Victims of Crime
(North Devon) (Con)
1. What steps his Department is taking to support victims of
crime. (900185)
(Bracknell) (Con)
5. What steps his Department is taking to support victims of
crime. (900190)
(Stourbridge) (Con)
10. What steps his Department is taking to support victims of
crime. (900198)
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice ()
We are increasing victim support funding to £185 million by
2024—almost double the amount in the 2020-21 core budgets, and
more than quadruple the victims funding in the last year of the
last Labour Government.
Will my right hon. Friend expand on the specifics for victims of
an alleged crime who are under 16 and who attend the same school
as the accused? Are there opportunities to expedite such cases,
which typically take years to progress?
My hon. Friend is right to highlight the particular vulnerability
of children in such cases. The courts already have the power to
prioritise cases, for example those with a particular risk of the
victim or a witness being intimidated. The Department for
Education’s statutory guidance for schools and others makes it
clear that they can take appropriate measures to safeguard
children, which can include transfers to and from schools where
necessary.
The Thames Valley police and crime commissioner, , provides excellent support
to victims of crime through his office’s Victims First support
service. One challenge that he faces is that the Ministry of
Justice does not allow victims funding to be used to support
victims of antisocial behaviour. That is a real concern for my
constituents in Bracknell. Might the Secretary of State be
willing to review the policy?
I pay tribute to the work of Commissioner . In 2022-23, we are
providing PCCs with £69 million of core funding to commission
victim support services. How they allocate the funding is at
their discretion, based on their assessment of local need, but it
can include services to support victims of ASB that reaches the
threshold of a criminal offence. As my hon. Friend will know, we
are consulting on new powers for courts to consider community
impact assessments in trials so that the blight and oppression
that antisocial behaviour causes in whole communities can be
properly factored in.
Ryan Passey was tragically killed in 2017, at the mercy of a
perpetrator with a knife. The case went to court and the
perpetrator was acquitted, which was considered a bizarre
verdict. You will be pleased to hear, Mr Speaker, that I and the
Passey family have secured a review of the police investigation.
That review is ongoing, but the family feel let down by the lack
of support after the trial, at the time when they most needed it.
They have lost their only son, but had no support despite the
verdict. Will my right hon. Friend meet me and the family to
understand how improvements can be made in the provision of
support for victims’ families, not just during an investigation
but after the verdict, particularly when a bizarre verdict is
given?
My deepest sympathies go to the family and friends of Ryan
Passey. I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing an independent
review; I will be happy to make sure that she can see an
appropriate Minister.
We have made £130 million available this year to tackle serious
violence. As my hon. Friend will know, the latest data shows a 4%
decrease in recorded cases of knife crime. On post-trial support,
we are providing £4.6 million a year in funding for the national
homicide service, which provides a range of services, including
counselling and emotional support, that can continue as long as
is needed for a bereaved family, including after trial.
(Rotherham) (Lab)
The Secretary of State will be aware that I have worked across
Government for many years to secure support for victims of crime,
particularly victims and survivors of child abuse and sexual
assault. I welcome the introduction of the victims Bill, the
enshrining in law of the victims code and the Secretary of
State’s commitment to funding, but we need more sexual assault
referral centres, more independent sexual violence advisers and
more special measures in courts; indeed, we need more courts and
prosecutors. Has the Secretary of State done the analysis to show
that the money he is bringing forward will cover all that?
I am pleased to see, in the context of the latest data, that rape
convictions are up 67% on the previous year. We will be bringing
forward our response to the consultation on the victims Bill and
the associated package very shortly. There will be a step
change—a quantum leap—in the number of ISVAs and independent
domestic violence advisers as a result of the settlement that I
have secured with the Treasury. I am happy to give the hon. Lady
specific details.
(Inverclyde) (SNP)
Over the years, many people have been coerced, often through
violence, into being filmed in pornography that has been put
online for people to see for years to come. Will the Government
consider making provision in the Online Safety Bill for people to
withdraw their consent and have that content removed from the
internet?
