Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he plans to take to enforce the payment of costs awarded against off-shore hedge funds by the courts in civil cases decided in the UK.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The primary function of the civil courts is to provide a forum in which private individuals can resolve their disputes. It is for the creditor to pursue enforcement of any costs order in his or her favour in another jurisdiction. The success of enforcement abroad largely depends on the nature of the order and where it is to be enforced, since the recognition and enforcement of judgments of a foreign jurisdiction will depend on the private international law rules (including any rules applicable due to international agreements) of the state in which it is sought to enforce.
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people resident in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England received an award of legal aid in each of the last five years.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) does not record the number of people who receive legal aid. Instead it records the number of ‘acts of assistance'. One individual may receive a number of separate acts of assistance, and one act of assistance can help more than one person.
With regard to the breakdowns requested for Coventry, the West Midlands and England, the LAA cannot separately identify legal aid cases by the location of the person receiving legal aid. Applicant post codes are not systematically recorded against Legal Aid cases.
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what average length of time was taken by the Tribunals Service to administer a First-tier Tribunal Social Security and Child Support appeal in respect of (a) disability living allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) income support, (d) jobseeker's allowance and (e) tax credits in (i) Coverntry, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The First-tier Tribunal – Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits.
Table 1 below shows the average length of time to complete appeals in respect of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England between April 2013-March 2014,the latest period for which figures are available.
Table 2 below shows the proportion of appeals which were decided in favour of the appellant in (a) Coventry (b) the West Midlands and (c) England in respect of (i) Disability Living Allowance (DLA), (ii) ESA, (iii) Income Support (IS), (iv) Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), and (v) tax credits between April 2013 and March 2014the latest period for which figures are available.
Table 1: Average length of time to administer ESA1 appeals between April 2013 and March 2014, the latest period for which figures are available
| 2013 – 2014 |
Coventry | 29 weeks |
West Midlands 2 | 27 weeks |
England | 23 weeks |
Table 2: Percentage of appeals decided in favour of the appellant in 2013-2014, the latest period for which figures are available
| Appeal type | 2013-2014 |
Coventry | DLA | 45% |
ESA | 48% | |
IS | 27% | |
JSA | 24% | |
Tax Credit | 12% | |
Overall | 44% | |
West Midlands 2 | DLA | 36% |
ESA | 39% | |
IS | 32% | |
JSA | 23% | |
Tax Credit | 20% | |
Overall | 37% | |
England | DLA | 41% |
ESA | 43% | |
IS | 25% | |
JSA | 19% | |
Tax Credit | 19% | |
Overall | 39% |
1 Includes Employment and Support Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Incapacity Benefit reassessment).
2 West Midlands includes appeals heard at Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Kidderminster, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Shrewsbury, Solihull, Stoke, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Worcester venues.
Note: The above data are taken from management information in line with published statistics. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale reporting system and is the best data available.
A significant increase in ESA appeals received by the Tribunal resulted in increased waiting times for appeals. In 2011/12, ESA appeal receipts at Coventry were 1,896; West Midlands 18,957; and England 145,625. In 2012/13 these rose to 3,025, 33,958 and 200,850 respectively. To meet the increased demand, HMCTS increased the capacity of the Tribunal by, amongst other things, recruiting additional judges and medical members, increasing the number of venues used, extended opening times and introduced more efficient processes.
During 2013/14, the Tribunal has experienced a reduction in ESA appeal receipts (2,569 in Coventry, 18,969 in the West Midlands, and 190,047 in England). The reduction in receipts and the increased capacity within the Tribunal has enabled HMCTS to focus on reducing outstanding workloads. As at the end of March, for the Tribunal overall, this stood at 78,347, a reduction of 143,254 (65%) from June 2013.
Action taken to address waiting times specifically at Coventry have included offering appellants hearings at alternative venues in Leamington Spa and Nuneaton and, from June 2013, the number of hearing rooms at Coventry doubled.
These measures have had a positive effect resulting in a reduction in the average waiting time for ESA appeals at the Coventry venue from 35 weeks in 2012-2013 to 29 weeks in 2013-2014.
Typically, new appellants lodging new appeals which would be heard at the Coventry venue are now being offered a hearing date between 13 and 14 weeks of receipt of the appeal. For the West Midlands overall this would be between 9 and 14 weeks.
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of appeals to the Tribunals Service from appellants in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England relating to (i) disability living allowance, (ii) employment and support allowance, (iii) income support, (iv) jobseeker's allowance and (v) tax credits were successful in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The First-tier Tribunal – Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits.
Table 1 below shows the average length of time to complete appeals in respect of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England between April 2013-March 2014,the latest period for which figures are available.
Table 2 below shows the proportion of appeals which were decided in favour of the appellant in (a) Coventry (b) the West Midlands and (c) England in respect of (i) Disability Living Allowance (DLA), (ii) ESA, (iii) Income Support (IS), (iv) Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), and (v) tax credits between April 2013 and March 2014the latest period for which figures are available.
Table 1: Average length of time to administer ESA1 appeals between April 2013 and March 2014, the latest period for which figures are available
| 2013 – 2014 |
Coventry | 29 weeks |
West Midlands 2 | 27 weeks |
England | 23 weeks |
Table 2: Percentage of appeals decided in favour of the appellant in 2013-2014, the latest period for which figures are available
| Appeal type | 2013-2014 |
Coventry | DLA | 45% |
ESA | 48% | |
IS | 27% | |
JSA | 24% | |
Tax Credit | 12% | |
Overall | 44% | |
West Midlands 2 | DLA | 36% |
ESA | 39% | |
IS | 32% | |
JSA | 23% | |
Tax Credit | 20% | |
Overall | 37% | |
England | DLA | 41% |
ESA | 43% | |
IS | 25% | |
JSA | 19% | |
Tax Credit | 19% | |
Overall | 39% |
1 Includes Employment and Support Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Incapacity Benefit reassessment).
2 West Midlands includes appeals heard at Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Kidderminster, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Shrewsbury, Solihull, Stoke, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Worcester venues.
Note: The above data are taken from management information in line with published statistics. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale reporting system and is the best data available.
A significant increase in ESA appeals received by the Tribunal resulted in increased waiting times for appeals. In 2011/12, ESA appeal receipts at Coventry were 1,896; West Midlands 18,957; and England 145,625. In 2012/13 these rose to 3,025, 33,958 and 200,850 respectively. To meet the increased demand, HMCTS increased the capacity of the Tribunal by, amongst other things, recruiting additional judges and medical members, increasing the number of venues used, extended opening times and introduced more efficient processes.
During 2013/14, the Tribunal has experienced a reduction in ESA appeal receipts (2,569 in Coventry, 18,969 in the West Midlands, and 190,047 in England). The reduction in receipts and the increased capacity within the Tribunal has enabled HMCTS to focus on reducing outstanding workloads. As at the end of March, for the Tribunal overall, this stood at 78,347, a reduction of 143,254 (65%) from June 2013.
Action taken to address waiting times specifically at Coventry have included offering appellants hearings at alternative venues in Leamington Spa and Nuneaton and, from June 2013, the number of hearing rooms at Coventry doubled.
These measures have had a positive effect resulting in a reduction in the average waiting time for ESA appeals at the Coventry venue from 35 weeks in 2012-2013 to 29 weeks in 2013-2014.
Typically, new appellants lodging new appeals which would be heard at the Coventry venue are now being offered a hearing date between 13 and 14 weeks of receipt of the appeal. For the West Midlands overall this would be between 9 and 14 weeks.