul 2018 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsFamily members of UK Citizens shouldn’t have to meet the same criteria as other applicants for a visit visa. Not being a citizen doesn’t make our parent, siblings, children or grandchildren any less a part of our family. The only requirement should be that a British relative sponsors them.
Introduce super visa category for parents of British citizens similar to Canada
Gov Responded - 3 May 2018 Debated on - 9 Jul 2018 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsParents for British citizens are treated differently if they reside in countries outside the EU and are not EU citizens and government has made the settlement of parents under ADR practically impossible so we are looking for a middle ground as it is done in Canada with SUPER VISA
Impose Financial sanctions on the State of Myanmar (Burma).
Gov Responded - 4 Oct 2017 Debated on - 16 Apr 2018 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsImpose harsh financial sanctions on the State of Myanmar due to the current ongoing ethnic cleansing being pursued by elements of its security forces.
Stop The Genocide In Myanmar - UK Government Please Help!
Debated on - 16 Apr 2018 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsHundreds have been forced to flee their villages as the emergency situation in Myanmar has worsened. Urgent needs of displaced people include water, hygiene facilities, food & shelter.
Change the GCSE English Literature exam from closed book to open book.
Gov Responded - 6 Feb 2018 Debated on - 26 Mar 2018 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsLast year, lots of students struggled with GCSE English Literature as it was a closed book exam. Because of this many failed. How can they expect us to remember quotes from 15 poems, plus how to analyse them, plus remembering the whole plot, themes, characters and quotes from another book.
Pay Up Now! – Scrap the pay cap and give public servants a meaningful pay rise
Gov Responded - 9 Oct 2017 Debated on - 4 Dec 2017 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsEvery single person who works in public services needs and deserve a pay rise. It’s time for the pay cap to be scrapped, for the government to provide additional funding for public sector pay and for employers to put public sector workers pay up now.
Abolish the TV Licence
Gov Responded - 17 Oct 2017 Debated on - 20 Nov 2017 View Helen Jones's petition debate contributionsThe TV Licence is no longer fit for purpose and should be abolished. It is unfair that one should hold one to watch Freeview channels or indeed subscription TV. The BBC should look at alternative methods of funding particularly as it is commonly felt there is a high level of bias.
These initiatives were driven by Helen Jones, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Helen Jones has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Helen Jones has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Cosmetic Surgery (Standards of Practice) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Kevan Jones (Lab)
House of Lords Reform (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - David Hanson (Lab)
The Government takes the issue of workplace discrimination very seriously and will continue to work hard to ensure women are not discriminated against in the workplace by outdated attitudes and practices, including in relation to dress codes. Workplace dress codes must comply with both equalities and health and safety legislation, which means they must be reasonable and should not place more onerous requirements on women (or men) unless they can be justified objectively.
Following the inquiry into high heels and workplace dress codes, the House of Commons Petitions Committee and Women and Equalities Select Committee recommended that the Government Equalities Office (GEO) produce guidance on dress codes. The GEO has worked with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to draw up guidance for employers and employees to help them understand how discrimination law and health and safety law apply to workplace dress codes. The guidance is due to be published in due course, and will raise awareness of existing statutory protections.
The Government Equalities Office (GEO) will shortly be issuing Dress Code guidance for employers and employees in response to a recommendation from the Women and Equalities Select Committee and the Petitions Committee, following their inquiry into high heels and workplace dress codes. This summary of good practice will set out how the law would be expected to apply in cases of sex discrimination where an employer requires female staff to wear, for instance, high heels, make-up, hair of a particular length or style, or particular clothing.
In drafting this guidance GEO has consulted a number of key stakeholders, including the Health and Safety Executive, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Fawcett Society, the Women’s Business Council and the Trades Union Congress; the resulting guidance reflects their input and advice.
The Government Equalities Office (GEO) will shortly be issuing Dress Code guidance for employers and employees in response to a recommendation from the Women and Equalities Select Committee and the Petitions Committee, following their inquiry into high heels and workplace dress codes. This summary of good practice will set out how the law would be expected to apply in cases of sex discrimination where an employer requires female staff to wear, for instance, high heels, make-up, hair of a particular length or style, or particular clothing.
In drafting this guidance GEO has consulted a number of key stakeholders, including the Health and Safety Executive, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Fawcett Society, the Women’s Business Council and the Trades Union Congress; the resulting guidance reflects their input and advice.