The hon. Gentleman has raised an important point, which I will
certainly convey to the Home Office in the context of the online
harms Bill.
(Barnsley East) (Lab)
Four years ago, Jackie Wileman was tragically killed on her daily
walk by four men joyriding a stolen HGV around Barnsley. The men
responsible had 100 convictions between them. I pay tribute to
Jackie’s brother, Johnny Wood, for his campaign to increase
sentences for causing death by dangerous driving, and I welcome
the change in the law, but Johnny has now been informed that one
of the offenders may shortly be released from prison on temporary
licence without the proper process being followed. Will the
Secretary of State meet Johnny and me to discuss what more can be
done to support victims?
I am not aware of the specifics of that case, but I take this
issue very seriously. If the hon. Lady would like to write to me,
I will ensure that we can not only address the specifics very
carefully, but arrange for her to meet a relevant Minister.
Offenders: Giving Back to Communities
(Broadland) (Con)
2. What plans he has to help ensure that offenders give back to
their communities. (900186)
(Vale of Glamorgan) (Con)
6. What plans he has to help ensure that offenders give back to
their communities. (900191)
The Minister for Crime and Policing ()
When people have broken the law, and when it is safe and
proportionate for them to do so, they should serve their
sentences in the community. It is important for them to be seen
to be paying back to the communities to whom they have caused
harm. We are investing £93 million in community payback staff
over the next three years so that we can increase the number of
hours worked to a record-breaking 8 million a year.
Justice needs to be seen to be done, not just for victims but for
the wider community, so that they can be confident that offenders
are not getting away with it. Community payback projects allow
for offenders to make reparations to the communities whom they
have harmed. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that he will be
working to expand such projects across the country?
My hon. Friend is right: people do want to see justice being
done, in a visible way, in their communities. I hope that he saw
some of the 300-odd gangs of offenders who delivered about 10,000
hours of community work across the country, particularly on
environmental schemes, during the recent Keep Britain Tidy spring
clean-up week. However, Members of Parliament can also play a
part in this project. We do need to increase those hours to 8
million a year, and we need Members’ help in nominating schemes
on which we can put offenders to work, so if Members feel like
it, I ask them please to go online and look at the Ministry of
Justice website. They can nominate a scheme, and we will send
some people to do some cleaning up.
Fonmon castle park and gardens, in my constituency, provides a
first-class day out for visitors, but will my right hon. Friend
join me in congratulating those who run it on the partnership
that they have established with HM Prison Parc? This offers new
opportunities for offenders, while also resolving some of the
labour shortages in the area.
I am, of course, happy to celebrate the success of Fonmon castle
and its partnership with Parc prison. As my right hon. Friend
knows, we believe that employment for offenders is critical to
moving them into a better life. Building partnerships of that
kind between businesses and prisons is key for the future, and I
am pleased to tell my right hon. Friend that Parc prison is in
line, in the next year, to have one of our new employment
advisory boards, which will bring such partnerships to life
across all the UK’s geographies.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
Offenders are unlikely to be able to give back to their
communities if they find themselves homeless on their release
from prison, as I have discovered when supporting people in that
situation in my own community. Will the Minister undertake to
bring to the House a report indicating the extent to which
homelessness among ex-offenders is a fact—which it clearly
is—along with an action plan to help constituency Members in all
parts of the House to support people when they leave prison so
that they can lead a stable existence in their communities and
therefore give back?
I agree with the hon. Gentleman that the provision of a home—of
accommodation—for those leaving the secure estate is critical. We
believe that there are three pillars to success: a job, a house
and a friend to put people on to the straight and narrow. I do
not have to publish a report to underline that, because there has
been plenty of research to prove that it is the case. The hon.
Gentleman will be pleased to know that we do have an action plan,
with some challenging targets, to ensure that all those leaving
the secure estate can access the accommodation they need to get
them back on to the straight and narrow.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Lewisham West and Penge)
(Lab)
Unpaid work gives offenders a chance to give back to their
communities, but huge workloads and staff shortages in the
probation service mean that in some areas there is a backlog of
up to 100,000 hours owed by offenders, and some have even had
their hours wiped because they have not been completed in time.
