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Written Question
Powers of Attorney: Standards
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average turn around time for the Office of the Public Guardian to register a Lasting Power of Attorney.

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

It is currently taking the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) up to 20 weeks to register a lasting power of attorney (LPA), including a 4-week statutory waiting period to allow for objections.


Written Question
Lugano Convention
Monday 26th July 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take as a result of the European Commission's rejection of the UK's application to join the Lugano Convention.

Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar

The Government is aware of the European Commission’s notification that it is not in a position to give its consent to UK accession to the Lugano Convention 2007. However, we understand that member states have not yet been given an opportunity to formally vote on that position.

We are committed to ensuring cross-border legal disputes can be resolved smoothly, in the interests of families, consumers and businesses both in the UK and across Europe. We maintain that we meet the criteria for accession – it is open to countries outside the EU; all non-EU parties to Lugano support UK membership.


Written Question
Civil Proceedings: Jurisdiction
Monday 4th December 2017

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the call in the report by the House of Lords Justice Sub-Committee of the Select Committee on the EU Brexit: justice for families, individuals and businesses? (7th Report, Session 2016–17, HL Paper 134) for them to publish a coherent plan for addressing the post-Brexit application of the so-called Brussels regime.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

The Government published its future partnership paper on cross-border civil judicial cooperation on 22 August 2017. This set out that an effective framework of civil judicial cooperation is an important part of the deep and special partnership we want to establish with the EU. The Government will therefore seek an agreement with the EU that allows for close and comprehensive cross-border civil judicial cooperation on a reciprocal basis, which reflects closely the substantive principles of cooperation under the current EU framework.

The paper also set out our intention to continue participation in those Hague Conventions we currently participate in by virtue of our membership of the EU, and to continue to participate in the Lugano Convention that, by virtue of our membership of the EU, forms the basis for the UK’s civil judicial cooperation with Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.


Written Question
Criminal Law
Monday 6th November 2017

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any new criminal offences have been introduced by secondary legislation in the last 15 years.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

This information can only be compiled at disproportionate cost.

As part of the coalition Government’s commitment to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences, the then Secretary of State for Justice established a Criminal Offences Gateway in June 2010 to scrutinise proposals to create new criminal offences. The Ministry of Justice also pledged to count the number of new criminal offences created each year across Government and to publish the resultant figures. Published statistics for the period June 2009 to May 2014 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/385537/new-criminal-offences-june-2009-may-2014.pdf. This published data distinguishes between offences created by primary and secondary legislation, but does not list the individual offences.

Following the termination of the Criminal Offences Gateway in December 2015, there is no longer a business need to collect data on new offences. As a result, this bulletin is no longer being produced.


Written Question
Criminal Law
Monday 6th November 2017

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which criminal offences have been introduced by secondary legislation in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

This information can only be compiled at disproportionate cost.

As part of the coalition Government’s commitment to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences, the then Secretary of State for Justice established a Criminal Offences Gateway in June 2010 to scrutinise proposals to create new criminal offences. The Ministry of Justice also pledged to count the number of new criminal offences created each year across Government and to publish the resultant figures. Published statistics for the period June 2009 to May 2014 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/385537/new-criminal-offences-june-2009-may-2014.pdf. This published data distinguishes between offences created by primary and secondary legislation, but does not list the individual offences.

Following the termination of the Criminal Offences Gateway in December 2015, there is no longer a business need to collect data on new offences. As a result, this bulletin is no longer being produced.


Written Question
Legal Services Board: Public Appointments
Wednesday 25th October 2017

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 27 April (HL6891), when they will commence the appointment process for the position of chair of the Legal Services Board which will became vacant at the end of April.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

The post of the Chair of the Legal Services Board was advertised on the Cabinet Office’s website for public appointment vacancies on Thursday 19 October.


Written Question
Civil Proceedings: Cross Border Cooperation
Thursday 3rd August 2017

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish further details about their proposals for future co-operation on civil justice matters with the EU.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

As the Government’s White Paper makes clear, civil judicial cooperation is an important issue, which underpins the resolution of cross-border disputes in the fields of civil and commercial, and family, law; supports the attractiveness of UK laws and UK courts; and contributes to the UK legal and financial services economies.

The UK intends to keep working with others, including stakeholders, in order to ensure a smooth implementation of future arrangements.


Written Question
Convention on Choice of Court Agreements
Thursday 3rd August 2017

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a public statement on whether they intend to become a signatory to the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

The UK is currently bound by the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements (2005) by virtue of our membership of the EU. The Government recognises the importance of certainty in civil justice matters, and we are considering carefully the range of international agreements on civil judicial cooperation.


Written Question
Convention on Choice of Court Agreements
Thursday 3rd August 2017

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to become a signatory to the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

The UK is currently bound by the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements (2005) by virtue of our membership of the EU. The Government recognises the importance of certainty in civil justice matters, and we are considering carefully the range of international agreements on civil judicial cooperation.


Written Question
Legal Services Board: Public Appointments
Thursday 27th April 2017

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will commence the appointment process for the position of chair of the Legal Services Board which becomes vacant at the end of April.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will correspond directly with the Peer.