§ Ms. Harmanasked the Attorney-General (1) in how many cases where orders were made under section 4(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 they were opposed at either the time they were made or subsequently; how many times applications for section 4(2) orders were refused; and how many such refusals were in the magistrates' court and how many in the Crown courts, respectively;
(2) in how many cases orders have been made under section 4(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and then lifted, either wholly or in part, at a subsequent hearing of the same or a different court;
(3) on how many occasions representatives of the press or the media were represented when an application for a section 4(2) order under the Contempt of Court Act 1981 was made; and on how many occasions the press and media were not allowed to be so represented;
(4) on how many occasions the courts, after making or amending or lifting an order under section 4(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, have made an order for costs; and how often such orders enabled the media to recover their costs after successfully opposing an order under section 4(2);
(5) what is the total number of orders made to date under section 4(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981; what is the number made in magistrates' courts and the number made in the Crown court; how many such orders were made on application by defendants, how many by the prosecution and how many on application by witnesses; and how many such orders were made solely on the initiative of the magistrates or the judge.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI regret that the information sought is not available, but the Lord Chancellor will write to the hon. Member.