Written Answers

Shailesh responds to Written Questions from back bench MPs.

42400 - Slavery (Answered)

14th July 2016

Paul Blomfield
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) who holds responsibility for training magistrates and (b) how many magistrates have received training on the use of (i) slavery and trafficking risk orders and (ii) slavery and trafficking prevention orders.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Judicial training is the responsibility of the Lord Chief Justice and is exercised through the Judicial College.

41872 - Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme (Answered)

13th July 2016

Andy Slaughter
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to investigate the effect of means testing for legal aid on the ability of domestic violence survivors to access justice.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The Government is absolutely clear that victims of domestic violence must have access to the help that they need, including access to legal aid.

41673 - Courts: Greater London (Answered)

12th July 2016

Philip Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans further court closures in Greater London in the next 10 years.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Her Majesty's Courts & Tribuanls Service keeps its operational estate under review to make sure that it aligns with the delivery of reformed court and tribunal services.

Any new proposals to close courts will be subject to public consultation.

41733 - Social Security Benefits: Merseryside (Answered)

7th July 2016

Conor McGinn
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many decisions taken on claims for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payments have been appealed in (i) St Helens North constituency and (ii) Merseyside in each of the last five years; and how many of those appeals have been successful.

Mr Shailesh Vara

41459 - Work Capability Assessment: Wales (Answered)

6th July 2016

Hywel Williams
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many work capability assessment appeals there were in Wales in the last three years.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The information requested is not held centrally.

41460 - Work Capability Assessment: Appeals (Answered)

6th July 2016

Hywel Williams
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost to the public purse was of an appeal hearing for a work capability assessment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The information requested is not held centrally.

40871 - Law (Answered)

30th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve legal education in England and Wales.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The legal profession in England and Wales is independent from government. We want to see an innovative and competitive market that provides people with affordable legal services that they want and need, with regulation that supports the public and consumer interest.

40870 - Legal Opinion (Answered)

30th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of available legal advice for the general public.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The legal profession in England and Wales is independent from government. We want to see an innovative and competitive market that provides people with affordable legal services that they want and need, with regulation that supports the public and consumer interest.

40869 - Administration of Justice (Answered)

30th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Law Society's online survey of individuals' handling of legal issues in England and Wales 2015, published in May 2016.

Mr Shailesh Vara

40938 - Employment Tribunals Service: Females (Answered)

30th June 2016

Andy Slaughter
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the reasons for recent reductions in the number of cases brought by women in employment tribunals.

Mr Shailesh Vara

40867 - Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges (Answered)

30th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of employment tribunal fees on the gender pay gap.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The review is assessing how successful the reforms had been in meeting their original objectives including, as far as we can, the impact of fees in relation to characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010.

40868 - Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges (Answered)

30th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employment tribunal claimants withdrew their case due to the requirement to pay fees (a) since 2013, (b) between April 2014 and March 2015 and (c) between April 2015 and March 2016.

Mr Shailesh Vara

HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not record the reasons why claimants withdraw their employment tribunal case.

41331 - Social Security Benefits: Appeals (Answered)

30th June 2016

Frank Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many decisions taken on claims for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment have been appealed in (i) Birkenhead and (ii) the UK in each of the past five years; and how many of those appeals have been successful.

Mr Shailesh Vara

41295 - Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme (Answered)

30th June 2016

Andy Slaughter
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40498, on domestic violence: legal aid scheme, which domestic violence support groups, legal representative bodies and colleagues across Government the Department is working with; and on what basis the decision was made to work with those organisations and not others.

Mr Shailesh Vara

41078 - Interpreters (Answered)

29th June 2016

Andy Slaughter
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 14 April 2016 to Question 33365, on interpreters, what the value was of each of the 44 service credits imposed on Capita; and what amount Capita was paid in each month in which service credits were imposed.

Mr Shailesh Vara

40849 - Civil Proceedings (Answered)

27th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on (a) consulting on and (b) piloting future planned reforms of the civil courts structure.

Mr Shailesh Vara

40498 - Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme (Answered)

27th June 2016

Andy Slaughter
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's survey on legal aid for domestic violence victims in private family law cases, what plans his Department has to launch a full consultation on that subject.

Mr Shailesh Vara

40571 - Legal Representation (Answered)

27th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government has taken to provide guidance to unrepresented defendants.

Mr Shailesh Vara

40572 - Legal Representation (Answered)

27th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of unrepresented defendants were unrepresented because they (a) failed to meet the legal aid merits test, (b) failed to meet the legal aid means test and (c) chose to defend themselves in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Shailesh Vara

40570 - Legal Representation (Answered)

27th June 2016

Christina Rees
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government has taken to monitor the proportion of defendants who are unrepresented.

Mr Shailesh Vara