Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children have been placed in children’s homes (a) in borough and (b) out of borough by each local authority in each year since 2015.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The number of looked after children in children’s homes by placement location since 2015 for each local authority is shown in the attached table. The latest figures on children looked after by placement and placement location are published in Table A2 of the statistical release, ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.
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 - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
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 Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children placed in children’s homes (a) inside the local authority responsible and (b) outside the local authority responsible were reported missing in each year since 2015.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department publishes information on looked after children who go missing from care in Tables G1 and LAG1 statistical release, available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.
A further breakdown of data regarding looked-after children who go missing in children’s homes is available in the attached tables. The data in the attached tables are experimental statistics and are not comparable between years as changes may be due to improved data recording. Local councils have improved their reporting of missing incidents through increased collaboration with partner organisations and carers, updated recording systems, and further training for carers to improve understanding of reporting processes.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of looked after children in children’s homes inside and outside the borough who were reported missing by a) duration of missing incident and (b) age of child at the start of missing incident and (c) went missing more than once during the year for each year since 2015.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department publishes information on looked after children who go missing from care in Tables G1 and LAG1 statistical release, available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.
A further breakdown of data regarding looked-after children who go missing in children’s homes is available in the attached tables. The data in the attached tables are experimental statistics and are not comparable between years as changes may be due to improved data recording. Local councils have improved their reporting of missing incidents through increased collaboration with partner organisations and carers, updated recording systems, and further training for carers to improve understanding of reporting processes.
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 - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
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 - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
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 - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
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 - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
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 - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
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 - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
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.