In response to the Report of the Women and Equalities Select Committee and the Petitions Committee on Dress Codes, the Government Equalities Office has assessed the law as it relates to employers requiring their employees to abide by a dress code, including (for women) the need to wear unsuitable footwear. We believe that the direct and indirect discrimination provisions, together with the enforcement arrangements in the Equality Act 2010, offer an effective remedy for employees who are concerned that they are being discriminated against in these situations. The Equality Act 2010 does not ban specific practices, but instead defines unlawful conduct and allows the courts to decide whether such conduct has been proven in any given case.
People with concerns about discriminatory dress codes can contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), which provides authoritative and impartial free advice to employees or employers via their website (www.acas.org.uk) and telephone helpline (0300 123 1100).
The Equality Advisory and Support Service also provides bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination problems via the following number: 0808 800 0082 or via text phone: 0808 800 0084.
The Government does not record information on the number of National Minimum Wage investigations or prosecutions by region, local authority or parliamentary constituency.
Employers may register trading addresses which differ from where they undertake business and can operate at multiple sites across the country. Therefore it is not always possible to identify a particular area where national minimum wage non-compliance has occurred.
Our consultation on the feed-in tariff review reflects the need to balance sector support whilst keeping bills down for consumers. We strongly welcomed evidence from the sector during this review consultation, which ended on 23 October, and we asked a question about the impact on the wider economy, including jobs, in the consultation. We will respond in due course.
National Grid has recently published their Winter Outlook Report with a capacity margin of 5.1% for winter 2015-16.
National Grid continually assesses the risks to security of supply and system stability across GB. They have confirmed they have all the tools they need to manage the system this winter.
Ensuring that hardworking families and businesses across the country have secure, affordable energy supplies they can rely on is our top priority.
National Grid has recently published their Winter Outlook Report with a capacity margin of 5.1% for winter 2015-16.
National Grid continually assesses the risks to security of supply and system stability across GB. They have confirmed they have all the tools they need to manage the system this winter.
The Government does not collect data on the different types of unsecured debts and the creditors to whom they are owed across the full range of formal insolvency procedures.
The Government acknowledges that some people are unhappy with the system of retentions as it stands, but it is an embedded feature of the construction industry.
Therefore, our general approach is towork with the industry through the Construction Leadership Council and its supply chain payment charter; endorsing its commitment to zero retentions by 2025. Achieving this commitment will involve far-reaching changes to the way the sector works.
It is not clear that requiring money to be placed in trust funds is the best way to overcome any shortcomings in the system of retentions: it would impose a financial burden on construction clients, many of whom are themselves small businesses, and where there is financial weakness, may itself make insolvency more likely. The Government is commissioning research on the costs and benefits of the retention system and alternatives, including the use of trust funds. This will inform future action.
The Government does not collect data on the different types of unsecured debts and the creditors to whom they are owed across the full range of formal insolvency procedures.
The Government acknowledges that some people are unhappy with the system of retentions as it stands, but it is an embedded feature of the construction industry.
Therefore, our general approach is towork with the industry through the Construction Leadership Council and its supply chain payment charter; endorsing its commitment to zero retentions by 2025. Achieving this commitment will involve far-reaching changes to the way the sector works.
It is not clear that requiring money to be placed in trust funds is the best way to overcome any shortcomings in the system of retentions: it would impose a financial burden on construction clients, many of whom are themselves small businesses, and where there is financial weakness, may itself make insolvency more likely. The Government is commissioning research on the costs and benefits of the retention system and alternatives, including the use of trust funds. This will inform future action.
The Government does not collect data on the different types of unsecured debts and the creditors to whom they are owed across the full range of formal insolvency procedures.
The Government acknowledges that some people are unhappy with the system of retentions as it stands, but it is an embedded feature of the construction industry.
Therefore, our general approach is towork with the industry through the Construction Leadership Council and its supply chain payment charter; endorsing its commitment to zero retentions by 2025. Achieving this commitment will involve far-reaching changes to the way the sector works.
It is not clear that requiring money to be placed in trust funds is the best way to overcome any shortcomings in the system of retentions: it would impose a financial burden on construction clients, many of whom are themselves small businesses, and where there is financial weakness, may itself make insolvency more likely. The Government is commissioning research on the costs and benefits of the retention system and alternatives, including the use of trust funds. This will inform future action.