Is this not just another example of our broken justice system—a
system that lets offenders off while victims pay the price? When
will the Government get serious and fix this?
It is very sad that the hon. Lady is not celebrating the
achievements of the probation service, which is expanding. We are
recruiting 500 new community supervisors so that we can get on
top of some of the covid-related backlog in unpaid work. We have
to hit 8 million hours and we have thousands of offenders out
there in high-vis jackets doing the work, particularly
environmental work with organisations such as the Canal &
River Trust. When the Prime Minister promoted that scheme, the
Opposition condemned it, saying that it was somehow inhuman.
Actually, all our communities across the United Kingdom, day in
day out, are seeing justice being done by these offenders, and
that is set to grow.
Court Delays: Attrition
(Nottingham North)
(Lab/Co-op)
3. What assessment he has made of the impact of court delays on
victim attrition rates. (900187)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
I am pleased to report that we are making progress on court
delays in the Crown court. As of the end of March 2022, the
outstanding backlog was 57,800, which is 5% lower than the peak
of 60,700 cases in June 2021. Prior to the pandemic, the
outstanding caseload had reduced significantly from 46,100 in
2010 to around 33,000 in late 2018. That underlines just how
significant the impact of covid was. On attrition, we recognise
the importance of addressing these issues, and that is why we are
increasing victim support funding to £185 million by 2024-25.
That will fund more than 1,000 independent sexual and domestic
abuse advisers to help victims through the process.
Last year, a staggering 1.3 million cases were dropped because
the victim could not carry on any longer. That is on top of
extraordinarily low charge rates—7% for robbery and 3% for theft.
For my community, that means that cases are delayed, crime is up
and charges are down. The Minister talked about progress, but it
is not quick enough, is it?
These are important points. Attrition is most important with
regard to rape. As the Deputy Prime Minister has said, the total
number of rape convictions was up 67% last year, and I can
confirm that in the last quarter of last year they were up 15%,
so we are making progress but we want to go further. That is why
it is so important that we have put in place all the measures to
increase capacity in our courts and it is why the backlog is now
falling.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Select Committee, .
(Bromley and Chislehurst)
(Con)
The Minister is right to highlight the work that is being done to
increase support for victims, but he will be aware that the
Justice Committee published a report on court capacity on 27
April. I look forward to hearing his response to it. In the
summary, we highlight that despite efforts from the Government to
go in the right direction:
“Delays in the Crown Court have reached a point where they are
causing significant injustice.”
Is it not the reality that solving this will require not just
victim measures but, more significantly, a root-and-branch
attempt to tackle all the elements of delay, which relate to
judicial capacity, physical capacity and maintenance of the
estate, improved data and technology and improved processes in
the Crown court? All those must come together, and that requires
sustained investment. Will the Minister respond in detail to the
report in due course?
I look forward to responding to it. My hon. Friend is absolutely
right about resources, and that is why we had almost £0.5 billion
of funding in the spending review settlement, particularly to
tackle Crown court backlogs. He is also right to talk about
judicial capacity. As we came out of the pandemic, having
resisted the temptation to lock down again at Christmas, we
reopened 60 courtrooms that had been closed, so we have the
rooms, more or less—with some local variance—but he is right to
say that we need judicial capacity. One key issue in the
recruitment of judges was the pension scheme, but we have just
had Royal Assent for a new scheme, which should address that
important aspect of capacity in our courts.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Stockton North) (Lab)
Let me remind the Minister that 67% of a small number is still a
small number. The recent criminal justice joint inspection report
into pandemic recovery noted:
“The prospect of waiting years for justice is likely to be
traumatising for victims and their families and has a damaging
impact on justice itself, making it more likely that victims will
drop out of cases”.
