Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average value of compensation orders issues in the last five years by offence type in the (i) Magistrates' and (ii) Crown Courts.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Ministry of Justice has published information on the number and amount of compensation orders issued in courts on a principal and all-disposal basis, by offence type, in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2022.
This information, split by court type, is available in the Magistrates' court data tool: 2021 and the Crown Court data tool: 2021. This information for the calendar year of 2022 is due for publication in May.
Please see the accompanying tables for:
Compensation is presented in these tables on an all-disposal basis; this is where compensation is recorded in the four most severe disposals. Data in these tables relate to the years ending June 2018 to June 2022 in England and Wales.
Figures on total compensation and amount paid, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, are held on HMCTS data systems and presented in Table A2 in Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: June 2022 publication. These will differ from the court outcomes figures, which record where the compensation was in the four most serious sentences delivered by the court for the defendant.
Figures on the amount of compensation orders issued is published in the HMCTS trust statements for 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021-22.
Courts may impose a compensation order on an offender requiring them to make financial reparation to the victim for any personal injury, loss or damage resulting from the offence. Compensation may be ordered for such amount as the court considers appropriate having regard to any evidence including any representations made by the offender or prosecutor. There is no limit on the value of a single compensation order handed down to an adult offender. However, in determining whether to make a compensation order, and the amount to be paid under such an order, the court must take into account the financial circumstances of the offender. Courts are required to strike a balance between seeking reparation and not imposing debts that are unrealistic or unenforceable.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders sentenced in each of the last five years have (a) one conviction, (b) two convictions and (c) three or more convictions for a (i) knife related crime, (ii) firearms related crime, (iii) rape and (iv) sexual offences.
Answered by Edward Argar
For parts (i) and (ii), details on whether an offence was firearms related or knife related may be held on court record but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.
The below table shows the number of offenders sentenced for any offence type in each of the years 2001 to 2021(1,2), with a) one prior conviction b) two prior convictions c) three or more convictions(2) for previous sexual offences(3) and previous rape(4) offences
Year | Number of offenders |
| |||||
Previous sexual offence convictions | Previous rape offence convictions |
| |||||
1 previous | 2 previous | 3 or more previous | 1 previous | 2 previous | 3 or more previous | ||
2021 | 6078 | 871 | 379 | 1171 | 28 | 4 | |
2020 | 5515 | 779 | 367 | 1012 | 18 | 3 | |
2019 | 6677 | 913 | 431 | 1253 | 28 | 1 | |
2018 | 6837 | 912 | 464 | 1309 | 34 | 6 | |
2017 | 7230 | 1020 | 490 | 1359 | 40 | 3 | |
2016 | 7337 | 1024 | 497 | 1336 | 33 | 2 | |
2015 | 7330 | 948 | 505 | 1260 | 24 | 3 | |
2014 | 7153 | 1000 | 446 | 1247 | 38 | 4 | |
2013 | 6952 | 936 | 476 | 1162 | 45 | 1 | |
2012 | 6957 | 935 | 479 | 1142 | 32 | 2 | |
2011 | 7041 | 960 | 455 | 1130 | 34 | 3 | |
2010 | 6999 | 979 | 458 | 1190 | 29 | 3 | |
2009 | 7017 | 939 | 472 | 1193 | 34 | 2 | |
2008 | 6768 | 1000 | 517 | 1177 | 32 | 1 | |
2007 | 6755 | 1069 | 519 | 1134 | 40 | 3 | |
2006 | 6552 | 1088 | 525 | 1124 | 38 | 2 | |
2005 | 6581 | 1036 | 522 | 1056 | 31 | 0 | |
2004 | 6672 | 1094 | 565 | 1091 | 40 | 0 | |
2003 | 6848 | 1026 | 530 | 1083 | 34 | 0 | |
2002 | 6826 | 992 | 478 | 1085 | 33 | 1 | |
2001 | 6667 | 930 | 456 | 1024 | 30 | 0 | |
Source: MoJ's extract of the Police National Computer |
| ||||||
1) Offenders are counted once in each of the years in which they received a conviction, where the offender was sentenced in multiple years, they will appear more than once in the table
2) Figures for the years 2020 and 2021 will be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
3) Previous convictions are counted based on the number of occasions on which offenders have previously received a conviction for any offences recorded on the Police National Computer, including some offences committed outside of England and Wales. Where there were multiple offences on the same occasion, only the primary offence as recorded on the Police National Computer would be counted.