In June last year, the Government introduced online electoral registration for the first time. Our new online system allows people to register to vote quickly and simply - a crucial first step to engaging in the democratic process.
Since 1 July 2014 nearly 4.3m people have applied to register to vote under individual electoral registration, with about two thirds of this number making their application online.
The term “intern” is not defined in any legislation: entitlement to the minimum wage depends on whether or not an individual is a worker. If an internship meets the legal definition of a worker, then they must be paid at least the minimum wage from the start.
Given this dependency on employment status, it is vital that employers and workers understand how this is determined. We continue to carry out targeted awareness raising initiatives with interns and HMRC have been working with employers to identify potential non-compliance.
Complaints from interns about non-payment of the minimum wage are prioritised by HMRC for investigation and HMRC will investigate every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should call the helpline on 0800 917 2368.
Determining an individual’s employment status can be complicated. This is why the Business Secretary announced a review of employment status in October this year, to help ensure an employment status framework in the UK that meets the needs of everyone. This is an internal review and will present findings to ministers early next year.
The Government has named 30 employers under the revised Naming and Shaming Scheme. Between them they owed workers a total of over £50,000 in arrears and have been charged financial penalties totalling over £24,000. Details of these employers can be found on the original press notices (28 February 2014 and 8 June 2014), including the town in which the employer is based. However, these organisations may employ staff or have offices or other operations in other geographical locations.
No employers have been prosecuted under the National Minimum Wage Act since October 2013.
The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and the effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it.
The Government has collaborated with care sector representative bodies to improve understanding of compliance risks and design controls within payroll systems that prevent workers being underpaid the minimum wage, in order to improve compliance.
Guidance on Gov.uk has been updated to make it as clear as possible that travel time and rest breaks between assignments must be paid at least the national Minimum Wage.
In addition, the Government will continue to work with the sector to ensure that understanding improves. This will include the Department of Health’s statutory guidance as part of the overall guidance on market shaping and commissioning, the final version of which will be published in Autumn 2014.
The aim of our Northern Futures initiative is to facilitate a new kind of conversation about how we rebalance our economy. There are no plans to create a “Northern Futures Board”, but Liverpool and Warrington are strongly encouraged to join the Northern Futures conversation by submitting ideas via northernfutures@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
Information on students awarded and paid Disabled Students' Allowance is published annually by Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education England'. The latest statistics are available at the following link:
http://www.slc.co.uk/media/694170/slcsfr052013.pdf
A further breakdown for Warrington North constituency and Warrington LEA has been provided in the table for the academic year 2012/13. Equivalent figures for the academic year 2013/14 will be available from November 2014.
Students in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance[1] from Warrington LEA and Warrington North Constituency
Academic Year 2012/13
Effective date: 13/11/2013
Application Type | ||||
Full-Time Application | Part-Time Application | Post Graduate DSA | Total | |
(Area) | No of Applicants Paid | No of Applicants Paid | No of Applicants Paid | No of Applicants Paid |
Warrington LEA[2] | 190 | 10 | 10 | 210 |
Warrington North Constituency[2] | 100 | - | 10 | 110 |
Notes:
[1] Disabled Student Allowance may be paid to the Student or to a Supplier on the student's behalf.
[2] Figures are derived from the Post Code of the applicant's home address.
[3] The effective date is that of the November 2013 Awards Statistical First Release. The figures are therefore provisional and do not include students who were awarded DSA after November 2013.
[4] DSA Payments may be made at any point during the Academic Year or after the end of the Academic Year.
[5] Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not add to the sum of the components due to rounding.
[6] '-' represents a number less than 5.
No businesses in Warrington North have received project funding directly from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) but they can apply to regional and national RGF programmes for support.
Information on students awarded and paid Disabled Students' Allowance is published annually by Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education England'. The latest statistics are available at the following link: http://www.slc.co.uk/media/694170/slcsfr052013.pdf
A further breakdown for Warrington North constituency, Warrington LEA and the North West has been provided in the table for the academic year 2012/13. Equivalent figures for the academic year 2013/14 will be available from November 2014.
