Results 1-20 of 3,932 for speaker:Bridget Prentice

Written Ministerial Statements — Justice: Civil Law Reform Bill (19 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: In June 2009 the Government confirmed their intention to publish a draft Civil Law Reform Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny. I am today announcing that the Bill will be published in December and will include provisions: to implement the reforms to the law of damages announced by the Ministry of Justice in July 2009; to reform the law of succession so that where a person is disqualified by the...

Written Answers — Justice: Coroners: Armed forces (12 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: The Coroners and Justice Act, which received Royal Assent today provides for the possibility of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) in Scotland into the deaths of service personnel who die abroad on active service or in training or preparation for it. The arrangements will take effect once the Scottish Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has made the necessary preparations for Fatal...

Written Answers — Justice: Intellectual Property: Internet (12 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: Her Majesty's Court Service systems do not identify the value of fines collected for specific offences and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The total value of all financial penalties collected in England and Wales for the last five years is as follows: £ 2004-05 212,505,558 2005-06 233,332,326 2006-07 244,555,540 2007-08 256,117,662...

Written Answers — Justice: Interpreters: Finance (12 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: The information to answer this question is still being collated and verified. I will write to the hon. Member once this process is complete, before Christmas.

Written Answers — Justice: Children: Protection (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: The number of applications for care orders in Doncaster, Yorkshire and England in the second quarter (April to June) of 2008 and the second quarter of 2009, the latest quarter for which statistics are currently available, are shown in the following table. Care applications made in April to June of 2008 and April to June of 2009 in county courts and family proceedings courts (FPCs) in...

Written Answers — Justice: Debt Management Schemes (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: The current economic downturn is causing real hardship for many hardworking consumers and the Government are determined to do all it can to help those in financial difficulties, while balancing this against creditors' rights to recover their debts wherever possible, both now and in the future. The consultation paper "Debt Management Schemes—delivering effective and balanced solutions...

Written Answers — Justice: Defamation: Internet (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice is concerned to ensure that the law on defamation operates fairly and effectively in relation to publications on the internet. We therefore published a consultation paper "Defamation and the Internet: the multiple publication rule" on 16 September 2009. This consultation seeks views on the effect of the multiple publication rule (which provides that each publication...

Written Answers — Justice: Forced Marriage: Prosecutions (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 was implemented in November 2008 providing greater protection for those at risk, preventing forced marriage and enabling courts to make Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPOs). These are civil provisions. We continue to work with agencies including the police and local authorities to ensure they are aware of the Act's provisions. Since...

Written Answers — Justice: Lands Tribunal (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: The fee income generated by the Lands Tribunal for the financial years 2008-09 and 2007-08 was: Lands Tribunal Income (£000) 2008-09 325 2007-08 375 The full cost associated with the provision of Lands Tribunal services for the financial years 2008-09 and 2007-08 was: Lands Tribunal £ 000 Tribunal service costs MoJ corporate overhead Total costs...

Written Answers — Justice: Location (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice has not issued a formal response to reunite on their research project on 'relocation'. My officials have discussed next steps with reunite. We are very grateful for the work reunite has done to highlight the complexity of the issues in this area.

Written Answers — Justice: Magistrates Courts (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: Magistrates courts are part of Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS). The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in HMCS at 31 March 2009 was 19,100. This had reduced to 18,657 at end September 2009. During the year staff numbers will also fluctuate as individuals either leave, or are recruited, and it is not possible to say definitively how much of this overall reduction is directly a...

Written Answers — Justice: Magistrates Courts: Haverfordwest (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: Magistrates courts enforcement staff located at Haverfordwest have been notified in recent months that the enforcement administration work is to be moved substantially to Port Talbot, where most such work within Wales is to be centralised in order to obtain economies of scale and a reduction of costs. Staff affected are being fully consulted, and at this stage they are being offered...

Written Answers — Justice: Tax Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal (11 Nov 2009)

Bridget Prentice: Neither the Ministry of Justice nor Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs holds information on the Tax Chamber and its predecessors prior to 2004-05. The number of appeals disposed of at a hearing by the VAT and Duties Tribunal and the Special Commissioners of Income Tax from 2004-05 were: VAT and Duties Special Commissioners of Income Tax Financial year Disposed at hearing ...

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Debt Management (10 Nov 2009) has video

Bridget Prentice: Helping those in financial difficulties is an important part of our purpose. Of course, that has to be balanced against creditors' right to recover their debts. In September this year, we published the consultation paper "Debt Management Schemes—delivering effective and balanced solutions for debtors and creditors", which seeks views on whether there is a need to intervene further in...

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Debt Management (10 Nov 2009) has video

Bridget Prentice: My hon. Friend makes an important point. One of the strands of the review is to look at the behaviour of creditors who continue to add interest to debts where there is already a debt management plan. She is right to raise the concerns of NACAB and others, and we will listen carefully to what they say. I hope that she and anyone else in the House who has such examples will bring them forward...

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Debt Management (10 Nov 2009) has video

Bridget Prentice: Again, I endorse what my hon. Friend says. All those issues will be part of the review, and I hope that it will come up with some solutions and a way forward in the near future.

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Criminal Trial Acquittals (Costs) (10 Nov 2009) has video

Bridget Prentice: Defendants who are acquitted in criminal trials should normally receive their reasonable costs from central funds unless the court decides that it is not appropriate to award those costs. Overall, central funds expenditure was £62 million in 2007-08 and £77 million in 2008-09. On current indications, I have no reason to believe that it will not increase during 2009-10.

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Criminal Trial Acquittals (Costs) (10 Nov 2009) has video

Bridget Prentice: Yes, that is the case, but it is of course up to the court to decide whether the award of costs is appropriate.

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Criminal Trial Acquittals (Costs) (10 Nov 2009) has video

Bridget Prentice: Where the hon. Lady is mistaken is in her understanding of the system. First, it is essential that we target our resources effectively. Secondly, what will be paid from central funds is costs at the same level as legal aid costs. If people wish to pay more than that, that is entirely up them and it is a choice that they make. They will be paid from central funds costs equivalent to legal aid,...

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Criminal Trial Acquittals (Costs) (10 Nov 2009) has video

Bridget Prentice: I congratulate the hon. Lady on her rise to Parliament. I hope that she will attend Justice questions regularly. I refer her to the answer that I gave a short time ago: defendants who are acquitted in criminal trials should normally receive their reasonable costs, unless the court decides otherwise.