We know that the Ministry has secured funding to reduce the
backlog to 53,000 cases by 2025, but that number still dwarfs
pre-pandemic figures. We all want timely justice for defendants
and victims, so can the Minister confirm how long on average
people are waiting for their cases to come to court, and what
impact the additional funding will have on cutting those waiting
times?
These are, as I said, important points. I am glad the hon.
Gentleman recognises that we have committed the funding. Where is
it going? For the second year on the trot, we have removed the
cap on sitting days in the Crown court, which is probably the
single most important aspect of delivering capacity. We are also
doing it through legislation.
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that we recently had Royal
Assent for the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022, which is a
key measure in helping us to increase magistrates’ sentencing
powers, releasing up to 1,700 days in the Crown court. That is
1,700 days when we can hear serious cases—rapes, murders and all
the rest—to get through the backlog, because capacity is key. I
have always said that it is about taking a joined-up approach. We
have the funding in place and we have the legislation. It is such
a shame that the Opposition could not support us.
Access to Legal Aid
(Northampton South) (Con)
4. What progress his Department has made on improving access to
legal aid. (900188)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
Last year, to ensure accessibility to vital support, we spent
£1.7 billion on legal aid. We are consulting on changes that will
result in an additional 2 million people in England and Wales
having access to civil legal aid, with 3.5 million more people
having access to legal aid at the magistrates court. By any
measure, that is a very significant expansion of access.
Alongside that, we propose to invest up to £135 million a year in
criminal legal aid, more than £7 million in improving access to
housing legal aid, and £8 million in expanding access to
immigration legal aid.
Next month I will be visiting Northampton Community Law Service,
which has proved indispensable to many of my constituents. What
steps are being taken to ensure sufficient funding streams for
areas of specialist legal advice and support that are proving to
be the most in demand amid the cost of living crisis,
particularly debt and employment law?
My hon. Friend, who is a champion for his constituents, makes the
important point that these are increasingly important matters in
the current economic context. That is why we have committed to
ensuring that specialist legal advice services continue to
provide support for those who need it most, and it is why, in
particular, we will be spending £5 million to pilot early legal
advice on social welfare matters, including debt, this summer.
Throughout 2020 we provided £5.4 million of grant funding to
not-for-profit providers of legal advice, supporting more than 70
organisations to help vulnerable people resolve their legal
problems. I am pleased to confirm that those rounds of funding
provided more than £130,000 to Northampton Community Law
Service.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
From the Minister’s answers, we might think everything is rosy in
the world of legal aid, but the reality is that there are legal
aid deserts in many parts of the country where practitioners have
packed up and stopped providing vital access to the justice
system. What is the Minister doing to ensure that, in every part
of England, there is fair access to legal aid?
That is a fair question, but I do not accept that there are areas
of the country where people are denied access to justice because
there are no legal aid providers. The Legal Aid Agency keeps
market capacity under constant review and takes immediate action
where gaps appear by tendering for new providers and amending
contractual requirements to encourage new providers into the
market. In England and Wales, legal advice on housing matters is
available, wherever people are, through the Civil Legal Advice
telephone service.
On access to legal aid, as I said, we are consulting on proposals
that will increase the number of people who can access civil
legal aid by 2 million, which is a significant measure.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)
I thank the hon. Member for Northampton South () for raising the importance
of access to legal aid. In fact, his region—the east midlands—has
seen an above average fall in access to criminal and civil legal
aid since 2013. Compared with England and Wales as a whole, the
region also has a higher proportion of local authorities with no
providers of legal aid on housing, immigration, family and
community care law. These legal aid deserts are worst for family
and community care law, with the cost of living crisis
compounding that further. Victims are being let down at every
stage.
Legal aid deserts are a direct result of chronic underfunding,
and they deny justice to victims across the UK. The Government
have failed to deliver even the bare minimum of what Sir
Christopher Bellamy advised in his review. I understand that the
Government are considering a civil sustainability review, so
perhaps the Justice Secretary will provide further details. The
Government like to pay lip service to levelling up the country,
but when will the Lord Chancellor level up access to justice?