Students in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance[1] from Nottingham South
constituency, Nottingham and the East Midlands
Academic Year 2012/13
Effective date: 13/11/2013
Application Type | ||||
Full-Time Application | Part-Time Application | Post Graduate DSA | Total | |
(Area) | No of Applicants Paid | No of Applicants Paid | No of Applicants Paid | No of Applicants Paid |
North West Government Region[2] | 7,030 | 350 | 550 | 7,940 |
Warrington LEA[2] | 190 | 10 | 10 | 210 |
Warrington North Constituency[2] | 100 | - | 10 | 110 |
Notes:
[1] Disabled Student Allowance may be paid to the Student or to a Supplier on the student's behalf.
[2] Figures are derived from the Post Code of the applicant's home address.
[3] The effective date is that of the November 2013 Awards Statistical First Release. The figures are therefore provisional and do not include students who were awarded DSA after November 2013.
[4] DSA Payments may be made at any point during the Academic Year or after the end of the Academic Year.
[5] Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not add to the sum of the components due to rounding.
[6] '-' represents a number less than 5.
The latest available information on applicants is shown in Table 1. UCAS have not released any data on applications from individual constituencies for the 2014 application cycle, but the latest figures for total applicants to all UK institutions (published on May 30th) show that they have risen by 4%, compared to the same point in 2013.
Table 1
UCAS applicants to full-time undergraduate courses from Warrington North constituency
| Year of entry: | |||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
Applicants | 810 | 845 | 765 | 680 |
Source: UCAS
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The number of entrants to UK HEIs who were domiciled in Warrington North constituency prior to starting their course is shown in Table 2. HESA figures for 2013/14 will be available in January 2015. There are differences in the coverage of UCAS and HESA: the UCAS figures cover applicants to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Further Education Colleges (FECs), and Alternative Providers (APs) of HE in the UK; the HESA figures cover HEIs only, plus the University of Buckinghamshire. Not all applicants apply via UCAS: some apply directly to institutions. In addition, some applicants who obtain a place via UCAS opt to defer entry until the following year.
Table 2
Entrants (1) domiciled (2) in Warrington North constituency
UK Higher Education Institutions
Academic years 2009/10 to 2012/13
Domicile | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 |
Warrington North Constituency | 1,330 | 1,220 | 965 |
Source: HESA Student Record
Notes:
(1) Entrants refers to students in their first year of study, on full-time and part-time courses, at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
(2) Domicile refers to a students' home or permanent address prior to starting their course
The Electoral Commission informs me that the confirmation dry run involved matching all entries on the electoral registers against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information System database. Entries would be marked as green if they matched with DWP, amber if they were a partial match or red if there was no match.
Results for all wards are available on the Commission's website here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/excel_doc/0003/163146/Confirmation-dry-run-2013-Results-Wards.xls
The ward results for the Warrington North constituency were as follows:
Ward | Green matches | Amber matches | Red matches |
Birchwood | 83.9% | 1.1% | 14.9% |
Burtonwood and Winwick | 83.4% | 2.3% | 14.3% |
Culcheth Glazebury and Croft | 85.5% | 1.5% | 12.9% |
Fairfield and Howley | 75.1% | 1.8% | 23.1% |
Orford | 83.7% | 1.5% | 14.8% |
Poplars and Hulme | 83.9% | 1.0% | 15.2% |
Poulton North | 84.0% | 1.1% | 14.9% |
Poulton South | 86.9% | 0.8% | 12.3% |
Rixton and Woolston | 86.7% | 1.3% | 12.0% |
Westbrook | 83.4% | 1.5% | 15.0% |
Rape is one of the most complex and challenging offences to prosecute and charging decisions have a profound impact on those involved. The CPS has undertaken extensive work over the last decade to ensure that when reaching prosecution decisions specialist prosecutors are fully equipped to deal with the particular complexities of rape cases.
While the CPS does not hold a record of the number of complaints of rape to the police, we can provide data on the number of rape prosecutions and convictions recorded by the CPS system.
The table below provides the volume of rape prosecutions broken down by CPS Area.
