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Written Question
Attorney General: Information Officers
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, how much his Department spends on on communications staff on average each year.

Answered by Alex Chalk

On average the department spends £348,089.16 on communications staff. We have 7 staff dedicated to communications all of which are full time employees.


Written Question
Attorney General: Information Officers
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, how much her Department spends on communications staff on average each year.

Answered by Alex Chalk

On average the department spends £348,089.16 on communications staff. We have 7 staff dedicated to communications all of which are full time employees.


Written Question
Attorney General: Information Officers
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, how many communications staff in her Department are employed (a) full time, (b) part time and (c) under flexible working arrangements.

Answered by Alex Chalk

On average the department spends £348,089.16 on communications staff. We have 7 staff dedicated to communications all of which are full time employees.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 24 Feb 2021
Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill

"It is a pleasure to follow the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, and I join him in sending my party’s best wishes to the Minister for Security.

There is absolutely no disagreement about the need for a Bill. These are self-evidently significant, extraordinary and important powers being put …..."

Stuart C McDonald - View Speech

View all Stuart C McDonald (SNP - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) contributions to the debate on: Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill

Written Question
Immigration: Prosecutions
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2020 to Question 128184 on Immigration: Prosecutions, if she will publish the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the Crown Prosecution Service and Home Office Immigration Enforcement in 2016.

Answered by Michael Ellis

The Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Home Office Immigration Enforcement in 2016 will be published on the CPS website in January 2021. In the meantime, I will ensure that a copy is placed in the House library.


Written Question
Immigration: Prosecutions
Tuesday 15th December 2020

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions there have been under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those prosecutions related to having control of a vessel on the sea.

Answered by Michael Ellis

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced, including the offences charged by way of the Immigration Act 1971.

During the last 10 years, up to the end of March 2020, the number of offences charged by way of section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971 is as follows:

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(1) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(2) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(A)(1) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(B)(1) }

2010-2011

397

4

3

5

2011-2012

390

0

6

1

2012-2013

430

0

13

2

2013-2014

311

0

2

0

2014-2015

382

0

0

1

2015-2016

321

0

13

0

2016-2017

440

0

4

0

2017-2018

330

1

14

0

2018-2019

295

0

8

1

2019-2020

273

0

1

0

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is often the case that defendants will be prosecuted for more than one offence in the same set of proceedings.

It is not possible to separately report whether any offences involved the use or control of a vessel at sea other than by manually examining case files at disproportionate cost.

The Law Officers have not issued any guidance, advice or instructions to Crown Prosecution Service lawyers on prosecutions under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in the last 18 months. However, the CPS has clear and published policy guidance on the prosecution of immigration offences, which reflects the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the CPS and Home Office Immigration Enforcement in 2016. This establishes the agreed approach and public interest factors which prosecutors must consider when reviewing immigration cases. No further recent guidance has been issued to Crown Prosecutors on section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971.

Neither the Attorney General's Office nor the CPS have received representations from the Home Office on prosecutions under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in the last 18 months. The joint approach between the CPS and Immigration Enforcement is to consider prosecution under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 for anyone who has been involved in organising and planning the offences.


Written Question
Immigration: Prosecutions
Tuesday 15th December 2020

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what representations (a) her Department and (b) the CPS has received from the Home Office on prosecutions under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in the last 18 months.

Answered by Michael Ellis

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced, including the offences charged by way of the Immigration Act 1971.

During the last 10 years, up to the end of March 2020, the number of offences charged by way of section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971 is as follows:

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(1) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(2) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(A)(1) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(B)(1) }

2010-2011

397

4

3

5

2011-2012

390

0

6

1

2012-2013

430

0

13

2

2013-2014

311

0

2

0

2014-2015

382

0

0

1

2015-2016

321

0

13

0

2016-2017

440

0

4

0

2017-2018

330

1

14

0

2018-2019

295

0

8

1

2019-2020

273

0

1

0

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is often the case that defendants will be prosecuted for more than one offence in the same set of proceedings.

It is not possible to separately report whether any offences involved the use or control of a vessel at sea other than by manually examining case files at disproportionate cost.

The Law Officers have not issued any guidance, advice or instructions to Crown Prosecution Service lawyers on prosecutions under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in the last 18 months. However, the CPS has clear and published policy guidance on the prosecution of immigration offences, which reflects the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the CPS and Home Office Immigration Enforcement in 2016. This establishes the agreed approach and public interest factors which prosecutors must consider when reviewing immigration cases. No further recent guidance has been issued to Crown Prosecutors on section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971.

Neither the Attorney General's Office nor the CPS have received representations from the Home Office on prosecutions under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in the last 18 months. The joint approach between the CPS and Immigration Enforcement is to consider prosecution under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 for anyone who has been involved in organising and planning the offences.


Written Question
Immigration: Prosecutions
Tuesday 15th December 2020

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, whether she has issued guidance, advice and instructions to Crown prosecution lawyers on prosecutions under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in the last 18 months; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Michael Ellis

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced, including the offences charged by way of the Immigration Act 1971.

During the last 10 years, up to the end of March 2020, the number of offences charged by way of section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971 is as follows:

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(1) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(2) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(A)(1) }

Immigration Act 1971 { 25(B)(1) }

2010-2011

397

4

3

5

2011-2012

390

0

6

1

2012-2013

430

0

13

2

2013-2014

311

0

2

0

2014-2015

382

0

0

1

2015-2016

321

0

13

0

2016-2017

440

0

4

0

2017-2018

330

1

14

0

2018-2019

295

0

8

1

2019-2020

273

0

1

0

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is often the case that defendants will be prosecuted for more than one offence in the same set of proceedings.

It is not possible to separately report whether any offences involved the use or control of a vessel at sea other than by manually examining case files at disproportionate cost.

The Law Officers have not issued any guidance, advice or instructions to Crown Prosecution Service lawyers on prosecutions under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in the last 18 months. However, the CPS has clear and published policy guidance on the prosecution of immigration offences, which reflects the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the CPS and Home Office Immigration Enforcement in 2016. This establishes the agreed approach and public interest factors which prosecutors must consider when reviewing immigration cases. No further recent guidance has been issued to Crown Prosecutors on section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971.

Neither the Attorney General's Office nor the CPS have received representations from the Home Office on prosecutions under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 in the last 18 months. The joint approach between the CPS and Immigration Enforcement is to consider prosecution under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 for anyone who has been involved in organising and planning the offences.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 28 Apr 2020
Oral Answers to Questions

"The Information Commissioner has said that the

“starting point for contact tracing should be decentralised systems that look to shift processing on to individuals’ devices where possible.”

Why have the Government apparently gone against that advice and reportedly opted for a significant centralised data-gathering system, with all the challenges and …..."

Stuart C McDonald - View Speech

View all Stuart C McDonald (SNP - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 13 Feb 2020
Oral Answers to Questions

"Understanding of the law is vital for the rule of law, but as the president of the Law Society reminded us this week, in the light of the deportation rulings, so, too, is judicial review. So why does No. 10 keep attacking judges, instead of law-breaking Ministers? Is judicial review …..."
Stuart C McDonald - View Speech

View all Stuart C McDonald (SNP - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions