Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions for assault on public-facing workers under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 have involved roadworkers; and what assessment she has made of the impact of that provision on sentencing and deterrence.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of prosecutions under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (“the Act”) that specifically involve roadworkers. This is because offence data collected centrally does not routinely record the victim’s occupation in sufficient detail to identify roadworkers as a distinct category.
The law provides protections for public-facing workers through this legislation, by creating a statutory aggravating factor, which courts have a duty to consider. This requires courts to treat assaults against such workers as aggravated in sentencing decisions, ensuring that the seriousness of these offences is adequately reflected in sentencing outcomes.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of land for burials.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is aware of increasing localised pressure on burial spaces in certain parts of the country and we welcome information from burial providers and local communities about the situation in their areas, as this is helpful in enabling us to build an up-to-date national picture. However, we do not have day-to-day operational responsibility for burial grounds which are managed locally. It is a matter for each authority to allocate local resources in line with local priorities.
The Law Commission is currently consulting on its proposals for reforms to burial law. The consultation includes consideration of the availability of burial space in England and Wales. The Government looks forward to the Law Commission’s final recommendations in due course.The consultation can be found at: https://lawcom.gov.uk/project/burial-and-cremation/.