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 |
Cymru Wales | 278 | 224 | 233 | 257 | 276 | 217 | 251 | 230 |
Eastern | 212 | 239 | 201 | 224 | 266 | 298 | 275 | 226 |
East Midlands | 293 | 311 | 278 | 252 | 271 | 277 | 320 | 383 |
London North | 495 | 352 | 349 | 376 | 414 | 368 | 430 | 365 |
London South | 366 | 316 | 318 | 354 | 397 | 366 | 416 | 357 |
Merseyside & Cheshire | 142 | 135 | 127 | 120 | 143 | 176 | 243 | 202 |
North East | 220 | 227 | 199 | 194 | 214 | 229 | 285 | 289 |
North West | 478 | 459 | 455 | 454 | 556 | 557 | 601 | 469 |
South East | 299 | 277 | 236 | 260 | 328 | 348 | 440 | 288 |
South West | 222 | 257 | 300 | 288 | 287 | 306 | 296 | 310 |
Thames and Chiltern | 202 | 203 | 181 | 204 | 266 | 269 | 303 | 187 |
Wessex | 197 | 161 | 174 | 207 | 221 | 200 | 184 | 118 |
West Midlands | 396 | 323 | 338 | 346 | 398 | 506 | 644 | 553 |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 408 | 380 | 303 | 355 | 499 | 526 | 502 | 540 |
Total | 4,208 | 3,864 | 3,692 | 3,891 | 4,536 | 4,643 | 5,190 | 4,517 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
The following table provides a breakdown by CPS Area of the volume of rape convictions.
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 |
Cymru Wales | 146 | 140 | 135 | 149 | 150 | 115 | 139 | 140 |
Eastern | 145 | 165 | 136 | 142 | 165 | 167 | 169 | 142 |
East Midlands | 166 | 208 | 188 | 174 | 186 | 179 | 208 | 231 |
London North | 258 | 191 | 187 | 208 | 217 | 197 | 232 | 187 |
London South | 190 | 179 | 180 | 173 | 183 | 197 | 231 | 177 |
Merseyside & Cheshire | 82 | 77 | 90 | 90 | 96 | 100 | 138 | 114 |
North East | 144 | 128 | 126 | 112 | 108 | 125 | 156 | 167 |
North West | 298 | 288 | 283 | 274 | 295 | 342 | 370 | 266 |
South East | 165 | 177 | 151 | 155 | 187 | 175 | 232 | 159 |
South West | 154 | 175 | 198 | 182 | 166 | 194 | 181 | 213 |
Thames and Chiltern | 111 | 125 | 112 | 123 | 157 | 162 | 162 | 111 |
Wessex | 105 | 110 | 117 | 108 | 90 | 99 | 133 | 78 |
West Midlands | 240 | 200 | 227 | 226 | 263 | 309 | 345 | 311 |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 261 | 251 | 203 | 232 | 318 | 328 | 295 | 339 |
Total | 2,465 | 2,414 | 2,333 | 2,348 | 2,581 | 2,689 | 2,991 | 2,635 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
In 2015-16 the CPS conviction rate in rape cases rose to 57.9% from 56.9% in 2014-15. The volumes of convictions reached 2,689. This is the highest volume ever recorded and represents a rise of 108 defendants (4.2%) since 2014-15.
The CPS continues to prioritise its response to cases involving allegations of rape and other forms of serious sexual offending and has taken a number of steps to improve the conviction rate. These include increasing the number of specialist staff within its dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Units; providing revised and up-dated specialist training for prosecutors, and developing closer working arrangements with the police, including enhanced arrangements for the provision of early investigative advice to assist the police to build stronger cases.
The Rape National Scrutiny Panel led by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the National Policing lead for rape, considered the investigation and prosecution of rape cases including their referral from the police to the CPS. A range of issues have been identified that may have contributed to the drop in conviction rates. The joint Crown Prosecution Service / police Rape Action Plan published on 6 June 2014 aims to address these.
The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates' courts which were flagged as involving domestic violence, rather than the number of defendants or cases prosecuted.
The data is accurate only to the extent that the flag has been correctly applied.
Offences of perverting the course of justice are charged under Common Law, conspiracy to pervert justice, by way of Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and intimidation of a witness or juror by way of Section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
The table below shows, for each of the last five years, the number of these offences charged and reaching a first hearing at magistrates' courts, which were identified as involving domestic violence.
2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | |
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 { 51 }: Intimidating/threatening or harming a witness or juror | 846 | 859 | 763 | 611 | 686 |
Common Law: Perverting the course of justice (including attempts) | 140 | 136 | 103 | 121 | 150 |
Criminal Law Act 1977 { 1 }: Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
There is no indication of the final prosecution outcome, or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is also often the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same victim.
