Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 8 February 2019.
Gloria De Piero
Shadow Minister (Justice)
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his oral contribution of 5 February 2019, when the President of the Family Division plans to report back on his review of the guidance provided under Practice Direction 12J.
Gloria De Piero
Shadow Minister (Justice)
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his oral contribution of 5 February 2019, what powers the Domestic Abuse Commissioner will have to investigate matters relating to Practice Direction 12J.
Edward Argar
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
In light of the important issues raised by the Sammy Woodhouse case, Lucy Frazer has asked the President of the Family Division of the High Court to look at Practice Direction 12C that provides guidance on the notification of parents without parental responsibility in family cases and he has committed to doing that. Officials at the Ministry of Justice continue to work with other relevant departments and stakeholders to consider how we can better protect vulnerable mothers and children in our family courts however, at present, there are currently no plans to ask the President to review the guidance provided under Practice Direction 12J, however it was this subject on which I agreed to meet the Honourable Member.
The role of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner introduced through the draft Domestic Abuse Bill is intended to provide public leadership on domestic abuse issues. They will raise awareness of the issue of domestic abuse and will monitor and oversee the provision of domestic abuse services across England and Wales, including the services available for children and young people. The specific statutory powers of the commissioner will continue to be developed and refined as the bill passes through pre-legislative scrutiny. I look forward to meeting the Honourable Member to discuss further how these powers might operate in practice, as promised in my response on 5th February.
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The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
