Asked by: Tania Mathias (Conservative - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2016 to Question 50355 on asylum: Appeals, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost to the public purse of an asylum appeal, including all corporate overheads in the (a) First-tier and (b) Upper-tier Tribunal in the last 12 months.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chambers) are administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS). HMCTS has estimated the average unit cost of an asylum appeal in the First-tier including all corporate overhead as £1840 in financial year 2015/16. The average unit cost of any appeal to the Upper Tribunal including all corporate overhead is estimated as £3443 in financial year 2015/16.
Cost estimates provided are the latest available.
Asked by: Tania Mathias (Conservative - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost in the last 12 months of an asylum appeal in the (a) First-tier and (b) Upper-tier Tribunal.
Answered by Oliver Heald
Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has estimated the average unit cost of an asylum appeal in the First-tier as £1245 in financial year 2015/16 and £1237 in 2016/17 year to date.
The average unit cost of any appeal to the Upper Tribunal is estimated at £2257 in financial year 2015/16 and £2467 in 2016/17 year to date.
These are operational costs only, excluding corporate overheads.
Asked by: Tania Mathias (Conservative - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to (a) improve public awareness of the law and (b) make it easier for the law to be understood by people without legal expertise.
Answered by Oliver Heald
Information is provided on the ‘crime, justice and the law’ section of the GOV.UK website to help the public be aware of their rights and the law. In addition, the legal services regulators have a duty to promote public understanding of citizens’ legal rights and duties. The regulators have established the “Legal Choices” website, which provides information to help with decisions on whether and how to seek legal advice and the available services the public might choose.
Asked by: Tania Mathias (Conservative - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to begin its review of driving sentences and penalties.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The government is aware of concerns about a number of sentencing issues and is committed to making sure sentencing for driving crimes is proportionate within the context of our wider sentencing framework. It is our intention to commence a consultation before the end of the year which will look at driving offences and penalties.
Asked by: Tania Mathias (Conservative - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support prisoners with mental health problems.
Answered by Andrew Selous
Providing appropriate treatment at the right time is vital to improve outcomes for people with mental health problems. All new prisoners accepted by a prison are assessed on reception by a health care professional on arrival at the prison. Where appropriate, prisoners may be referred to a range of individual or group mental health interventions. In the most serious cases, prisoners may be transferred to secure hospital on the recommendation of two psychiatrists
Asked by: Tania Mathias (Conservative - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason contempt of court laws do not apply in the family court.
Answered by Mike Penning
The law relating to contempt of court applies generally to all courts and this includes the family court. The legislation establishing the family court provides that the family court may make any order (including orders punishing for contempt of court) that could be made by the High Court or the county court if the proceedings were in those respective courts; and the powers of judges in the family court to punish for contempt are proportionate to their level of seniority.