Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what research the Government has commissioned on the educational, psychological, welfare, justice and related needs of victims and survivors of Northern Ireland-related acts of terrorism in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Simon Hughes
I can confirm that the Government has not commissioned specific research into victims and survivors of Northern Ireland-related acts of terrorism who reside inGreat Britain. In 2012 the Ministry of Justice commissioned and published an Evidence and Practice Review which looked in depth at the needs of victims inEngland andWales. This has informed both the commissioning approach to national services for victims such as the Homicide Service and the development of an outcomes-based commissioning framework to be drawn upon by Police and Crime Commissioners when commissioning local services for victims.
The Government recognises that victims of the most serious crimes should receive enhanced entitlements to support from the Criminal Justice organisations in England and Wales, and this is set out in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime published in October 2013.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate the Government has made of the number of victims and survivors of Northern Ireland-related acts of terrorism in Great Britain where such victims and survivors live in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Simon Hughes
I can confirm that the Government has not commissioned specific research into victims and survivors of Northern Ireland-related acts of terrorism who reside inGreat Britain. In 2012 the Ministry of Justice commissioned and published an Evidence and Practice Review which looked in depth at the needs of victims inEngland andWales. This has informed both the commissioning approach to national services for victims such as the Homicide Service and the development of an outcomes-based commissioning framework to be drawn upon by Police and Crime Commissioners when commissioning local services for victims.
The Government recognises that victims of the most serious crimes should receive enhanced entitlements to support from the Criminal Justice organisations in England and Wales, and this is set out in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime published in October 2013.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been granted in relation to offences occurring as a result and in the course of escaping from or breaking out of prison in the last 25 years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
We do not centrally hold data on the number of occasions the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been exercised for the time period in question. Consequently, the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, as it would involve a manual trawl through the records of every prisoner who has formed part of the prison population for the last 25 years, to identify, firstly, if they have ever escaped from prison custody and secondly, if a request to exercise the Royal Prerogative of Mercy was successful.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list the people who have received the Royal Prerogative of Mercy by Letters Patent in the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Green
There has been no one who has received a pardon within England and Wales by Letters Patent in the last 20 years. Neither have any Letters Close (or Litterae Clausae) been issued by the Crown Office during the last 25 years.
Letters Patent all pass under the Great Seal of the Realm and an entry for each is made in the Crown Office Docquet Book (a record which is designated for permanent preservation). A Patent Roll which sets out the text of the Letters Patent is also maintained by the Crown Office, The Patent Roll entries are sent annually to the National Archives for permanent preservation.
With regard to the final question, the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent is governed by:
An exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy is currently effected by means of Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual. A record is maintained of all such Warrants granted since the Lord Chancellor assumed responsibility for this remit from the Home Secretary and these records are transferred to the National Archives from time to time.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether there has been any occasion when the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been granted by way of Letters Close (Litterae Clausae); and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Green
There has been no one who has received a pardon within England and Wales by Letters Patent in the last 20 years. Neither have any Letters Close (or Litterae Clausae) been issued by the Crown Office during the last 25 years.
Letters Patent all pass under the Great Seal of the Realm and an entry for each is made in the Crown Office Docquet Book (a record which is designated for permanent preservation). A Patent Roll which sets out the text of the Letters Patent is also maintained by the Crown Office, The Patent Roll entries are sent annually to the National Archives for permanent preservation.
With regard to the final question, the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent is governed by:
An exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy is currently effected by means of Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual. A record is maintained of all such Warrants granted since the Lord Chancellor assumed responsibility for this remit from the Home Secretary and these records are transferred to the National Archives from time to time.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the (a) Crown Office and (b) Office of the Lord President of the Council maintains a list of all Letters Patent issued in the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Green
There has been no one who has received a pardon within England and Wales by Letters Patent in the last 20 years. Neither have any Letters Close (or Litterae Clausae) been issued by the Crown Office during the last 25 years.
Letters Patent all pass under the Great Seal of the Realm and an entry for each is made in the Crown Office Docquet Book (a record which is designated for permanent preservation). A Patent Roll which sets out the text of the Letters Patent is also maintained by the Crown Office, The Patent Roll entries are sent annually to the National Archives for permanent preservation.
With regard to the final question, the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent is governed by:
An exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy is currently effected by means of Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual. A record is maintained of all such Warrants granted since the Lord Chancellor assumed responsibility for this remit from the Home Secretary and these records are transferred to the National Archives from time to time.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance notes used in his Department and in the Office of the Lord President of the Council regarding the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent.
Answered by Damian Green
There has been no one who has received a pardon within England and Wales by Letters Patent in the last 20 years. Neither have any Letters Close (or Litterae Clausae) been issued by the Crown Office during the last 25 years.
Letters Patent all pass under the Great Seal of the Realm and an entry for each is made in the Crown Office Docquet Book (a record which is designated for permanent preservation). A Patent Roll which sets out the text of the Letters Patent is also maintained by the Crown Office, The Patent Roll entries are sent annually to the National Archives for permanent preservation.
With regard to the final question, the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent is governed by:
An exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy is currently effected by means of Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual. A record is maintained of all such Warrants granted since the Lord Chancellor assumed responsibility for this remit from the Home Secretary and these records are transferred to the National Archives from time to time.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether all people who received a Royal Prerogative of Mercy had their names listed in the London Gazette.
Answered by Damian Green
There are no statutory requirements relating to the publication of pardons granted under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy. However, by convention, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery places a notice of such pardons granted in England and Wales in the London Gazette.