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Written Question
Prisoner Escorts
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Crown Court hearings have been delayed due to a (a) failure to deliver a prisoner and (b) a delay in bringing a prisoner to a court by (i) Serco and (ii) other providers of escort services.

Answered by Gareth Bacon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The number of contractual delays at the Crown Court attributable to the two PECS suppliers, in each month from September 2023 to February 2024, is shown in the table below.

Contractual delays include both failure to deliver a prisoner, and delay in bringing a prisoner to court. In contractual terms, a delay occurs when a prisoner who is at that time the responsibility of a PECS supplier, is not available in the courtroom at the required time so that courtroom business is delayed by 15 minutes or more. Whenever a delay occurs, its cause is investigated by the PECS Management Team in His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service. During the period for which data have been provided, there were no instances of failure to deliver a prisoner: all recorded instances are attributable to delay in bringing a prisoner to court.

PECS contractual delays to Crown Court hearings, September 2023 to February 2024

Serco

Total moves to Crown Court

Number of contractual delays

Performance %

Sep 2023

4872

5

99.90

Oct 2023

4651

8

99.83

Nov 2023

5408

17

99.69

Dec 2023

3803

20

99.48

Jan 2024

5136

14

99.73

Feb 2024

4733

7

99.86

GEOAmey

Total moves to Crown Court

Number of contractual delays

Performance %

Sep 2023

4904

2

99.96

Oct 2023

5169

3

99.95

Nov 2023

5559

2

99.97

Dec 2023

4419

1

99.99

Jan 2024

5586

1

99.99

Feb 2024

5223

1

99.99


Written Question
Civil Proceedings and Family Proceedings: Legal Representation
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the document entitled Qualified legal representative appointed by the Court: Statutory guidance, published in July 2022, how many qualified legal representatives have been registered in (a) family and (b) other civil cases since the publication of that guidance.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.

As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.

Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.

We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.


Written Question
Legal Representation
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases a qualified legal representative was (a) required and (b) available.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.

As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.

Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.

We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.


Written Question
Legal Representation: Training
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is taking steps to monitor the requirement for qualified legal representatives to undergo vulnerable witness training within six months of registering.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.

As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.

Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.

We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.


Written Question
Legal Representation: Training
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many qualified legal representatives had completed vulnerable witness training when they registered for the scheme.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.

As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.

Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.

We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.


Written Question
Legal Representation
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases a qualified legal representative was (a) required and (b) not available.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.

As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.

Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.

We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.


Written Question
Civil Proceedings
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog in civil courts; and whether he has set targets to reduce average waiting times by case type.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

I refer the honourable Member for Stockton North to the answer I gave on 19 February 2024 to PQ 13277 and the answer I gave on the 23 January 2024 to PQ 9675 in relation to the steps being taken to improve timeliness in civil courts.

Due to the nature of Civil claims, data relating to the number of people awaiting hearing is not held centrally. The time to hearing in relation to the small proportion of civil claims which are defended and proceed to trial is published quarterly: Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.


Written Question
Civil Proceedings
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time for a first hearing of a civil justice case was in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

I refer the honourable Member for Stockton North to the answer I gave on 19 February 2024 to PQ 13277 and the answer I gave on the 23 January 2024 to PQ 9675 in relation to the steps being taken to improve timeliness in civil courts.

Due to the nature of Civil claims, data relating to the number of people awaiting hearing is not held centrally. The time to hearing in relation to the small proportion of civil claims which are defended and proceed to trial is published quarterly: Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.


Written Question
Civil Proceedings
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people are waiting for their civil case to be heard by claim type.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

I refer the honourable Member for Stockton North to the answer I gave on 19 February 2024 to PQ 13277 and the answer I gave on the 23 January 2024 to PQ 9675 in relation to the steps being taken to improve timeliness in civil courts.

Due to the nature of Civil claims, data relating to the number of people awaiting hearing is not held centrally. The time to hearing in relation to the small proportion of civil claims which are defended and proceed to trial is published quarterly: Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.


Written Question
Personal Injury: Compensation
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average settlement time is for minor injury claims going through the Official Injury Claim portal.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Average settlement time for claims going through the Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal at the end of February 2024 was 239 days. This can be broken down to 259 days for represented claimants and 115 days for unrepresented claimants. Further information and data on OIC can be found here: https://www.officialinjuryclaim.org.uk/resources-for-professionals/data/.