It would probably be more helpful if I referred to what the hon.
Gentleman said on a previous occasion. On 15 March, in response
to the Deputy Prime Minister’s statement about criminal legal aid
and the measures that we were taking, he said:
“Today’s announcement and response to the Bellamy review is
welcome, particularly the Government’s commitment to increase
legal aid rates by the 15% that Sir Christopher Bellamy
recommended.” —[Official Report, 15 March 2022; Vol. 710, c.
777.]
That is what we are doing. He recommended £135 million of
additional funding for criminal legal aid. That is what we are
proposing and what we are consulting on. So my job as I see it is
very clear. It is to get on with ensuring that those criminal
legal aid rates are increased as soon as is practicable, and we
look forward to introducing a statutory instrument later this
year.
Mr Speaker
I call the Scottish National party spokesperson, .
(Cumbernauld, Kilsyth
and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)
I wonder if I might suggest that another review of partygate
could help inform Government policy on legal aid and access to
justice. I say that because of the widely perceived link between
a person’s ability to pay for legal advice and the number of
fixed penalty notices that that person might receive, compared to
others attending the very same event. So during his consultation,
will the Minister speak to junior Downing Street staff and civil
servants about their views on the significance of access to and
the affordability of criminal legal advice?
It’s a nice try, but our discussions in Downing Street are about
the measures that we are bringing forward to tackle crime, not
least the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which
the Labour party voted against and Opposition Members spoke out
against, and which will see violent and sexual offenders serving
longer in prison. That is where our focus is and the focus of the
British people is.
Human Rights Framework Reform
(North Ayrshire and Arran)
(SNP)
7. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
proposed reforms to the UK’s human rights framework. (900194)
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice ()
As announced in Her Majesty’s Gracious Speech, the Government
will replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a Bill of Rights to
be introduced in this parliamentary Session.
Will the Secretary of State follow last year’s recommendation of
the Joint Committee on Human Rights and ensure that there are no
changes to the Human Rights Act—the provisions of which are
embedded in the Scotland Act 1998—without the consent of the
devolved Administrations? If that consent is withheld and his
Government unpick the Act unilaterally on behalf of the four UK
nations, what message does he think it will send to citizens
across the devolved nations?
I thank the hon. Lady. As she knows, we will assess the question
of the applicability of the Sewel convention, quite rightly, when
the full Bill of Rights text is provided. This reform will
strengthen free speech, but curb the ability of, for example,
criminals to take advantage of and abuse the system. I believe
that that will be welcomed in all four nations.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that reform of our human rights
framework will help to prevent foreign national offenders from
avoiding deportation and help to restore some public confidence
in our human rights legislation?
My hon. Friend is right. The still high volume—around 70%—of
successful challenges, on human rights grounds, of deportation
orders by foreign national offenders is on article 8 grounds.
That is exactly the kind of thing that our reforms will address
and the public across the UK will welcome.
Mr Speaker
, the SNP
spokesperson.
(Cumbernauld, Kilsyth
and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)
Thank you again, Mr Speaker. The Human Rights Act 1998 has become
a cornerstone of justice and democracy in the United Kingdom. It
is pivotal legislation not to be tinkered with lightly. Given
that cross-party MPs have today found that the now Justice
Secretary presided over a
“disaster and a betrayal of our allies”
and
“a lack of seriousness, grip or leadership at a time of national
emergency.”
in relation to Afghanistan, I have to ask in all seriousness why
he should be allowed anywhere near such fundamental legislation
and indeed why he is in ministerial office at all.
I am surprised that the SNP has nothing to say on the issues at
hand in relation to criminal justice, whether in Scotland or in
the rest of the UK.
Defendants on Remand: Sentencing Hearings
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
8. What plans he has to give Crown Court judges the power to
require defendants held on remand to attend sentencing hearings
in person. (900195)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
The current position is that the courts can require that a
defendant held on remand attends their sentence hearing, but they
cannot force them to do so. Where a defendant is likely to be
disruptive in court or where taking action to ensure that they
attend would cause delays, it can be in the best interests of
justice and victims to proceed in their absence. However, I fully
appreciate that, in other circumstances, a defendant’s absence
can cause anger and upset for victims and their families, and we
are actively considering what can be done to address this.
