Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether specific support is provided via the probation system to those suffering with gambling disorder.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Probation professionals work with every offender under supervision to address their need for support, and to assist them to make a fresh start, free from offending. We do this by focusing on what drives offending and therefore interventions that His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) currently delivers, though not designed exclusively for those with a gambling disorder, will be suitable for those for whom a gambling addiction is a factor in their offending. For example, those which tackle a number of the cognitive issues common to gamblers, such as lack of impulse control; poor consequential thinking and super-optimism (a thinking style that involves focusing only on unlikely positive outcomes and ignoring more likely negative consequences); risk-taking; and poor problem-solving.
HMPPS is currently undertaking a review to help identify the extent of those with a gambling disorder.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to increase support provided to sufferers of gambling disorder who are serving custodial sentences.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is currently in the process of undertaking a needs analysis to help identify the extent of those with a gambling disorder. HMPPS are consulting widely with NHS England and charities such as GamCare, Gamble Aware and Gamblers Anonymous and listening to those with lived experiences to help inform future care pathways.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason there is currently no statutory duty to record gambling as a relevant factor in the determination of a suicide.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Government recognises that quality information on the circumstances leading to self-harm and suicide, including issues relating to gambling addiction, can support better interventions. Coroners may be made aware of information about the motivation or contributory factors in a suicide. However, it is likely that any such information collected by coroners would not necessarily be complete or consistent, and therefore not always useful for delivering these interventions.
Expecting coroners routinely to assess the motivation for individual suicides would take the coronial role fundamentally beyond its legal parameters, which are to determine who died, and how, when and where they died. Coroners are not permitted, by law, to appear to determine any question of civil or criminal liability against another person.
However, in addition to the inquest conclusion, coroners have a statutory duty to make a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report to a person where an investigation gives rise to a concern that future deaths will occur, and the coroner considers that action should be taken to reduce that risk. PFD reports are about learning and improvements to public health, welfare and safety and could, for example, raise concerns relating to gambling addiction where the circumstances of the individual case give rise to a concern. To promote learning, any PFD report and the responses to it must be sent to the Chief Coroner, who may publish them on the judiciary website.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing coroners to record gambling addiction as a relevant factor to a death by suicide.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Government recognises that quality information on the circumstances leading to self-harm and suicide, including issues relating to gambling addiction, can support better interventions. Coroners may be made aware of information about the motivation or contributory factors in a suicide. However, it is likely that any such information collected by coroners would not necessarily be complete or consistent, and therefore not always useful for delivering these interventions.
Expecting coroners routinely to assess the motivation for individual suicides would take the coronial role fundamentally beyond its legal parameters, which are to determine who died, and how, when and where they died. Coroners are not permitted, by law, to appear to determine any question of civil or criminal liability against another person.
However, in addition to the inquest conclusion, coroners have a statutory duty to make a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report to a person where an investigation gives rise to a concern that future deaths will occur, and the coroner considers that action should be taken to reduce that risk. PFD reports are about learning and improvements to public health, welfare and safety and could, for example, raise concerns relating to gambling addiction where the circumstances of the individual case give rise to a concern. To promote learning, any PFD report and the responses to it must be sent to the Chief Coroner, who may publish them on the judiciary website.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been for (a) all drug possession offences and (b) possession of cannabis under sections 5(1) and (2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in each year since 2011.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Ministry of Justice has published information on convictions for all drug possession offences and possession of cannabis offences in England and Wales, up to December 2020, available in the ‘Outcomes by Offence’ data tool, which can be found here:
For convictions for possession of any drug under sections 5(1) and (2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, follow the steps below.
Select the following in the Offence filter:
‘92D.01 Possession of a controlled drug – Class A’,
‘92D.02 Possession of a controlled drug – Class B (excluding cannabis)’,
‘92D.03 Possession of a controlled drug – Class C (excluding cannabis)’,
‘92D.04 Possession of a controlled drug – unknown class’,
‘92E.01 Possession of a controlled drug – Class B (cannabis)’ and
‘92E.02 Possession of a controlled drug – Class C (cannabis)’
The number of convictions will be found on Row 24.
For convictions for possession of cannabis under sections 5(1) and (2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, follow the steps below.
Select the following in the Offence filter:
‘92E.01 Possession of a controlled drug – Class B (cannabis)’ and
‘92E.02 Possession of a controlled drug – Class C (cannabis)’
The number of convictions will be found on Row 24.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to ensure employment tribunals can take place in a timely manner during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Employment Tribunals have continued to sit during the covid-19 lockdown restrictions by making use of online and remote technology to hear cases and ensure continued access to justice for users. Face to face hearings are now starting to resume where it is safe to do so in line with comprehensive and ongoing risk assessments. The details of Employment Tribunal receipts and disposals during the period of lockdown restrictions can be found here:
www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/hmcts-management-information-may-2020
Having responded effectively to the immediate crisis, HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is now fully focused on recovering its operations to increase courts and tribunals capacity to deal both with normal workloads across jurisdictions and outstanding cases. HMCTS has recently published a progress update on its recovery plans.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/896779/HMCTS368_recovery_-_COVID-19-_Overview_of_HMCTS_response_A4L_v3.pdf
The Employment Tribunal Presidents have also published a document setting out how Employment Tribunals operate both now and in the months ahead.
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FAQ-edition-date-1-June-2020.pdf
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employment tribunals, relating to variations of contract during the covid-19 outbreak, have taken place in Scotland.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service do not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the recommencing of employment tribunals throughout the UK as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Employment Tribunals have continued to sit during the covid-19 lockdown restrictions by making use of online and remote technology to hear cases and ensure continued access to justice for users. Face to face hearings are now starting to resume where it is safe to do so in line with comprehensive and ongoing risk assessments. The details of Employment Tribunal receipts and disposals during the period of lockdown restrictions can be found here:
www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/hmcts-management-information-may-2020
Having responded effectively to the immediate crisis, HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is now fully focused on recovering its operations to increase courts and tribunals capacity to deal both with normal workloads across jurisdictions and outstanding cases. HMCTS has recently published a progress update on its recovery plans.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/896779/HMCTS368_recovery_-_COVID-19-_Overview_of_HMCTS_response_A4L_v3.pdf
The Employment Tribunal Presidents have also published a document setting out how Employment Tribunals operate both now and in the months ahead.
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FAQ-edition-date-1-June-2020.pdf
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September to Question 169517, how much his Department has spent on contracted security personnel to assist with the processing of tribunal cases in Scotland in the last five years.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Expenditure in the last five years was nil.
Security personnel are not employed to assist with the administrative processing of tribunal cases; this is undertaken by dedicated administrative staff.
Contracted security personnel are, however, deployed to ensure the security and safety of all persons who work in and attend tribunal premises, and undertake specific duties including searching the public on entry and responding to security incidents. They are not involved in any administrative process outside of those duties.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the HM Courts and Tribunals Service employ security personnel to assist with the processing of tribunal cases.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Security personnel are not employed to assist with the administrative processing of tribunal cases; this is undertaken by dedicated administrative staff.
Contracted security personnel are, however, deployed to ensure the security and safety of all persons who work in and attend tribunal premises, and undertake specific duties including searching the public on entry and responding to security incidents. They are not involved in any administrative process outside of those duties.