It is not possible to centrally disaggregate offences charged by way of Section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, to separately identify those offences relating to witnesses from those concerning jurors. Such information could only be obtained through a manual search of records which would incur disproportionate cost.
The CPS does not hold records of sentences imposed following a conviction. Statistics relating to sentences are maintained by the Ministry of Justice.
The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service do not identify the number of people prosecuted for a breach of a non-molestation order. Such information could only be obtained through a manual search of records which would incur disproportionate cost.
Registration levels have increased at every General Election since 2005. The register used for the 2017 General Election was the largest in our history, standing at 46.9 million entries. Detailed information regarding the total number of unregistered people of voting age is not held by the Government. Only totals for the number of registered electors are held. These can be accessed through the Office for National Statistics website, including at local level.
We are the first Government ever to deliver a National Living Wage. Every employer in the country will pay the National Living Wage, including all Government contractors, from April 2016.
We are the first Government ever to deliver a National Living Wage. From April 2016, every employer in the country will pay the National Living Wage, including all Government contractors, for workers aged 25 and above.
Consequently, we have no plans to issue the specified guidance.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
We are implementing the commitments in our Open Government Partnership National Action Plan ensuring we maintain the UK’s position as a world leader on transparency and open data.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The Department routinely receives large volumes of correspondence from a wide range of organisations and individuals regarding shale gas exploration and production. We have not received any representations from either individuals or business in Warrington relating to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 May.
The Oil and Gas Authority have received no applications to conduct hydraulic fracturing activities for either exploration or development in Warrington prior to (or since) the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 May.
Shop workers (except those employed to work solely on Sundays) have the right to opt out of working on Sundays, subject to a notice period, even if they have entered into a contractual agreement to do Sunday shop work. They are legally protected against dismissal or detriment for exercising this right.
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have established a Taskforce to support businesses affected by the Carillion. The taskforce includes representatives from leading business bodies, the construction sector, unions, banks and government to advise how to mitigate impacts on the supply chain and employees. The Taskforce has made good progress in exchange of information, collaborations, and to identify key actions that need to be taken.
The Official Receiver was appointed liquidator of Carillion Plc and a number of companies in the Carillion group. In this role as liquidator he is independent of government. As part of his duties, the Official Receiver will establish the creditor claims in the liquidation.
The UK is at the forefront of offshore wind deployment. The last Contracts for Difference auction (announced 11 September 2017) will bring forward 3.2GW of new offshore wind capacity to be built by 2024.
In the Clean Growth Strategy, published on 12 October 2017, the Government reaffirmed our future support for offshore wind stating that we would improve the route to market for renewable technologies such as offshore wind through:
BAE Systems supply chain is spread across the UK and overseas. We are working with BAE Systems to understand the potential impacts of their 10th October announcement on their direct employees and those in the supply chain. Any employees affected will be offered advice and support by the Department of Work and Pensions’ Rapid Response Service.
The Department launched a formal public consultation on 9 November on proposals to end electricity generation from unabated coal power stations by 2025 in Great Britain. Officials in the department are engaging a range of stakeholders as part of the consultation process. An assessment of stakeholders’ views will be published after the consultation ends in February 2017.
Our current energy pipeline, published in the National Infrastructure Plan 2016 which includes investment to 2030, suggests that £18bn (or 9%) of total investment is to be publicly funded, £177bn is to be privately funded, whilst a final £12bn of energy investment will be jointly funded by the private and public sectors.
The Department has received a number of representations on the future of carbon capture and storage (CCS). This includes carefully considering the findings and recommendations made in the report ‘Lowest Cost Decarbonisation for the UK: the critical role of carbon capture and storage’, published in September 2016 by the Parliamentary Advisory Group on CCS, chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Oxburgh.
We are considering the options for CCS in the UK, and will set out our approach in due course.
The Government will publish an impact assessment on the increase in the National Living Wage and the increases in the National Minimum Wage rates announced at Autumn Statement in due course.
The Low Pay Commission also evaluates the impact of the various rates upon both employers and workers, drawing on economic, labour market and pay analysis, independent research and stakeholder evidence. Their report can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-low-pay-commission-autumn-2016-report.
From April 2017 all National Minimum Wage rates, and the National Living Wage, will be increased by more than inflation. The main rate (for 21 – 24 year olds) is expected, at that point, to be at its highest ever level in real terms.