Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals by claimants against decisions on non-entitlement to employment and support allowance in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire, (f) Norfolk and (g) England there were in each year since 2010; what the average length of time taken to determine such appeals was in each such year; and what the cost of such appeals was in each such year.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits, including Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, and Incapacity Benefit.
(1) Appeals against decisions for ESA can be made for various reasons, not just about entitlement. HMCTS is unable to differentiate between appeals relating to matters of entitlement and those relating to other issues about claims for ESA, and therefore does not hold the information requested.
(2) HMCTS does not record data specifically relating to appeals where a medical assessment has been conducted by the DWP and therefore does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) charges, (b) prosecutions, (c) fines and (d) cautions there have been for breaches of the Hunting Act 2004 in each police force area in England and Wales since 2010.
Answered by Mike Penning
The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences under the Hunting Act 2004, in England and Wales from 2010 to 2013 can be viewed in Table 1.
The number of offenders cautioned for offences under the Hunting Act 2004, in England and Wales from 2010 to 2013 can be viewed in Table 2.
Centrally held information cannot separately analyse the number of charges for offences under the Hunting Act 2004.
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) convictions and (b) fixed penalty notices there have been in respect of people arrested for speeding offences in Suffolk (i) in total and (ii) on the (A) A143 and (B) A14 in each year since 2005.
Answered by Mike Penning
Driving offences can have very serious and sometimes devastating consequences for victims and their families.
The total number of offenders found guilty at all courts for offences relating to speeding offences, in Suffolk police force area, from 2005 to 2013 (the latest available), can be viewed in table 1. Court proceedings data for 2014 is planned for publication in spring 2015
Data on fixed penalty notices for speed limit offences in Suffolk from 2005 to 2012 (the latest available), provided by the Home Office, can be viewed in the table 2. Data for 2013 is scheduled for publication in spring 2015.
From centrally reported data it is not possible to separately identify fixed penalty notices issued for speeding on specific roads.
| Table 1: offenders found guilty at all courts for offences relating to speeding offences(1), Suffolk police force area, 2005-2013(2)(3) | ||||
| Year | Found guilty | |||
| 2005 | 3,156 | |||
| 2006 | 2,966 | |||
| 2007 | 3,300 | |||
| 2008 | 3,595 | |||
| 2009 | 3,499 | |||
| 2010 | 1,998 | |||
| 2011 | 2,775 | |||
| 2012 | 2,216 | |||
| 2013 | 2,116 | |||
| (1) It include the following offences: | ||||
| Vehicles subject to speed limits on motorways; Speeding offences detected by camera devices - Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973 | ||||
| Speeding in parks - Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926 | ||||
| Speeding - Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, SS.81, 84, 88 & 89 | ||||
| Speeding offences detected by camera devices - Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, SS.81, 84, 88 and 89 | ||||
| Speeding - Goods, Passenger carrying or other vehicle - Road Traffic Regulation Act Act 1984, S.86 | ||||
| Speeding offences detected by camera devices - Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, S.86 | ||||
| (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | ||||
| (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | ||||
| Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. | ||||
| Ref: PQ 220273 | ||||
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of medical assessments for (a) personal independence payment, (b) attendance allowance, (c) industrial injuries disablement benefit and (d) incapacity benefit have been subject to appeal in (i) Suffolk, (ii) Bedfordshire, (iii) Cambridgeshire, (iv) Essex, (v) Hertfordshire, (vi) Norfolk and (vii) England in each of the last five years; and what the cost was of administering such appeals in each such year.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits, including Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, and Incapacity Benefit.
(1) Appeals against decisions for ESA can be made for various reasons, not just about entitlement. HMCTS is unable to differentiate between appeals relating to matters of entitlement and those relating to other issues about claims for ESA, and therefore does not hold the information requested.
(2) HMCTS does not record data specifically relating to appeals where a medical assessment has been conducted by the DWP and therefore does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of shoplifting in each parliamentary constituency in the East of England have led to a conviction resulting in (a) probation and (b) a custodial sentence in each year since 2006.
Answered by Mike Penning
Shoplifting can be a serious offence which can damage livelihoods. For cases taken to court there is a wide range of sentences available on conviction, including custody for the most serious examples.
Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts, taking into account the circumstances of each case and imposing a sentence which is proportionate to the seriousness of the offence.
Defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced to a community sentence or immediate custody for shoplifting offences in the East of England, by police force area, from 2006 to 2013 can be viewed in the table.
Data cannot be separately analysed by parliamentary constituency.
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there were for offences under wildlife protection legislation in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency, (b) Suffolk and (c) England and Wales in each of the last three years.
Answered by Mike Penning
The coalition government recognises the devastating impact wildlife crime has on both the environment and in funding organised criminality, and we take the issue, both domestically and internationally, very seriously.
We have changed recording practices to ensure that, for the first time, wildlife crime is reported as a separate item in police recorded crime. However, we recognise that the legislation could be modernised and simplified. That is why we have asked the Law Commission to consider the scope for reforming wildlife law.
Offenders found guilty of offences under wildlife protection legislation in the Suffolk Police Force Area and in England and Wales from 2009 to 2013 can be viewed in the table.
Information cannot be separately identified by parliamentary constituency
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court orders were issued for the repossession of homes in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency and (b) Suffolk County Council area in each year since 2010.
Answered by Mike Penning
The number of court orders issued for the repossession of properties in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency and (b) Suffolk County Council area since 2010 are given in the accompanying table.
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many drivers were fined for speeding in each police force area in England and Wales in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mike Penning
The number of offenders fined for speeding offences, by police force area, in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2013 (the latest available) can be viewed in the table.
| Offenders fined at all courts for speeding (1) offences, by police force area, England and Wales, 2009 to 2013 (2)(3)(4) | |||||
| Police Force Area | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Metropolitan Police | 9,649 | 8,702 | 8,877 | 9,025 | 7,736 |
| Cumbria | 2,009 | 1,542 | 1,212 | 1,277 | 1,473 |
| Lancashire | 5,719 | 4,514 | 4,699 | 4,312 | 5,651 |
| Merseyside | 1,627 | 2,529 | 2,412 | 2,078 | 2,545 |
| Greater Manchester | 4,259 | 6,716 | 8,319 | 5,821 | 5,964 |
| Cheshire | 2,697 | 2,862 | 2,181 | 2,151 | 1,788 |
| Northumbria | 2,688 | 2,919 | 2,345 | 2,581 | 2,160 |
| Durham | 486 | 401 | 555 | 411 | 469 |
| North Yorkshire | 2,192 | 1,583 | 1,478 | 1,680 | 1,776 |
| West Yorkshire | 4,951 | 4,429 | 3,668 | 4,374 | 4,567 |
| South Yorkshire | 1,591 | 2,602 | 3,139 | 3,493 | 3,511 |
| Humberside | 3,254 | 2,649 | 2,680 | 2,815 | 3,046 |
| Cleveland | 519 | 658 | 1,129 | 1,197 | 813 |
| West Midlands | 4,216 | 4,001 | 2,203 | 1,444 | 1,442 |
| Staffordshire | 2,667 | 3,193 | 2,861 | 4,065 | 5,164 |
| West Mercia | 1,885 | 2,580 | 2,678 | 2,115 | 2,598 |
| Warwickshire | 1,249 | 1,848 | 2,583 | 2,327 | 2,778 |
| Derbyshire | 1,492 | 926 | 854 | 1,007 | 1,075 |
| Nottinghamshire | 2,953 | 2,696 | 2,554 | 3,046 | 2,900 |
| Lincolnshire | 3,316 | 2,241 | 2,800 | 3,308 | 3,179 |
| Leicestershire | 2,609 | 1,873 | 1,417 | 2,211 | 2,253 |
| Northamptonshire | 1,355 | 1,329 | 822 | 595 | 521 |
| Cambridgeshire | 3,355 | 2,483 | 2,433 | 3,529 | 2,831 |
| Norfolk | 2,603 | 2,763 | 2,136 | 2,307 | 1,675 |
| Suffolk | 3,484 | 1,978 | 2,749 | 2,211 | 2,114 |
| Bedfordshire | 1,890 | 1,346 | 1,141 | 2,334 | 1,553 |
| Hertfordshire | 3,218 | 2,841 | 2,222 | 2,427 | 1,983 |
| Essex | 4,068 | 3,483 | 3,397 | 1,719 | 3,091 |
| Thames Valley | 6,143 | 5,367 | 4,989 | 6,471 | 4,466 |
| Hampshire | 3,665 | 3,400 | 4,057 | 2,778 | 3,667 |
| Surrey | 2,611 | 2,169 | 2,642 | 3,584 | 3,134 |
| Kent | 2,652 | 3,150 | 3,036 | 3,362 | 3,915 |
| Sussex | 2,896 | 2,641 | 2,449 | 2,841 | 1,976 |
