Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his planned timetable is for the publication of his Department's review of domestic homicide sentencing; and whether he plans to take steps to amend his Department's policies in this area.
Answered by Edward Argar
Last year, the government commissioned an independent expert, Clare Wade KC, to undertake a review of domestic homicide sentencing. The review was delivered to the department in June this year.
The Review examines a number of important and complex issues. Therefore prior to publication, the government is carefully considering its recommendations and next steps.
This government is fully committed to ensuring that the sentencing framework responds appropriately to cases of domestic homicide and that sentences reflect the severity of these crimes.
Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the 2020-21 budget is for providing legal aid to people appealing migration decisions.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Lord Chancellor has a duty to ensure that legal aid is made available in accordance with the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (2012), for cases where the relevant criteria, such as the financial eligibility of the applicant and/or the degree of legal merit in their case, is met, where applicable.
The Ministry of Justice works within HM Treasury allocations as shown in the Main and Supplementary Estimates (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-main-estimates) each year. However, the nature of Legal Aid funding means that it is demand led, and as such the MoJ ensures sufficient allocation is made to cover the incurred costs.
Spend on legal aid since 2010 can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/legal-aid-statistics, which currently shows expenditure up to and including June 2021.
Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what EU directives related to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.
Answered by Dominic Raab
There are currently no EU directives for which MoJ has responsibility awaiting transposition into UK law.
Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which EU (a) legislative and (b) other proposals his Department is leading negotiations on for the Government in the Council of the EU.
Answered by Dominic Raab
This Department is currently leading negotiations on the following legislative proposals:
The following are ongoing negotiations within my department’s remit that the UK does not participate in. My department, however, monitors the negotiations to ensure that these proposals do not negatively impact UK interests.
Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was raised in fines for road traffic offences in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2013-14.
Answered by Mike Penning
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.
It is not possible to state how much was collected for specific offences without incurring disproportionate costs as this answer could only be provided by a manual search of all live and closed fine accounts.
Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many new EU directives and regulations have been transposed into UK law by his Department since May 2010.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
Since May 2010, my Department has transposed five EU Directives into UK law.
In the same period, two EU Regulations with application to the UK (either where the UK has exercised its Title V Justice and Home Affairs opt-in, or where no opt-in exists) have come into force and now apply. Two further Regulations in which the UK will participate have come into force, but do not yet apply.
Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times the UK has lost EU infraction proceedings since May 2010 which relate to matters that fall within his Department's responsibility.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The UK has never been fined in relation to a breach of European Law. However, the European Court of Justice ruled on 13 February 2014 (Case C-530/11) that the UK was in breach of its obligations under the Public Participation Directive to ensure the costs of going to court in respect of environmental matters are not prohibitively expensive. The Department is currently in discussion with the European Commission regarding the Court’s judgment.
Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.
Answered by Damian Green
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) does not record levels of stock held of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables. This information could only be collated at disproportionate cost.