Every parliamentary written question tabled by Gideon Amos this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–11 of 11 · Ministry of Justice
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the statutory bereavement award under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976; whether he plans to review the level of that award; and whether an assessment has bee
Bereavement damages are a fixed payment in acknowledgment of grief and are in no way intended to reflect the value of the life lost in monetary terms. They are only one element of the damages that may be awarded in a particular case, which for example can...
What communications and outreach strategies the Department is implementing to inform victims, legal representatives, and support organisations about their eligibility and the future availability of free sentencing-remarks transcripts, in light of the 498 applications processed under the Rape and Sexual Offences pilot.
In May 2025, we announced that we would continue to enable victims of rape and other sexual offences, whose cases were heard in the Crown Court, to apply for free transcripts of the sentencing remarks in their case, on an on-going basis. This followed a one-year pilot which ran from May 2024.We have taken the following steps to promote the provision:Providing the Witness Service, whose role is to support victims and witnesses at court, with an information sheet on the scheme to distribute to any eligible victimsPublishing a dedicated webpage on Gov.ukSharing information on the scheme at a forum with over 70 national and local stakeholders who work with or represent victims.And creating social media posts on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the gross annual income threshold for exemption from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees remaining unchanged for several years on people with incomes close to that threshold.
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships, if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits, including Employment Support Allowance. This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000. Furthermore, if the deputy can provide evidence that paying a fee would result in undue hardship for the protected person, then the Public Guardian can exceptionally reduce or remit the fee.
How many people were exempt from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees in each of the last five years.
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.Financial Year2021/222022/23 2023/242024/252025/26 (YTD)Exemptions14,37613,967 14,41514,2139,637Remissions2,1621,998 1,9721,857997Total16,53815,965 16,38716,07010,634
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the gross annual income threshold for exemption from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees remaining unchanged for several years on low-income people whose primary income is from Employment and Support Allowance.
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.Financial Year2021/222022/23 2023/242024/252025/26 (YTD)Exemptions14,37613,967 14,41514,2139,637Remissions2,1621,998 1,9721,857997Total16,53815,965 16,38716,07010,634
How many people in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance have (a) qualified for and (b) ceased to qualify for exemption from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees in each of the last five years.
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.Financial Year2021/222022/23 2023/242024/252025/26 (YTD)Exemptions14,37613,967 14,41514,2139,637Remissions2,1621,998 1,9721,857997Total16,53815,965 16,38716,07010,634
Whether she plans to review the statutory will process to help ensure that it is accessible for (a) people with disabilities and (b) their families.
The Law Commission recently completed a substantial review of the Law of Wills, and its report “Modernising Wills Law” was published on 16 May 2025. A copy of the report can be found at: https://lawcom.gov.uk/project/wills/#3-Documents. The report provides a thorough analysis of the case for reforming the law and procedure governing statutory wills.The Government will make further announcements on the response to the report in due course, once it has given the report the detailed consideration it deserves.
How many applications to the Court of Protection for statutory wills were made in each of the last five years; and how many applications were granted in each of the last five years.
The latest published Court of Protection (COP) statistics on application and order volumes by type, are all available in the Family Court Statistics 2025 published quarterly in tables 20 and 21. Volumes of applications and orders relating to wills (applications to execute wills) are grouped together currently with applications for gifts and orders for settlement due to the low volumes and their paths through the court being similar with Official Solicitor involvement.
What information her Department holds on the number of tribunal hearings that have been (a) delayed and (b) cancelled due to annual limits on the number of sitting days by fee‑paid judges in (i) total, (ii) the Immigration and Asylum Chamber and (iii) the Social Entitlement Chamber in each of the last five years.
The Ministry of Justice does not collect data on the number of tribunal hearings that have been delayed or cancelled specifically due to annual limits on the number of sitting days by fee-paid judges. While tribunal performance statistics are published quarterly, they do not disaggregate delays or cancellations by cause.Any hearing delays or cancellations in the tribunal system, which can occur for a range of reasons, including judicial availability, would not be directly attributable to sitting caps, as these would be applied before sitting days are scheduled.It is the Chamber President’s responsibility to set expectations around how many days individual fee-paid judges should sit in the tribunal each year. It is a long-standing practice for reasons of fairness and well-being that no fee-paid office holder should exceed the level of business days of a salaried counterpart. Moreover, sitting levels will vary considerably between individual fee-paid judges. Operational decisions regarding judicial deployment, including sitting day allocations, are managed by HM Courts and Tribunals Service in consultation with the judiciary.
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the annual sitting cap for fee-paid judges and (b) judicial availability in the (i) tribunal system, (ii) Immigration and Asylum Chamber and (iii) Social Entitlement Chamber on the number of tribunal hearings cancelled or delayed in the latest period for which data is available.
The Ministry of Justice does not collect data on the number of tribunal hearings that have been delayed or cancelled specifically due to annual limits on the number of sitting days by fee-paid judges. While tribunal performance statistics are published quarterly, they do not disaggregate delays or cancellations by cause.Any hearing delays or cancellations in the tribunal system, which can occur for a range of reasons, including judicial availability, would not be directly attributable to sitting caps, as these would be applied before sitting days are scheduled.It is the Chamber President’s responsibility to set expectations around how many days individual fee-paid judges should sit in the tribunal each year. It is a long-standing practice for reasons of fairness and well-being that no fee-paid office holder should exceed the level of business days of a salaried counterpart. Moreover, sitting levels will vary considerably between individual fee-paid judges. Operational decisions regarding judicial deployment, including sitting day allocations, are managed by HM Courts and Tribunals Service in consultation with the judiciary.
How many court sitting days were allocated in (a) Taunton and (b) the UK in each of the last five years.
In Taunton, the following allocations were made:Allocation and Outturn for For Years 2021 – 2026 CrownYearAllocationActual25/2644881, Apr-May24/2542846523/2431646122/2343931521/22450430 CivilYearAllocationActual25/2616236, Apr-Jun24/2515811923/2418114022/23123191.521/22221113 FamilyYearAllocationActual25/26694222, Apr-Jun24/25743882.523/2471296722/23580958.321/22597752.5 In the rest of England and Wales, the allocations were as followed. Please note that justice is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England and Wales:Allocations for years 2021 – 2026 Jurisdictions 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 Crown 105,000 105,000 102,300 106,000 110,000 Mags 125,300 130,200 124,100 124,100 114,000 Civil 86,100 79,500 71,000 75,500 74,300 Family 96,000 106,200 99,500 102,500 97,300 Of Which Public Family 49,700 43,500 Of Which Private Family 34,500 36,400