Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the pilot for non-court remote link sites for Section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 is planned to commence.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
We are rolling out pre-recorded cross examination, provided for Section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, for vulnerable witnesses in Crown Court centres in England and Wales. Our plans for Section 28 involve witnesses giving evidence in court centres, with the exception of Durham, where arrangements are already underway for evidence to be provided from a non-court site at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre. Once these arrangements are properly embedded, further options, including non-court sites, will be considered for roll-out in the future.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of how many non-court sites where vulnerable witnesses may provide evidence (a) are operational and (b) will be operational in the next 12 months.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
HMCTS works closely with other criminal justice partners to enable vulnerable witnesses to provide evidence from non-court sites, where appropriate. There are over 2,000 operational video links, with remote links in each HMCTS region. These provide victims and witnesses with the opportunity to give evidence away from the court room. In addition, where appropriate, vulnerable witnesses are able to give evidence from another Crown Court site. HMCTS is leading work with criminal justice partners to update information held about all non-court sites including their operational status. This work will enable the provision of the information requested.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many young witnesses have provided evidence from a non-court live link site in each year for which data is available.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The department does not hold data on the number of young witnesses who give evidence via video link (either within a court building, or from non-court live link site). There are remote links in each court region, which provide victims and witnesses with the opportunity to give evidence away from the court room.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring registered intermediaries to have an enhanced DBS check given their access to vulnerable witnesses.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Registered Intermediaries are required to satisfy a ‘basic’ level DBS check in line with legislation set out in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Whilst Registered Intermediaries may interact with vulnerable victims and witnesses they always do so in the presence of another responsible adult, usually a police officer. They are never alone with witnesses, to prevent disclosures being made solely in their presence, and they do not have caring responsibilities.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many barristers have received the advocacy and the vulnerable training.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The training provided by the Inns of Court Advocacy service delivers on our manifesto commitment that publicly funded advocates will have specialist training in handling victims before taking on serious sexual offences. As of February 2019, the Bar Council have confirmed 3000 barristers have been trained out of an anticipated 3600 who work in this field.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many registered intermediaries there (a) are and (b) are estimated to be in the next 12 months.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
There are currently 185 Registered Intermediaries on the Witness Intermediary Scheme register, with an additional 30 candidates either in training or awaiting training. There have been ongoing regional recruitment campaigns since December 2017 and these will continue over the course of the next 12 months. It is not possible to provide an estimate of the expected number of RIs in 12 months’ time, as this will be affected by how many new recruits join the scheme, as well as how many existing Registered Intermediaries decide to retire or otherwise leave the scheme.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken (a) to monitor and (b) improve compliance with the Under 10s Protocol since it was reissued.
Answered by Edward Argar
This Government is committed to ensuring that very young witnesses receive the support they need through the criminal justice system in an adequate and timely manner. We reviewed the Protocol in 2018 in conjunction with the CPS, HMCTS, Police and Judiciary. Following its publication, briefings and updated training materials have been issued to practitioners and users to ensure the process from first report of a crime to the charging decision and case coming to court for young witnesses under 10 years old is expediated. We expect the relevant agencies to review compliance of the Protocol.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to dispel rape myths and stereotypes from juries in line with the commitment in the Sexual Violence against Children and Vulnerable People National Group Progress Report and Action Plan 2015.
Answered by Edward Argar
We want rape victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing they will get the support they need through the system and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.
The CPS have almost doubled the number of specialist prosecutors in their dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Units, enhanced training and improved the support they offer victims through criminal proceedings. Specialist prosecutors are trained to deal with the challenges involved in prosecuting these offences, including the impact of issues of consent and of rape myths and stereotypes.
The Senior Judiciary recognise that rape myths could have an impact on the trial of sex offences. The 2018 Crown Court Compendium builds on previous guidance which gives judges a model practice direction for the purpose of warning the jury of the risks of stereotyping alleged victims of sexual offences. It gives more examples of possible directions, and lists situations where jury directions may be needed.
Given the potential impact on trial fairness, the judiciary rightly maintain that any course of further action in this area should be well considered and informed by empirical evidence. The President of the Queen’s Bench Division has, therefore, commissioned empirical research with juries which will help inform future support, guidance and training needs on myths and stereotypes.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the conviction ratio was for rape offences in the 12 months to June 2018.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Conviction ratios for individual offences are currently published up to December 2017. Figures for individual offences such as rape for 2018 are subject to ongoing data processing and validation and will be published in May 2019. The conviction ratio for rape offences in the 6 months to December 2017 can be calculated using the Outcomes by offence data tool at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2017.
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Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2018 to Question 198269 on Social Security Benefits: Stockport, for what reason his Department only provided figures for the years (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15; and if his Department will provide figures for the years (i) 2015-16, (ii) 2016-17 and (iii) 2017-18.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
As set out in the Answer to Question 198269, the data requested for the years 2015-16 to 2017-18 are published at www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.
Within that link is a further link:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2018.
The data requested are provided further down that page at Tribunal Statistics CSV (April to June 2018) (zip file).