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Written Question
Universal Credit
Monday 8th July 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the reasons for unsuccessful applications for universal credit.

Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)

Where claim closure is considered, a number of checks are conducted before claim closure is undertaken.

The assessment we have made of the Universal Credit Full Service claims that were declared in January 2019 is as follows: Applications were unsuccessful and closed prior to the first payment for a variety of reasons. These include ineligibility, nil entitlement, insufficient evidence, claim withdrawal and non-compliance with the Universal Credit process.

For claimants that need support with their Universal Credit application, the Citizen’s Advice Help to Claim service is available, offering tailored, practical support online, over the phone, and face-to-face.


Written Question
Criminal Proceedings: Travel
Friday 5th July 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what his Department's policy is on the reimbursement of travel expenses to people who have been in the criminal justice system.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

It is essential that victims are supported in the criminal justice system, and the Government has made this a key priority. The reimbursement of travel expenses can be made to those who have been called as a witness in the Criminal Justice System.

The payment of expenses and allowances to prosecution witnesses, where the Crown Prosecution Service is the prosecuting authority, is governed by the Crown Prosecution Service (Witnesses’ etc. Allowances) Regulations 1988. Full guidance on expenses and allowances for prosecution witnesses can be found here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/witness-expenses-and-allowances

The rates or scales of expenses for defence witnesses are determined by the Ministry of Justice. The payment of expenses incurred by those called as a witness on behalf of a defendant are set out in Regulations made under Sections 19 and 20 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. Full guidance on expenses and allowances can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/592291/guide-allowances-under-part-v-costs-criminal-cases-general-september-2016.doc. In addition, any acquitted defendant whose costs are ordered by a court to be paid out of central funds may be allowed the same travelling and subsistence allowances as if they attended to give evidence (i.e. an ordinary witness subsistence allowance, plus travelling expenses).


Written Question
Airguns
Tuesday 2nd July 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2019 to Written Question 230648, Airguns: Reviews, when his Department plans to publish its response to the review on the regulation of air weapons which was launched on 10 October 2017.

Answered by Nick Hurd

We intend to publish our conclusions to the review of air weapons regulation as soon as possible, alongside a consultation on firearms safety issues to which the Government committed during the passage of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.


Written Question
Agriculture: Plastics
Monday 1st July 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the effect of plasticulture on the environment; and what support his Department is giving to farmers to tackle plastic waste within their businesses.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

This is a devolved matter and the answer applies to England only.

Our Resources and Waste Strategy, published in December last year, builds on commitments in our 25 Year Environment Plan and sets out plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. This is a seismic shift – it is not just about single use plastics, for example, but about all plastics, including those used in agriculture.

Plastics are used on farms for a number of reasons. Wrapping hay and silage bales, transporting feed and fertiliser, and insulating and protecting soil and horticultural crops, for example. The materials used are mostly recyclable, however attempts to collect it for recycling have often been unsuccessful, due to high levels of contamination making the recycling process uneconomic. The Government recognises the issues caused by inappropriate disposal of agricultural plastic, and we are working with the Environment Agency and the Waste and Resources Action Programme to explore how Government policy can address them.

Plastics used in agriculture are ultimately a small proportion of the total volume of plastics used, and the Government is taking a prioritised approach to tackling the overarching problem of plastic pollution. Earlier this year we published consultations on a number of key policy measures to significantly change the way that we manage our waste and to reduce the impacts of plastic on the environment: reforming existing packaging waste regulations; exploring the introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks containers; and increasing consistency in the recycling system, along with a parallel consultation on the plastic packaging tax that the Chancellor announced in the Budget last year. We will publish the Government responses to these consultations on the GOV.UK website in due course.


Written Question
Taxis: Assistance Animals
Monday 1st July 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that taxi and private hire vehicle drivers are aware that it is illegal to refuse travel to a passenger with an assistance dog.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) provide vital services for disabled people, and it is unacceptable for drivers of these vehicles to refuse the carriage of passengers with assistance dogs.

In February, the Government published its response to the report of the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxis and PHV licensing, indicating its intention to introduce mandatory disability awareness training as part of National Minimum Standards.