It is important for public confidence that justice is seen to be
done. When defendants in murder, rape and other serious cases
hide in their cells and fail to appear for sentencing, they are
effectively abusing their victim and the victim’s family once
again. So I welcome the work that my hon. Friend is doing on this
issue. May I encourage him to look at giving judges the power to
increase custodial sentences in such circumstances?
My hon. Friend makes a really important point: justice being seen
to be done is a key principle of our case law system. I am sure
we all agree that a defendant should be brought before the court
to face the consequences of their crime. Of course, one case in
particular comes to mind. Sabina Nessa’s family wanted Koci
Selamaj to be present to hear their victim impact statement, so
that they could convey the hurt that he caused. In that case, the
sentencing judge referred to the defendant’s actions as
“cowardly…refusals” to attend.
However, I have to stress that, although defendants can be
punished for refusing a prison order to attend court, they cannot
be forced to attend. As I say, it is important to recognise that,
although the presence of the defendant may be a comfort to some
victims, there will be circumstances in which a defendant’s
behaviour is distressing to victims and their families. For that
reason, we have to take a balanced approach but, as I say, we are
looking at what can be done. One option could be to make it a
statutory aggravating factor.
(Lewisham West and Penge)
(Lab)
When Sabina Nessa’s killer did not turn up to court to hear his
sentence, his cowardice caused further unimaginable hurt to her
family. Anisha Vidal-Garner was killed by a hit-and-run driver;
when he stayed in his cell during sentencing, he avoided
listening to the powerful victim impact statements from her
family. This soft-on-crime, tough-on-victims Government have had
12 years to compel criminals to attend court to hear their
sentences. Labour has been calling for it; where is the action?
Why is it taking so long to get progress on this issue?
The hon. Lady knows that these are primarily matters of judicial
responsibility. We have to ensure that whatever measures we take
can work in practice in our courts, with the right balance being
struck. She says we are soft on crime; I remind her that we
recently received Royal Assent for an Act that will ensure that
serious violent and sexual offenders will serve longer in prison
so that we keep our streets safe. Labour voted against that. That
tells us one simple message: when it comes to the big calls on
law and order and keeping this country safe, the Labour party
still cannot be trusted.
Reducing Reoffending
(Stockton South) (Con)
9. What steps he is taking to reduce reoffending.(900197)
(Hyndburn) (Con)
12. What steps he is taking to reduce reoffending.(900200)
(Vale of Clwyd) (Con)
16. What steps he is taking to reduce reoffending.(900204)
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice ()
The reoffending rate for prisoners who leave prison has fallen by
nine percentage points—from 51% to 42%—since 2010. The rate of
prison leavers who secure a job within six months has risen by
almost two thirds in the past year alone.
Getting prison leavers into work is crucial to reduce
reoffending, turn ex-offenders’ lives around, cut crime and
protect the public. Employment advisory boards have an important
role to play in building links between prisons and local
businesses. Will my right hon. Friend update us on progress in
this policy area?
My hon. Friend is absolutely bang on. More than half of
resettlement prisons now have a business leader who chairs their
EAB. That puts us ahead of schedule for our national plan to
deliver for every resettlement prison by April next year. To be
clear on the results and outcomes we are looking for, let me give
one example: at HMP Wandsworth, 39 prison leavers have been
helped to find jobs and further training through their board and
the prison’s employment team.
As recently as February in my Hyndburn constituency, Lancashire
police had to issue dispersal orders in Accrington town centre
because of antisocial behaviour. Will my right hon. Friend tell
me how we can prevent young people in particular from reoffending
or falling into bad habits, particularly when they have been
through the youth justice system?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I was up in Blackpool last
week to announce a £300 million fund that local authorities can
access to prevent youth offending. It is called the turnaround
project and is targeted at around 20,000 children. The idea is to
get them into sports, whether that is boxing or martial arts, or
indeed into drama or other positive outlets. By doing that, we
can then wraparound the pastoral care and work with the law
enforcement agencies. That will not just give those children the
opportunity to take a springboard into school, training and,
ultimately, work, but keep our streets safer for communities.