4) Previous sexual offences will include previous rape offences, therefore the individuals counted in the previous rape convictions column, will also appear in the previous sexual offence columns.
Rape offences include attempted rape.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders have (a) 50 to 100 and (b) 100 or more convictions; and how many were (i) serving a custodial sentence, (ii) on an electronic tag and (iii) in the community as of 20 March 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar
We do not hold the data requested.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions were held by the 30 recorded offenders with the most convictions as of 20 March 2023; and if he will list the offences those individuals have received convictions for.
Answered by Edward Argar
We do not hold the data requested.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to introduce an independent public advocate to support bereaved families.
Answered by Mike Freer
The Government is committed to supporting bereaved families after public disasters, including their participation in any inquests and inquiries. Proposals to introduce an Independent Public Advocate were the subject of a public consultation in 2018 and we are carefully considering the best way forward in light of the responses received and recent work.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) total value of compensation orders issued by the courts and (b) average compensation order issued by each offence type was in each year since 2015; and what the ten largest compensation orders issued by the courts were in that period.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Ministry of Justice has published information on total compensation and amount paid, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, which can be found in Table A2 in Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: June 2022 publication.
Information on the average value of compensation orders, on an all-disposal basis, by offence type, in England and Wales, for year ending December 2015 up to year ending December 2017 is available in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: December 2020 (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 6.04 MB)
and for year ending June 2018 up to year ending June 2022 is available in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2022 (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 83.2 MB).
The ten largest compensation orders issued by the courts between 2015 and June 2022 are listed in the attached spreadsheet.
Courts may impose a compensation order on an offender requiring them to make financial reparation to the victim for any personal injury, loss or damage resulting from the offence. Compensation may be ordered for such amount as the court considers appropriate having regard to any evidence including any representations made by the offender or prosecutor. There is no limit on the value of a single compensation order handed down to an adult offender. However, in determining whether to make a compensation order, and the amount to be paid under such an order, the court must take into account the financial circumstances of the offender.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the number of compensation orders that have been issued by the courts in each year since 2015 by offence type.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Ministry of Justice has published information on the number of compensation orders, on a principal and all-disposal basis, by offence type, in England and Wales. For figures for year ending December 2015 up to year ending December 2017 the information is available in Outcomes by Offence data tool: December 2020 (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 6.04 MB) and for figures between year ending June 2018 up to year ending June 2022 the information is available in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2022 (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 83.2 MB). For number of compensation orders issued, on a principal disposal basis (most severe disposal offender received) see the ‘Sentencing Outcomes’ worksheet and for an all-disposal basis see the ‘Compensation’ worksheet.
Courts may impose a compensation order on an offender requiring them to make financial reparation to the victim for any personal injury, loss or damage resulting from the offence. Compensation may be ordered for such amount as the court considers appropriate having regard to any evidence including any representations made by the offender or prosecutor. There is no limit on the value of a single compensation order handed down to an adult offender. However, in determining whether to make a compensation order, and the amount to be paid under such an order, the court must take into account the financial circumstances of the offender.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Edward Argar
The government-funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme) exists to compensate for serious physical or psychological injury attributable to being a direct victim of a crime of violence. It provides an important avenue of redress for such victims and is part of the wider package of general and specialist support available to victims of crime.
In our Victims Strategy published in September 2018, we announced a review of the Scheme. The review examined whether the Scheme remains fit for purpose, reflects the changing nature of violent crime and effectively support victims in their recovery. In 2020, we held a public consultation on proposals to make claiming compensation simpler and more accessible for victims of violent crime. This was followed by a supplementary consultation in summer 2022 on whether the unspent convictions eligibility rule should be revised. Our conclusions will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what interim arrangements her Department has put in place to support victims in the absence of a Victims Commissioner.
Answered by Edward Argar
The campaign to appoint a Victims’ Commissioner concluded in July without an appointment being made. A new campaign is currently underway and we expect to identify a new Victims’ Commissioner in early 2023.
Both officials and ministers meet regularly with the sector (for example, via the Victim and Witness Sector Engagement Group) to ensure that the voices of victims and witnesses continue to be heard.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the next Victims Commissioner will be appointed; and for what reasons the recruitment process for that role has been delayed.
Answered by Edward Argar
The campaign to appoint a Victims’ Commissioner concluded in July without an appointment being made. A new campaign is currently underway and we expect to identify a new Victims’ Commissioner in early 2023.
Both officials and ministers meet regularly with the sector (for example, via the Victim and Witness Sector Engagement Group) to ensure that the voices of victims and witnesses continue to be heard.