| City of London (5) | 507 | 323 | 732 | . | . |
| Devon and Cornwall | 2,792 | 2,003 | 1,944 | 2,282 | 2,410 |
| Avon and Somerset | 4,587 | 4,117 | 4,798 | 2,590 | 3,925 |
| Gloucestershire | 712 | 380 | 723 | 697 | 561 |
| Wiltshire | 4,553 | 3,720 | 856 | 719 | 406 |
| Dorset | 1,588 | 1,693 | 1,511 | 1,349 | 1,172 |
| North Wales | 3,456 | 3,080 | 1,696 | 1,466 | 1,744 |
| Gwent | 1,272 | 1,380 | 1,414 | 1,902 | 2,486 |
| South Wales | 2,118 | 2,181 | 2,647 | 5,152 | 6,491 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 1,001 | 988 | 1,153 | 1,468 | 2,540 |
| England and Wales | 122,554 | 114,279 | 110,191 | 112,521 | 115,549 |
| '-' = Nil | |||||
| (1) Offences under SS16, 81, 84, 86, 88 & 89 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 | |||||
| (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | |||||
| (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | |||||
| (4) The category Otherwise Dealt With (ODW) includes: one day in police cells; disqualification order; restraining order; confiscation order; travel restriction order; disqualification from driving; recommendation for deportation; and other miscellaneous disposals. | |||||
| (5) City of London Local Justice area ceased to exist with effect from 1 January 2012 | |||||
| Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. | |||||
| Ref: PQ212647 | |||||
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) convictions and (b) fixed penalty notices there have been following arrests for speeding offences in England and Wales (i) in total and (ii) on (A) the A143 and (B) the A14 in each year since 1997.
Answered by Mike Penning
The total number of offenders found guilty at all courts for offences relating to speeding offences, in England & Wales, from 1997 to 2013 (the latest available), can be viewed in table 1.
Data on fixed penalty notices for speed limit offences in England and Wales from 1997 to 2012 (the latest available), provided by the Home Office, can be viewed in the table 2. Data for 2013 is scheduled for publication in Spring 2015.
From centrally reported data it is not possible to separately identify fixed penalty notices issued for speeding on specific roads.
Asked by: David Ruffley (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of each category of fixed penalty notices were (a) issued and (b) paid in each month since their introduction in (i) Bury St Edmunds, (ii) Suffolk, (iii) the East of England and (iv) England and Wales.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Government has recently unveiled plans that would see an end to Penalty Notices for Disorder and a range of other Out of Court Disposals, including cautions. The aim is to ensure that there are more direct consequences in future for committing even minor crimes. The new approach will be trialled in three police force areas over the next 12 months.
This Government takes recovery and enforcement of financial impositions very seriously and remains committed to finding new ways to ensure impositions are paid and to trace those who do not pay. This is why there has been a year on year increase in the amount of financial penalties collected over the last three years.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service is actively seeking an external provider for the future delivery of compliance and enforcement services. This will bring the necessary investment and innovation to significantly improve the collection of criminal financial penalties and reduce the cost of the service to the taxpayer.
The number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to all persons aged 16 and over from 2005 to 2013 with outcomes can be viewed as follows:-
Data for the Suffolk Police Force Area can be viewed in Table 1
Data for the East of England can be viewed in Table 2
Data for England and Wales as a whole can be viewed in Table 3
Data on fixed penalty notices for motoring offences broken down by month are not collected centrally by the Home Office.
When PNDs and FPNs are not paid within the prescribed time limits they are registered as fines for enforcement by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Once PNDs and FPNs are registered as fines it is not possible to identify these separately from other court imposed fines so it is not known how many have been paid. Fine registered PNDs and FPNs are enforced in the same way as all other court imposed financial impositions.