Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the offence of assault against an emergency worker on trends in the level of (a) arrests and (b) convictions of women.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for the legislation relating to assaults on emergency workers, has not made an assessment of the impact, or potential impact, of the offence under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 on trends relating to the arrest or conviction of women. Nor does it plan to conduct further assessments or research relating specifically to the offence in the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.
Following changes made by provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 the then Government published an Equalities Impact Assessment of the changes on the offence in the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. The assessment can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-equality-statements/assault-on-emergency-workers-in-the-police-crime-sentencing-courts-bill-equalities-impact-assessment.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the implementation of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for the legislation relating to assaults on emergency workers, has not made an assessment of the impact, or potential impact, of the offence under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 on trends relating to the arrest or conviction of women. Nor does it plan to conduct further assessments or research relating specifically to the offence in the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.
Following changes made by provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 the then Government published an Equalities Impact Assessment of the changes on the offence in the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. The assessment can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-equality-statements/assault-on-emergency-workers-in-the-police-crime-sentencing-courts-bill-equalities-impact-assessment.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the defence of reasonable chastisement has been raised in English courts since 2015; and whether it has led to any acquittals.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of grooming gangs have applied for compensation; and how many have been rejected.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) deeply sympathises with all victims of sexual crimes and recognises the trauma suffered by victims of these abhorrent offences.
CICA cannot provide figures about compensation to victims of grooming gangs. This is because awards of compensation under the statutory Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme are made for the physical and/or mental injuries sustained by the victim rather than the type of offence committed.
Each claim for compensation is considered on its own facts and decided using all the information available from the applicant, the police, and other relevant sources.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers and government departments should note and follow the ruling.
It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.
The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings and policies, to ensure we are fully compliant with the ruling.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) signing and (b) ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The UK Government considers that the current domestic framework and legislation already prevents arbitrary arrests, prohibits torture and degrading treatment, and holds the Security and Intelligence Agencies to account. We therefore currently have no plans to sign or ratify the Convention on Enforced Disappearance.
We strongly condemn any instances of enforced disappearance internationally. We urge states to fully investigate any allegations, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority claims from Scottish applicants remain unresolved more than (a) 12, (b) 24 and (c) 36 months after a judicial‑review judgment quashing the original decision.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The table below shows the number of applications for criminal injuries compensation which are unresolved more than (a) 12 months, (b) 24 months, and (c) 36 months after the Court of Session quashed the decision of the First-tier Tribunal in judicial review proceedings.
Time | Number unresolved |
12 months to 24 months | 5 or fewer |
Over 24 months to 36 months | 5 or fewer |
Over 36 months | 5 or fewer |
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 contains safeguards where an applicant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their application. All applicants have the right to request that their initial decision is reviewed by a different claims officer. If the applicant remains dissatisfied following review, they have the right to appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal. Thereafter, an applicant can apply for ‘judicial review’ of the First-tier Tribunal’s decision. In Scotland, judicial review claims are heard by the Court of Session. In England & Wales, judicial review claims are heard by the Upper Tribunal.
We have answered ‘5 or fewer’ to mitigate the risk of individuals being identifiable from our response.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will review sentencing guidelines for animal cruelty offences in connection with (a) confining an animal in a hot vehicle and (b) other cases of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Sentencing guidelines are developed and reviewed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so.
In July 2023, the Council issued guidelines on animal cruelty, which provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is. This is available on its website at: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/crown-court/item/animal-cruelty/.
Whilst the Government has no current plans to ask the Council to consider reviewing the animal cruelty guidelines, it is open to individuals to approach the Council to ask that they do so.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people absconded while on bail awaiting trial in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of people sentenced for failing to surrender to bail under section 6 of the Bail Act 1976 at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.