Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many convictions for failure to pay for a TV licence have led to imprisonment in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Shadow Attorney General
The number of people admitted to prison for failing to pay fines in respect of the non-payment of a TV licence in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years can be viewed in the attached table.
A person cannot receive a custodial sentence for TV licence evasion but can be committed to prison for wilfully refusing to pay the fine. Imprisonment is only pursued as a matter of last resort.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (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 10 March (HL1844), whether private cemeteries should apply the same standards and principles contained in the “framework of regulation and guidance" applying to local authority burial grounds.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
As indicated in my response to the Noble Lord’s previous questions on the issue of mounding (HL1843, 1844 and 1845), the Government anticipates that those operating private burial grounds will adhere to the standards and principles underpinning the framework of regulation and guidance which applies to local authority burial grounds.
However, I will ensure that the issues raised by the Noble Lord are referred to the Law Commission in the context of its forthcoming consideration of the law governing the disposal of human remains, to which I also referred in my previous response.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any reports of disputes at Tottenham Park Cemetery and Camberwell Old Cemetery on mounding; and what assessment they have made of reports that there are examples of private cemeteries potentially acting in breach of national guidance.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
As indicated in my response to the Noble Lord’s previous questions on the issue of mounding (HL1843, 1844 and 1845), the Government anticipates that those operating private burial grounds will adhere to the standards and principles underpinning the framework of regulation and guidance which applies to local authority burial grounds.
However, I will ensure that the issues raised by the Noble Lord are referred to the Law Commission in the context of its forthcoming consideration of the law governing the disposal of human remains, to which I also referred in my previous response.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they can take to enforce the recording of early burials that are 'mounded' over.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
As indicated in my response to the Noble Lord’s previous questions on the issue of mounding (HL1843, 1844 and 1845), the Government anticipates that those operating private burial grounds will adhere to the standards and principles underpinning the framework of regulation and guidance which applies to local authority burial grounds.
However, I will ensure that the issues raised by the Noble Lord are referred to the Law Commission in the context of its forthcoming consideration of the law governing the disposal of human remains, to which I also referred in my previous response.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what regulations exist for the control of cemeteries mounding areas to create new burial spaces.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The management and maintenance of local authority burial grounds is subject to a comprehensive framework of regulation and guidance, and we anticipate that those operating private burial grounds (many of which are, in any event, regulated by bespoke legislation) will apply the same standards and principles.
Graves and monuments of historical significance can be listed in the National Heritage List for England or scheduled in accordance with the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Any changes to listed or scheduled monuments or graves require consent from the Historic England.
The Law Commission’s forthcoming Programme of Law Reform includes a project to consider modernising and streamlining the law governing the disposal of human remains, with a view to putting forward a legal framework for the future.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what controls exist to protect graves of historical significance from mounding in (1) private, and (2) public, burial grounds.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The management and maintenance of local authority burial grounds is subject to a comprehensive framework of regulation and guidance, and we anticipate that those operating private burial grounds (many of which are, in any event, regulated by bespoke legislation) will apply the same standards and principles.
Graves and monuments of historical significance can be listed in the National Heritage List for England or scheduled in accordance with the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Any changes to listed or scheduled monuments or graves require consent from the Historic England.
The Law Commission’s forthcoming Programme of Law Reform includes a project to consider modernising and streamlining the law governing the disposal of human remains, with a view to putting forward a legal framework for the future.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they ensure that the locations of early burials are (1) accurately recorded, and (2) accessible.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The management and maintenance of local authority burial grounds is subject to a comprehensive framework of regulation and guidance, and we anticipate that those operating private burial grounds (many of which are, in any event, regulated by bespoke legislation) will apply the same standards and principles.
Graves and monuments of historical significance can be listed in the National Heritage List for England or scheduled in accordance with the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Any changes to listed or scheduled monuments or graves require consent from the Historic England.
The Law Commission’s forthcoming Programme of Law Reform includes a project to consider modernising and streamlining the law governing the disposal of human remains, with a view to putting forward a legal framework for the future.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many instances of crowdfunding to cover the cost of legal representation for families involved in inquests have taken place in the last five years.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is aware that there have been instances of crowdfunding to cover the cost of legal representation at inquest proceedings, for example at the inquests into the deaths of those who died in the Birmingham pub bombings and the inquests of the victims of Stephen Port, but the Department does not routinely collect information on instances of crowdfunding.
We are currently undertaking a review of the provision of legal aid for inquests, due to be published by the end of the year alongside the wider review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.