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Written Question
Prisons: Finance
Monday 8th November 2021

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much public funding his Department has allocated to prisons in (a) each of the last five financial years, (b) the current financial year and (c) each of the next three financial years.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The below table states the public funding allocated to prisons in the last five and current financial years.

£m

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

Prisons

2,010

2,174

2,309

2,482

2,685

2,630

In relation to future years, the Deputy Prime Minister is developing his plans for allocating this funding and will announce more details in due course.


Written Question
Legal Aid Scheme: Companies
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to support legal aid firms during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a range of challenges for the legal profession. We have been working closely with legal aid providers across the justice system throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so, monitoring any impact and understanding their concerns.

A range of measures have been introduced to support providers during the pandemic while maintaining access to justice for the most vulnerable in society. These include:

  • Reducing the levels of contract administration to allow providers to focus on supporting their clients;
  • Expanding how domestic abuse requirements may be evidenced to make it easier for victims to access legal aid during this difficult period;
  • Expanding the scope and relaxing the evidence requirements for hardship payments in crown court cases – including reducing the threshold for work done to £450, rather than the previous £5,000;
  • Halting the pursuit of outstanding debts owed to the Legal Aid Agency (LAA);
  • Suspending sanctions in relation to missed deadlines for delegated function applications, substantive amendments and appeals against LAA decisions;
  • Publicising existing avenues of financial help for legal firms, such as the ability to apply for early payment for work already done on a case, and changing rules for payment on account for providers, benefitting cashflow in the short-term and ensuring that providers can claim the same amount of money for online hearings as they can for face-to-face hearings.

HM Treasury have introduced and recently extended a range of measures to support individuals and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the furlough scheme, Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan and Bounce Back Loan, to provide some financial stability. We encourage the professions to continue to take advantage of this support where appropriate.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation, working with providers to keep these measures under review.


Written Question
Restraining Orders
Monday 7th September 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many restraining orders have been broken in each (a) month of 2020 and (b) of the last five years.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Ministry of Justice has published information on convictions for ‘Breach of a restraining order’ up to December 2019, which is available in the Outcomes by Offence data tool available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888664/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2019.xlsx

The number of offenders convicted for ‘Breach of a restraining order’ in each year since 2009 can be found using the offence filter to search for ‘Breach of a restraining order’. Convictions can be found in row 24.

Court outcomes data for 2020 will be published in May 2021.


Written Question
Solicitors: Coronavirus
Monday 7th September 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help improve access between solicitors and their clients during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Despite the absence of physical visits, prisoners maintain the right to access legal advice, and we have looked to ensure that prisoners continue to have the tools to make contact with their legal representatives via telephone, video link or written correspondence.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, we have enhanced the capability of prison video conferencing facilities, particularly to support priority court work such as sentencing hearings and prisoners approaching their parole hearing dates. We have made use of the additional 1,250 handsets issued to prisons without in-cell telephony in order to facilitate private conversations with legal advisers, alongside encouraging governors to ensure prisoners can have conversations with their representatives in confidence.

We have also been taking steps to increase the available capacity of video conferencing at some locations through increased operating hours to include longer hours during the weekdays, and in some cases on Saturdays. Alongside this work, we are increasing the physical number of video link outlets at a number of critical sites where capacity is limited, as well as to support specialist courts, including youth and women’s prisons.

As stated in our National Framework for recovery in prisons, we are adapting aspects of prison regime, in consultation with trade unions and health partners, to restart key services. We have consulted representatives of the legal profession on the resumption of legal visits so that they can resume in a safe manner over the next few weeks.


Written Question
Prisons and Judiciary: Sexual Offences
Monday 29th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prison wardens, (b) probation officers, (c) prison governors, (d) judges and (e) magistrates have been dismissed for sexual harassment in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The number of dismissals for the roles requested in each of the last five years is as follows:

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

Band 3-5 Prison Officers

3

3

4

4

4

Probation Officers

0

0

0

0

0

Prison Governors

0

0

0

0

0

Judges

0

0

0

0

0

Magistrates

0

0

0

0

0


MoJ treats allegations of sexual harassment seriously and has policies in place to ensure that they are fully investigated and appropriate action is taken.


Written Question
Ministry of Justice: Renewable Energy
Thursday 25th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines have been installed on each of the buildings on his Department's estate in each of the last five years.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Ministry of Justice is committed to reducing its carbon emissions on a trajectory to Net Zero by 2050 or sooner; and has already reduced its total emissions by 44% by 2019-20 compared to 2009-10.

Renewable energy generation will be a key part of the Ministry’s Net Zero Carbon Strategy. We have purchased 977 solar panels in 2019 and 1307 in 2020 for installation in 2020-21; and have firm plans to generate even more renewable energy over the next two years. Surveys at 100 prisons will be completed this financial year to identify the best opportunities for future installation of renewable technologies.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice installed solar panels at three sites in 2015, 2016 and 2019; and a wind turbine at one site in 2018. Solar panels or wind turbines are installed at a further 12 sites on the Department’s estate, but these were fitted prior to the period in question.


Written Question
Judiciary: Training
Thursday 25th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training is provided to the judicary on supporting people in court with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Responsibility for judicial training rests with the Lord Chief Justice and with the Senior President of Tribunals and is exercised through the Judicial College.

To preserve judicial independence, the judiciary and professional staff in the Judicial College are responsible for the design, content, and delivery of judicial training.

The Judicial College provides training on vulnerable litigants including those with learning disabilities for judges and magistrates sitting in criminal, family and youth courts. In addition, the Equal Treatment Bench Book contains specific guidance for the judiciary on how to identify and accommodate court users with learning disabilities.


Written Question
Ministry of Justice: Energy
Tuesday 23rd June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much energy his departmental buildings have used in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020 to date.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The amount of energy used by the Ministry of Justice in each of the last five years is as follows:

Financial Year

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

Energy (MWh)

1,434,498

1,409,163

1,356,100

1,367,729

1,320,597

Data is not yet available for any part of 2020/21 as this is collated quarterly in arrears.

The department is committed to reducing its carbon emissions on a trajectory to Net Zero by 2050 or sooner; and has reduced its total emissions by 44% by 2019-20 compared to 2009-10.


Written Question
Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme
Monday 22nd June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the review into means testing of legal aid for victims of domestic violence will conclude; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Victims of domestic abuse must have access to the help they need - including legal aid, which is subject to a means and merits test. Our comprehensive review of the legal aid means test commenced in February 2019. The review is considering how the current arrangements adequately protect access to justice, and as part of this we have explicitly committed to look at means testing for victims of domestic abuse, including the existing capital thresholds.

Whilst the Government had previously committed to complete the review by Summer 2020, and to mark this with publication of a consultation paper, the impact of the Covid-19 crisis has meant this work has been temporarily paused and a revised timetable for delivery of the review will be announced shortly.


Written Question
Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme
Monday 22nd June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications have been (a) granted and (b) rejected for legal aid from victims of domestic violence in each of the last five years.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The information requested is not held centrally.