Found: contact-moj.service.justice.gov.uk/ www.gov.uk/moj 102 Petty France London SW1H 9AJ Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 27 March (HL5807), what are the names of the companies where the UK taxpayer is the only shareholder which brought a private prosecution using common law powers preserved under section 6(1) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 in 2024.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Ministry of Justice does not collate or record data on individual private prosecutors, although some prosecutors may publish their own data separately. Therefore, it is not possible to provide data on the number of companies where the UK taxpayer is the only shareholder that have brought a private prosecution in 2024.

This Government considers that it is important that more information about private prosecutors is available to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight, regulation, and transparency of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 8 May. The consultation seeks respondents’ views on improvements to the available data on private prosecutors and the prosecutions they bring.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 1 April (HL6113), what is the longest outstanding inquest in the Isle of Wight.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems.

However, while the Ministry of Justice is responsible for coroner law and policy, operational responsibility for coroner services lies with individual local authorities (known as “relevant authorities”) which are responsible for funding, administration and coroner appointments for each of the 77 coroner areas in England and Wales. For the Isle of Wight coroner area, the relevant authority is the Isle of Wight Council.

For this reason, the Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the longest running inquest in the Isle of Wight coroner area. More generally, however, the Coroner Statistics for 2023 (the most recent year for which data is available) indicate that 46 inquests had been open for more than two years in the area at 31 December 2023. The Statistics are available at Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 8 May 2025.

I understand there has been significant pressure on accommodation for inquest hearings, and in terms of staffing and coroner resources, in the Isle of Wight coroner area. To address this, the refurbishment of a court is now nearing completion; and the Isle of Wight Council is currently recruiting for two additional Assistant Coroners. It is anticipated that, once in place, these measures will help address the issue of inquest backlog.

We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services across England and Wales.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 1 April (HL6113), what steps they are taking to support families of the deceased during the wait for an inquest.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems.

However, while the Ministry of Justice is responsible for coroner law and policy, operational responsibility for coroner services lies with individual local authorities (known as “relevant authorities”) which are responsible for funding, administration and coroner appointments for each of the 77 coroner areas in England and Wales. For the Isle of Wight coroner area, the relevant authority is the Isle of Wight Council.

For this reason, the Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the longest running inquest in the Isle of Wight coroner area. More generally, however, the Coroner Statistics for 2023 (the most recent year for which data is available) indicate that 46 inquests had been open for more than two years in the area at 31 December 2023. The Statistics are available at Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 8 May 2025.

I understand there has been significant pressure on accommodation for inquest hearings, and in terms of staffing and coroner resources, in the Isle of Wight coroner area. To address this, the refurbishment of a court is now nearing completion; and the Isle of Wight Council is currently recruiting for two additional Assistant Coroners. It is anticipated that, once in place, these measures will help address the issue of inquest backlog.

We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services across England and Wales.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 1 April (HL6113), what plans they have to appoint deputy coroners to help to process incomplete inquests in the Isle of Wight.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems.

However, while the Ministry of Justice is responsible for coroner law and policy, operational responsibility for coroner services lies with individual local authorities (known as “relevant authorities”) which are responsible for funding, administration and coroner appointments for each of the 77 coroner areas in England and Wales. For the Isle of Wight coroner area, the relevant authority is the Isle of Wight Council.

For this reason, the Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the longest running inquest in the Isle of Wight coroner area. More generally, however, the Coroner Statistics for 2023 (the most recent year for which data is available) indicate that 46 inquests had been open for more than two years in the area at 31 December 2023. The Statistics are available at Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 8 May 2025.

I understand there has been significant pressure on accommodation for inquest hearings, and in terms of staffing and coroner resources, in the Isle of Wight coroner area. To address this, the refurbishment of a court is now nearing completion; and the Isle of Wight Council is currently recruiting for two additional Assistant Coroners. It is anticipated that, once in place, these measures will help address the issue of inquest backlog.

We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services across England and Wales.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 1 April (HL6113), what assessment they have made of why the average time to complete coroner inquests in the Isle of Wight is more than double the average time across all of England and Wales.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems.

However, while the Ministry of Justice is responsible for coroner law and policy, operational responsibility for coroner services lies with individual local authorities (known as “relevant authorities”) which are responsible for funding, administration and coroner appointments for each of the 77 coroner areas in England and Wales. For the Isle of Wight coroner area, the relevant authority is the Isle of Wight Council.

For this reason, the Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the longest running inquest in the Isle of Wight coroner area. More generally, however, the Coroner Statistics for 2023 (the most recent year for which data is available) indicate that 46 inquests had been open for more than two years in the area at 31 December 2023. The Statistics are available at Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 8 May 2025.

I understand there has been significant pressure on accommodation for inquest hearings, and in terms of staffing and coroner resources, in the Isle of Wight coroner area. To address this, the refurbishment of a court is now nearing completion; and the Isle of Wight Council is currently recruiting for two additional Assistant Coroners. It is anticipated that, once in place, these measures will help address the issue of inquest backlog.

We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services across England and Wales.

Found: Letter dated 02/04/2025 from Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede to Lord Bellamy regarding victims' entitlement

Found: Letter dated 27/03/2025 from Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede to Andy Slaughter MP regarding Private Law Pathfinder

Found: Letter dated 27/03/2025 from Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede to Andy Slaughter MP regarding Private Law Pathfinder

Found: devolution of youth justice and probation was a topic of discussion: • 16 January 2025 Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede