Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2023 to Question 200418 on Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry, when he plans to update Parliament on progress in implementing the recommendations in the Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, HC 720, published in October 2022.
Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)
The Government is driving forward work to deliver on the recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse including by committing to introduce a new mandatory reporting duty in the Criminal Justice Bill, passing the Online Safety Act, and consulting on changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
The Home Secretary will provide a full update to Parliament on progress against all of the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse early in the new year.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data their Department holds on the (a) number and (b) total cost of replacing (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones, (iii) memory sticks and (iv) external hard drives that have been (A) lost and (B) stolen in the last year.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Please find the requested data summarised in the table below:
| Laptops | Mobile Phones | Memory sticks | External hard drives |
Lost | 139 | 44 | 0 | 0 |
Stolen | 86 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Total devices | 225 | 51 | - | - |
Total cost of replacing | £239,220.00 | £19,023 | - | - |
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has around 91,875 employees across the department. The proportion of lost and stolen devices therefore are low compared to this number.
The MoJ, including its executive agencies (HM Courts & Tribunals Service, HM Prison & Probation Service, Legal Aid Agency, Office of the Public Guardian and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) and smaller public bodies, treats lost or stolen devices seriously and have processes in place to ensure that when a device is reported as lost or stolen, action is taken immediately to disable the device. All incidents are subjected to an initial security risk assessment with further action on a proportional basis.
It is MoJ policy that all laptops and removable media are encrypted to minimise the impact if a loss were to occur. All mobile phones are deactivated once reported missing to minimise the impact if a loss was to occur.
There is also published guidance on what to do which can be found via this link: https://security-guidance.service.justice.gov.uk/lost-devices-incidents/#lost-devices-or-other-it-security-incidents.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to deploy staff with training on supporting people affected by terrorism within the Criminal Injuries and Compensation Authority.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
While no amount of compensation can make up for the ordeal suffered by victims of terrorism, it is right survivors get the support they need including through the publicly funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme that has paid out more than £173 million to victims of violent crime in the last year alone.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), who also administer the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme (VOCTS), have a designated team to handle applications made due to terrorist incidents, and the team works with relevant authorities to gather the information required to establish eligibility and assess the claims made, as quickly as possible after they are received.
All staff have the right level of scheme training to manage applications from victims and their loved ones. It has invested in trauma-informed training and practice and continues to work with specialist organisations who work closely with victims to ensure victims get the support needed.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
On 02 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all Equality, Diversity and Inclusion spending in the Civil Service.
The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance.
The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority have been made by serving police officers injured during the course of their duties in each year since 2019.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The GB-wide Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (the Scheme) provides state-funded compensation to victims of violent crime who cannot pursue compensation or redress from other routes. Payments are available for physical or psychological injuries resulting directly from a crime of violence, as defined in Annex B of the Scheme.
Under the Scheme, any emergency worker who is assaulted while working, including serving police officers, will be considered as a direct victim of an intentional crime of violence in the same manner as any other victim group, with the same eligibility criteria being applied. An applicant who was not the direct victim of an intentional crime of violence may also be eligible for an award if they are injured whilst taking an exceptional and justified risk in the course of limiting or preventing a crime under paragraph 5 of the Scheme.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), which operates the Scheme, does not hold data on how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful claims have been made by serving police officers injured during the course of their duties or the most common reason for claims by serving police officers injured during the course of their duties not succeeding. CICA does not request or record information relating to the occupation of applicants for criminal injuries compensation.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the most common reason is for claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority by a serving police officer injured during the course of their duties not succeeding.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The GB-wide Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (the Scheme) provides state-funded compensation to victims of violent crime who cannot pursue compensation or redress from other routes. Payments are available for physical or psychological injuries resulting directly from a crime of violence, as defined in Annex B of the Scheme.
