Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of sentence (a) awarded and (b) served has been for individuals found guilty of the online sexual exploitation of children in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Buckland
We have interpreted ‘sexual exploitation of children’ as child sexual abuse offences, as sexual exploitation of children is not specifically defined in legislation. The Ministry of Justice has published information (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/804510/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2018.xlsx) on the number of defendants found guilty of child sexual abuse offences and average custodial sentence lengths, however it is not possible to identify the nationality of the defendant as this information is not held in the courts proceedings database. Additionally, centrally held court and prisons data does not distinguish online child sexual abuse offences from all child sexual abuse offences. Information on offences that involve online sexual exploitation of children may be held on record, however to identify these records would be at a disproportionate cost. I have made no assessment of sentencing for offences relating to the online sexual exploitation of children. Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the Courts, who must follow any relevant guidelines produced by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Sentencing Council has a duty under section 128 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to monitor the operation and effect of its guidelines. Child sexual abuse is abhorrent and rightly carries tough sentences including life imprisonment for the most serious offences. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides a range of offences with robust sentences to tackle the scourge of child sexual exploitation in all its forms. Sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary, who take into account the full facts of each case. |
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of sentences for people convicted of offences relating to the online sexual exploitation of children; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Buckland
We have interpreted ‘sexual exploitation of children’ as child sexual abuse offences, as sexual exploitation of children is not specifically defined in legislation. The Ministry of Justice has published information (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/804510/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2018.xlsx) on the number of defendants found guilty of child sexual abuse offences and average custodial sentence lengths, however it is not possible to identify the nationality of the defendant as this information is not held in the courts proceedings database. Additionally, centrally held court and prisons data does not distinguish online child sexual abuse offences from all child sexual abuse offences. Information on offences that involve online sexual exploitation of children may be held on record, however to identify these records would be at a disproportionate cost. I have made no assessment of sentencing for offences relating to the online sexual exploitation of children. Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the Courts, who must follow any relevant guidelines produced by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Sentencing Council has a duty under section 128 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to monitor the operation and effect of its guidelines. Child sexual abuse is abhorrent and rightly carries tough sentences including life imprisonment for the most serious offences. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides a range of offences with robust sentences to tackle the scourge of child sexual exploitation in all its forms. Sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary, who take into account the full facts of each case. |
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many UK nationals have been convicted of offences relating to the online sexual exploitation of children in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Buckland
We have interpreted ‘sexual exploitation of children’ as child sexual abuse offences, as sexual exploitation of children is not specifically defined in legislation. The Ministry of Justice has published information (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/804510/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2018.xlsx) on the number of defendants found guilty of child sexual abuse offences and average custodial sentence lengths, however it is not possible to identify the nationality of the defendant as this information is not held in the courts proceedings database. Additionally, centrally held court and prisons data does not distinguish online child sexual abuse offences from all child sexual abuse offences. Information on offences that involve online sexual exploitation of children may be held on record, however to identify these records would be at a disproportionate cost. I have made no assessment of sentencing for offences relating to the online sexual exploitation of children. Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the Courts, who must follow any relevant guidelines produced by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Sentencing Council has a duty under section 128 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to monitor the operation and effect of its guidelines. Child sexual abuse is abhorrent and rightly carries tough sentences including life imprisonment for the most serious offences. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides a range of offences with robust sentences to tackle the scourge of child sexual exploitation in all its forms. Sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary, who take into account the full facts of each case. |
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress the Government is making on bringing forward legislative proposals on longer sentences for drivers who cause death by dangerous driving; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rory Stewart
We will bring forward proposals to increase the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving as soon as the parliamentary timetable allows.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the average length of time between notification of unsuccessful claims for personal independence payments and tribunal hearing for appeals of those refused claims in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
This information is not held centrally.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) records numbers, waiting times and outcomes of appeals by benefit type, but will not necessarily identify appeals made specifically because applications for benefit were unsuccessful. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) consists of a daily living and a mobility component, both or either of which can be paid at standard or enhanced rate. Therefore, claimants for PIP may have claimed for both components, and only been awarded one, or sought the enhanced rate and only been awarded the standard rate. A claim may be successful, but may not have been at the level sought. HMCTS is unable to isolate such appeals.
Information about the volumes and outcomes of PIP appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) (SSCS) is published at:
www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.
Latest figures (to June 2018) indicate that since PIP was introduced, 3.5 million decisions have been made, and of these 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned at tribunals.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the closure of the Probate Service in Nottingham on access to probate services for the bereaved; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The probate sub registry at Nottingham has not closed and continues to offer a probate service. Access to Probate in Nottingham is directed via other locations and appointments are available for members of the public if required. Probate is currently undergoing significant reform, with services being placed online to make them more accessible for customers. Where customers need extra support to access these services that will be provided in a variety of ways, including face to face support where necessary. Probate Customers can now make personal applications via a statement of truth which removes the need for them to attend a probate office.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the impact of the increase in probate charges from April 2019 on the (a) personal finances of the bereaved and (b) potential changes in the level of use of probate services; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The cost of the fee and reasonable expenses incurred by the executor are recoverable from the estate. Published HMRC data suggests that on average 25% of an estate’s assets are cash which suggests that these fees are affordable[1]. In exceptional cases where an executor cannot afford to pay the fee, there are safeguards in place, including the Lord Chancellor’s power to remit a fee.
As stated in our published Impact Assessment, it is unlikely that demand will change in response to the planned fee changes.
[1] Inheritance Tax Statistics, available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/inheritance-tax-statistics-table-124-assets-in-estates-by-range-of-net-estate-and-tax-due
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase the length of sentences for dangerous driving; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rory Stewart
I refer to my recent responses to questions 165603 and 137592 and reiterate that we will bring forward proposals to increase the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Vietnamese children were prosecuted between 2012-17; and, of that number, how many (a) were convicted of an offence and (b) are serving custodial sentences as a result of those convictions.
Answered by Phillip Lee
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of women of Muslim faith in prison on 1 October 2017.
Answered by Phillip Lee
According to published figures, as of 30 September 2017 there were 254 Muslim women in prison.
This is the closest published data to the requested date. We publish end of month prison population figures broken down by religion and sex quarterly, and the statistics can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-population-figures-2017.