Dr Davies
My right hon. Friend is right to focus on helping offenders to
find work post release, which is crucial to reduce reoffending.
Will he update the House on progress made in that respect?
In the last year alone, we have seen a step change in respect of
offenders being in work within six months of release from prison;
the number has increased by two thirds. The prisons White Paper
sets out the strategy. We are rolling out the chairs of
employment advisory boards and now have chairs for 48 out of 91
prisons. We have also stood up 29 of the employment hubs in our
prisons. Those are the links between prison governors and local
businesses that will get offenders into work and to stay on the
straight and narrow.
(Bristol East) (Lab)
A recent report showed that thousands of severely mentally ill
prisoners who had been assessed as requiring hospitalisation were
not being transferred because of the shortage of NHS beds, or
they were facing long delays. Does the Secretary of State agree
with the director of the Prison Reform Trust who said that this
guarantees that
“people will leave prison in a worst state than when they came
in, with every likelihood that the behaviour that originally led
to their arrest and conviction will continue”?
I thank the hon. Lady. I think that there will cross-party
support for the work that we are doing with the mental health
Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech, absolutely ending prison as
a place of safety, if you like, for those with mental health
issues and making sure that those who are seriously mentally
unwell can be transferred into secure hospitals. I recently met
the Health and Social Care Secretary to expedite those
arrangements.
(Hammersmith) (Lab)
Approved premises house the highest risk offenders—terrorists and
serious sex offenders—on release from custody. Their location is
sensitive both for rehabilitation and protection of the public.
Why on earth, therefore, is the Ministry of Justice building
approved premises next to the main entrance of Wormwood Scrubs
Prison, when the counter-terrorism security assessment lists 18
vulnerabilities, including potential assaults on staff,
observation over the prison wall, use of a launch site for drones
and undermining rehabilitation? Will the Secretary of State
abandon this dangerous and counterproductive scheme?
Approved premises are vital. Of course we take all the requisite
security advice on the matter and I am very happy to write to the
hon. Member about any of the details. However, may I suggest that
he write to me to set out the facts that he asserted, so I can
test them very carefully and rebut them very clearly?
Mr (East Londonderry)
(DUP)
Does the Secretary of State agree that more needs to be done to
promote programmes that lead to reductions in reoffending rates,
particularly in prisons such as Magilligan prison in my
constituency, so that the wider community can feel safer as a
result of successful programmes?
The hon. Member is right. The prisons White Paper sets out an
overhaul of the regime. We want to assess offenders in week one,
whether it is for their addiction, mental health or state of
mind, or for things such as numeracy, literacy and their
educational qualifications. We then want a pathway right the way
through that gets them sustainably off drugs, not just abandoned
on methadone. We want to give them the skills and education that
they need and, fundamentally and critically, a step change in the
approach to getting offenders on licence into work. Those are the
keys to driving down reoffending beyond the 9 percentage point
reduction in reoffending that we have seen from offenders leaving
prison compared with the last year of the last Labour
Government.
Prisoner Literacy
(West Suffolk) (Con)
11. What steps his Department is taking to improve literacy among
prisoners. (900199)
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
If we can improve prisoners’ literacy and numeracy skills, we
will increase their ability to get jobs when they are released,
which, in turn, will cut crime and make our streets safer. That
is why we have set our plans to achieve exactly that in the
prisons strategy White Paper. We have already introduced measures
of progress in English and maths to hold governors to account,
and we will be establishing an innovation scheme to deliver new
initiatives to improve the reading and writing of prisoners.
I welcome what the Minister has said on improving literacy among
prisoners and what the Secretary of State said in answer to the
previous question. May I just strengthen the point about governor
accountability? Training in prisons is currently accountable
through Ofsted and the training provider is held accountable.