Under the Scheme, any emergency worker who is assaulted while working, including serving police officers, will be considered as a direct victim of an intentional crime of violence in the same manner as any other victim group, with the same eligibility criteria being applied. An applicant who was not the direct victim of an intentional crime of violence may also be eligible for an award if they are injured whilst taking an exceptional and justified risk in the course of limiting or preventing a crime under paragraph 5 of the Scheme.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), which operates the Scheme, does not hold data on how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful claims have been made by serving police officers injured during the course of their duties or the most common reason for claims by serving police officers injured during the course of their duties not succeeding. CICA does not request or record information relating to the occupation of applicants for criminal injuries compensation.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help support people unable to afford travelling to court.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has various schemes in place to support court and tribunal users with travelling to court.
The payment of expenses and allowances to prosecution witnesses, where the Crown Prosecution Service is the prosecuting authority, is governed by the Crown Prosecution Service (Witnesses’ etc. Allowances) Regulations 1988. Guidance on expenses and allowances for prosecution witnesses can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/going-to-court-victim-witness/expenses-for-going-to-court.
The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) and First-tier Tribunal (Criminal Injuries Compensation) can pay reasonable expenses for going to the tribunal, including the cost of public transport.
Travel expenses for jurors are provided at the end of jury service but these can be paid these during service if a juror is facing financial hardship.
We have increased the use of remote hearings, where appropriate since the pandemic. Remote attendance may be available within the relevant procedure rules and if agreed with the judiciary, and will reduce the cost of travel.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to enable the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to restore the full value of their grants in cases where a deduction has been made in respect of a compensation order but subsequently discharged.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The government-funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme) exists to compensate for serious physical or psychological injury attributable to being a direct victim of a crime of violence. It provides an important avenue of redress for such victims and is part of the wider package of general and specialist support available to victims of crime.
The Scheme is a route of last resort and requires awards to be withheld or reduced if an applicant receives a compensation order made in criminal proceedings which the convicted offender is expected to pay. This reflects the long-standing legal principle of avoiding double compensation for the same injury and protects taxpayer funded compensation awards for those unable to access compensation or similar payments by other means. Under the Scheme, once a final award of compensation has been made, there are limited circumstances in which the application can be reconsidered, which are: (a) a person who has accepted an award subsequently dies as a result of the criminal injury giving rise to the award; or (b) there has been so material a change in the applicant’s medical condition resulting from the criminal injury, that allowing the original determination to stand would give rise to an injustice to them.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2022 to Question 106392, how many purchases with a value less than £500 were made against his Department’s budget through a Government procurement card in 2021.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In 2021 the Ministry of Justice made 231,362 purchases for goods and services with a value of less than £500 on a government procurement card.
Government Procurement Card (GPC) is used for low value purchases where there is no contract in place. All purchases on GPC are subject to normal MoJ controls in line with GPC policy and are appropriate use of public funds.
The figure provided includes transactions made in MoJ and the agencies and arm’s length bodies listed below:
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)
Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service (HMCTS)
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)
Legal Aid Agency (LAA)
Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)
Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC)
Parole Board (PB)
Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB)
Law Commission
HM Inspectorate of Prisons
HM Inspectorate of Probation
Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA)
Judicial Office
The Legal Ombudsman
Official Solicitor and Public Trustee
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which energy provider supplies energy to their Department; how much carbon dioxide was emitted by their Department in the latest period for which figures are available; whether the criteria their Department uses to select an energy supplier include how environmentally friendly that supplier is; and what recent steps their Department has taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its energy use.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Department’s energy is supplied through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Energy Framework. Under this framework, EDF supply electricity and TotalEnergies supply gas.
The Department’s total carbon emissions for 2021/22 were 248,134 tonnes. The list of Executive Agencies & ALBs & NDPBs in scope for this reporting are: MoJ Headquarters, HM Prison Service, Probation Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, Children and Family Court Advisory Services, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Judges Lodgings, Legal Aid Authority, Office of the Public Guardian, Official Solicitor and Public Trustee.
The Department is not responsible for selecting its energy supplier. It is mandated to use the energy suppliers procured by CCS. CCS is responsible for developing the award criteria used to select and appoint Government’s energy suppliers.
MoJ has been investing in energy efficiency measures (such as replacing lighting with LEDs and fitting smart meters) and installing renewable technology. This has contributed to the Department reducing its overall carbon emissions by 33% since 2017/18 against a target of 41% by March 2025.