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Written Question
Legal Aid Scheme: Asylum
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an estimate of the number and proportion of asylum seekers that have not had access to a local immigration and asylum legal aid provider in the last 12 months.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The commissioning and monitoring of civil legal aid services are done by Procurement Area rather than by individual town or city, with Procurement Areas differing for different categories of law. The commissioning standard is to have at least one immigration provider per Procurement Area. Coventry falls within the Midlands and East of England Procurement Area. There are currently 45 immigration and asylum providers operating out of 55 offices within this procurement area. Information about number of legal aid offices undertaking work, broken down by region, legal aid scheme and category of law are published as part of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA)’s official statistics [see tables 9.1-9.8].

The LAA recently tendered for new contracts that will start on 1 September 2024 and is in the process of assessing the bids. There will also be a further tender opportunity commencing on 18 March. These procurement exercises provide opportunities for new providers to obtain a contract to deliver legal aid services and existing contract holders to deliver additional services in other categories of law with a view to maximising available provision.

Across England and Wales, we have taken a number of steps to help increase access to legal aid for immigration and asylum cases. For example, we are providing up to £1.4 million of funding in 2024 for accreditation and reaccreditation of senior caseworkers to conduct immigration and asylum legal aid work.

The ongoing Review of Civil Legal Aid is considering the broader economic context of the civil legal aid market as a whole, including for immigration cases, so that it can operate sustainably in the long-term; the Green Paper consultation is expected in July 2024.

The Ministry of Justice does not have data on the number and proportion of asylum seekers that have not had access to a local immigration and asylum legal aid provider in the last 12 months. At a national level, the LAA monitors capacity across its legal aid contracts on an ongoing basis and, where demand is greater than the available supply, takes action to secure additional provision to ensure the continuity of legal aid-funded services.

The LAA regularly engages with provider representative groups, including on the provision of immigration and asylum services, via forums such as the Civil Contract Consultative Group.

The Ministry of Justice has not made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of immigration and asylum legal aid provision on the success rate of asylum appeals in Coventry in the last 12 months. We do publish data on tribunal outcomes as a part of the published statistics – see tab FIA3 in the main tables (Tribunals statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Legal Aid Scheme: Coventry
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of immigration and asylum legal aid provision on the success rate of asylum appeals in Coventry in the last 12 months.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The commissioning and monitoring of civil legal aid services are done by Procurement Area rather than by individual town or city, with Procurement Areas differing for different categories of law. The commissioning standard is to have at least one immigration provider per Procurement Area. Coventry falls within the Midlands and East of England Procurement Area. There are currently 45 immigration and asylum providers operating out of 55 offices within this procurement area. Information about number of legal aid offices undertaking work, broken down by region, legal aid scheme and category of law are published as part of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA)’s official statistics [see tables 9.1-9.8].

The LAA recently tendered for new contracts that will start on 1 September 2024 and is in the process of assessing the bids. There will also be a further tender opportunity commencing on 18 March. These procurement exercises provide opportunities for new providers to obtain a contract to deliver legal aid services and existing contract holders to deliver additional services in other categories of law with a view to maximising available provision.

Across England and Wales, we have taken a number of steps to help increase access to legal aid for immigration and asylum cases. For example, we are providing up to £1.4 million of funding in 2024 for accreditation and reaccreditation of senior caseworkers to conduct immigration and asylum legal aid work.

The ongoing Review of Civil Legal Aid is considering the broader economic context of the civil legal aid market as a whole, including for immigration cases, so that it can operate sustainably in the long-term; the Green Paper consultation is expected in July 2024.

The Ministry of Justice does not have data on the number and proportion of asylum seekers that have not had access to a local immigration and asylum legal aid provider in the last 12 months. At a national level, the LAA monitors capacity across its legal aid contracts on an ongoing basis and, where demand is greater than the available supply, takes action to secure additional provision to ensure the continuity of legal aid-funded services.

The LAA regularly engages with provider representative groups, including on the provision of immigration and asylum services, via forums such as the Civil Contract Consultative Group.

The Ministry of Justice has not made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of immigration and asylum legal aid provision on the success rate of asylum appeals in Coventry in the last 12 months. We do publish data on tribunal outcomes as a part of the published statistics – see tab FIA3 in the main tables (Tribunals statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Legal Aid Scheme: Coventry
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help increase access to legal aid for immigration cases in Coventry.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The commissioning and monitoring of civil legal aid services are done by Procurement Area rather than by individual town or city, with Procurement Areas differing for different categories of law. The commissioning standard is to have at least one immigration provider per Procurement Area. Coventry falls within the Midlands and East of England Procurement Area. There are currently 45 immigration and asylum providers operating out of 55 offices within this procurement area. Information about number of legal aid offices undertaking work, broken down by region, legal aid scheme and category of law are published as part of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA)’s official statistics [see tables 9.1-9.8].

The LAA recently tendered for new contracts that will start on 1 September 2024 and is in the process of assessing the bids. There will also be a further tender opportunity commencing on 18 March. These procurement exercises provide opportunities for new providers to obtain a contract to deliver legal aid services and existing contract holders to deliver additional services in other categories of law with a view to maximising available provision.

Across England and Wales, we have taken a number of steps to help increase access to legal aid for immigration and asylum cases. For example, we are providing up to £1.4 million of funding in 2024 for accreditation and reaccreditation of senior caseworkers to conduct immigration and asylum legal aid work.

The ongoing Review of Civil Legal Aid is considering the broader economic context of the civil legal aid market as a whole, including for immigration cases, so that it can operate sustainably in the long-term; the Green Paper consultation is expected in July 2024.

The Ministry of Justice does not have data on the number and proportion of asylum seekers that have not had access to a local immigration and asylum legal aid provider in the last 12 months. At a national level, the LAA monitors capacity across its legal aid contracts on an ongoing basis and, where demand is greater than the available supply, takes action to secure additional provision to ensure the continuity of legal aid-funded services.

The LAA regularly engages with provider representative groups, including on the provision of immigration and asylum services, via forums such as the Civil Contract Consultative Group.

The Ministry of Justice has not made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of immigration and asylum legal aid provision on the success rate of asylum appeals in Coventry in the last 12 months. We do publish data on tribunal outcomes as a part of the published statistics – see tab FIA3 in the main tables (Tribunals statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Family Courts: Mental Health Services
Wednesday 15th March 2023

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help improve mental health support for parents during and after family court proceedings.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is aware of the impact involvement in family court proceedings can have on the mental health of both the parents and children involved. Family breakdown is recognised as a difficult and often traumatic period in the lives of adults and children and appropriate support for those involved can be of huge value. This support, in the form of mental health services for adults, and for children and young people, is provided by a range of organisations including NHS mental health and community trusts, local authorities and the private and voluntary sectors, and the Government recognises the vital role these services can play in supporting parents and children both during and after family court proceedings.

To encourage separating couples to resolve their issues outside of the family courts, where safe and appropriate, the Government launched the Mediation Voucher Scheme in March 2021. Mediation can be quicker, cheaper and less stressful than attending court, and families can be referred to mediation – and the scheme, where eligible – from court. As of 5 March 2023, the scheme has helped over 15,300 families to access mediation and divert suitable families away from the family courts, reducing exposure to the court procedure for both parents and children.


Written Question
Family Courts
Wednesday 8th March 2023

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the number of child residency decisions made in family courts in each of the last five years that have been based on findings by the court that parental alienation has taken place.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Incidences of children who have been moved from one parental residence to another, as a result of parental alienation or alienating behaviours are not recorded centrally. Such information can only be obtained from individual case files at disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Family Courts: Standards
Tuesday 7th March 2023

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to confer more powers on regulatory bodies to help ensure that experts providing testimony in family courts meet appropriate professional standards.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

It is a matter for the judiciary to determine which experts may be instructed to provide evidence in family law proceedings.

Section 13 of the Children and Families Act 2014 makes provision in relation to the control of expert evidence in children proceedings. In addition, Practice Direction 25B sets out a duty on experts to comply with 11 specified standards, including evidencing their relevant experience which must be sufficient for the issues raised in the concerned case and a requirement to be up to date with continuing professional development appropriate to their discipline and expertise. If the expert’s area is regulated by a UK statutory body, they must confirm possession of a current licence to practice or equivalent. If the area is not regulated, then they must demonstrate appropriate qualifications and/or registration with a relevant professional body.


Written Question
Family Courts
Tuesday 7th March 2023

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that experts who are called to instruct family court cases involving child residency are suitably (a) qualified and (b) regulated.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

It is a matter for the judiciary to determine which experts may be instructed to provide evidence in family law proceedings.

Section 13 of the Children and Families Act 2014 makes provision in relation to the control of expert evidence in children proceedings. In addition, Practice Direction 25B sets out a duty on experts to comply with 11 specified standards, including evidencing their relevant experience which must be sufficient for the issues raised in the concerned case and a requirement to be up to date with continuing professional development appropriate to their discipline and expertise. If the expert’s area is regulated by a UK statutory body, they must confirm possession of a current licence to practice or equivalent. If the area is not regulated, then they must demonstrate appropriate qualifications and/or registration with a relevant professional body.


Written Question
Family Courts
Tuesday 7th March 2023

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that witnesses instructed in family court cases are (a) accredited by and (b) answerable to a regulatory body.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

It is a matter for the judiciary to determine which experts may be instructed to provide evidence in family law proceedings.

Section 13 of the Children and Families Act 2014 makes provision in relation to the control of expert evidence in children proceedings. In addition, Practice Direction 25B sets out a duty on experts to comply with 11 specified standards, including evidencing their relevant experience which must be sufficient for the issues raised in the concerned case and a requirement to be up to date with continuing professional development appropriate to their discipline and expertise. If the expert’s area is regulated by a UK statutory body, they must confirm possession of a current licence to practice or equivalent. If the area is not regulated, then they must demonstrate appropriate qualifications and/or registration with a relevant professional body.


Written Question
Family Courts: Domestic Abuse
Friday 3rd March 2023

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment with his Cabinet colleagues of the health impact on survivors of domestic abuse of participating in the family court process.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the impact family court proceedings can have on children and adult survivors of domestic abuse. In the Government’s Implementation Plan, published in response to the 2020 expert panel report ‘Assessing risk of harm to children and parents in private law children cases’, we made a number of commitments to improve the experiences of domestic abuse survivors in the family court. We have made good progress against those commitments. We have implemented a prohibition on cross-examination of domestic abuse survivors by their abusers, improved safety at court and provided automatic eligibility for special measures for victims of domestic abuse in the family courts. We have also launched the Integrated Domestic Abuse Court pilot in Dorset and North Wales to reduce the re-traumatisation of domestic abuse survivors and enhance the voice of the child in private law proceedings.


Written Question
Dangerous Driving: Sentencing
Monday 14th June 2021

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government plans to increase sentences for people who cause death by careless driving while not under the influence of drink or drugs.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government keeps offences and penalties under revew. We have no current plans to increase the maximum penalty for causing death by careless driving.