In the meanwhile, I would urge licensing authorities to use their existing licensing powers to ensure that all taxi and PHV drivers have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide every passenger with the assistance they require.


Written Question
Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence
Monday 17th June 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability will meet with the Charity Retail Association to discuss the extent of violence and abuse in the charity retail sector.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government recognises the damaging impact that violence and abuse can have on victims, businesses, and the wider community; and we are committed to tackling this issue.

That is why on 5 April the Home Office launched a call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff. It will run to 28 June and is open to all organisations and individuals affected by this issue, including those working in charity shops. The call for evidence will strengthen our understanding of the issue and inform our next steps.

In addition, I co-chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group which brings together a wide range of representatives to help ensure our response to retail crime is as robust as it can be. Membership of the Group is kept under regular review and we will ensure the charitable sector is appropriately represented.


Written Question
Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence
Monday 17th June 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to ensure that the views of charity retailers are represented on the National Retail Crime Steering Group.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government recognises the damaging impact that violence and abuse can have on victims, businesses, and the wider community; and we are committed to tackling this issue.

That is why on 5 April the Home Office launched a call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff. It will run to 28 June and is open to all organisations and individuals affected by this issue, including those working in charity shops. The call for evidence will strengthen our understanding of the issue and inform our next steps.

In addition, I co-chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group which brings together a wide range of representatives to help ensure our response to retail crime is as robust as it can be. Membership of the Group is kept under regular review and we will ensure the charitable sector is appropriately represented.


Written Question
Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence
Monday 17th June 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability is taking to ensure her investigation into violence and abuse toward shop staff takes into account the views and experiences of charity shop volunteers.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government recognises the damaging impact that violence and abuse can have on victims, businesses, and the wider community; and we are committed to tackling this issue.

That is why on 5 April the Home Office launched a call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff. It will run to 28 June and is open to all organisations and individuals affected by this issue, including those working in charity shops. The call for evidence will strengthen our understanding of the issue and inform our next steps.

In addition, I co-chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group which brings together a wide range of representatives to help ensure our response to retail crime is as robust as it can be. Membership of the Group is kept under regular review and we will ensure the charitable sector is appropriately represented.


Written Question
Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence
Monday 17th June 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment the Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability has made of the extent of (a) violence towards and (b) abuse of shop staff and volunteers in the charity retail sector.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government recognises the damaging impact that violence and abuse can have on victims, businesses, and the wider community; and we are committed to tackling this issue.

That is why on 5 April the Home Office launched a call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff. It will run to 28 June and is open to all organisations and individuals affected by this issue, including those working in charity shops. The call for evidence will strengthen our understanding of the issue and inform our next steps.

In addition, I co-chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group which brings together a wide range of representatives to help ensure our response to retail crime is as robust as it can be. Membership of the Group is kept under regular review and we will ensure the charitable sector is appropriately represented.


Written Question
Prisoners: Females
Thursday 23rd May 2019

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women were taken into immediate custody from (a) Crown courts and (b) magistrates courts for sentences of (i) less than and (ii) more than six months for each offence classification in each police force area in England and Wales in 2018-19.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The number of women given a custodial sentence of less than and more than six months, at Magistrates and Crown courts, by offence and police force area in 2018 is published in the Court Outcomes by Police Force Area data tool at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802045/court-outcomes-by-PFA-2018.xlsx

The requested data can be gathered by:

  • Select the relevant court in the ‘Court Type’ field (Magistrates/Crown)
  • Select ‘2018’ in the ‘Year of Appearance’ field
  • Select ’02: Female’ in the ‘Sex’ field
  • Drag the ‘Offence’ field into Rows
  • Select the relevant sentence lengths in the ‘Custodial Sentence Length’ field (six months or less/ greater than six months)
  • Select the relevant police force area in the ‘Police Force Area’ field

The number of women given a custodial sentence less than and more than six months from each magistrates and Crown court in North Wales in 2018, with corresponding offence, is available in the attached tables.

Our vision, as set out in our Female Offender Strategy, is to see fewer women coming into the criminal justice system and a greater proportion managed successfully in the community.

There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders.

Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.