Until governors themselves are fully accountable for the literacy
of prisoners as they leave, tied of course with the need to get
prisoners into work, on which there has been excellent progress,
it will always be harder than it should be to get the reading
training needed, especially for those who are dyslexic.
My right hon. Friend is completely right. We are putting in place
a new deal for governors based on clear expectations and
accountability, giving them greater autonomy over education
provision in their establishments, which includes transparent key
performance indicators, outcome measures and targets, including
on prisoner literacy. Indeed, in Highpoint Prison in his
constituency, there is a prisoner who was completely illiterate
on entering prison. He had the ambition to read to his young
child and is now three chapters into a book. With that sort of
personal determination and encouragement from the Prison Service,
we have high hopes for the chances of prisoners when they leave
prison and keeping our communities safer.
(Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
(PC)
Diolch yn fawr, Lefarydd. Education and literacy highlight the
inconsistency between what is devolved and what is reserved in
relation to justice in Wales. Does the Minister therefore welcome
Welsh Government’s proposals, published today, to further the
devolution of justice in Wales, and will she commit to work with
Welsh Government to further those proposals?
I like working with the Welsh Government; that may come as a
surprise to some, but I have found them incredibly helpful on
plans such as the residential women’s centre, which I launched
the plans for only last week. We will see a residential women’s
centre set up in Swansea to help vulnerable women who are on the
cusp of custody, giving them 12 weeks’ residential accommodation
and courses to try to steer them away from offending. I believe
that, by working together we can come up with some really
interesting and innovative ideas to help not just the good people
of Wales, but the entire United Kingdom.
Child Cruelty Register
(Don Valley) (Con)
14. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the
introduction of a child cruelty register following the enactment
of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
(900202)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
The entire House and the whole country speak with one voice in
saying that child cruelty is abhorrent. The Government are
determined to ensure that the law offers the fullest protection
to children; that is why we brought forward the sentencing
measures through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act
2022. My right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor has asked the
Department for Education and the Home Office to consider issues
around the management of child cruelty offenders, including the
introduction of a register.
Does the Minister agree that the creation of a child cruelty
register would be enormously helpful to those already involved in
child welfare issues, such as social workers and police? Does he
also agree that it would ensure that no looked-after child would
be placed with any person who is on such a register, and that
that would not only save lives, but prevent injury, both physical
and psychological?
My hon. Friend is right to raise this matter, not least given the
hugely troubling and distressing cases that we have seen reported
in the media of late. One thing we know, which was borne out in
the care review published yesterday, is that there is a challenge
with data and information sharing between agencies. I am sure
that my counterparts in both the Department for Education and the
Home Office will consider whether a register of child cruelty
offenders would improve child safeguarding processes, alongside
wider learning from the findings of forthcoming reviews, such as
that into the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star
Hobson.
Non-custodial Sentences: Enforcement
(New Forest West) (Con)
15. What steps he is taking to assure the public that
non-custodial sentences are being enforced. (900203)
The Minister for Crime and Policing ()
Community sentences are robust and increasingly command the
public’s confidence, not least as they can see more and more
offenders in high-vis, brush and shovel in hand, in their
streets.
It is reported that the penalties can be discharged by working
from home. Please tell me that is not true.
Mr Speaker
A yes or a no will do.
My county colleague can always be relied on to emerge from the
forest and ask the most challenging questions. He is correct that
independent working projects, while not ideal, were introduced
during the pandemic to allow offenders to discharge their
sentence with robust and rigorous projects done at home, such as
manufacturing personal protective equipment or, more recently,
clothing items for Ukrainian refugees. It is our intention to
reduce the proportion of sentences that can be done under home
working, although for those who cannot handle a brush and a
shovel there may well still be a place for it in the future—
Mr Speaker
Order. I call the shadow Secretary of State. That is too long an
answer.
(Croydon North) (Lab/Co-op)
We have heard a lot of complacency from the Government Benches on
this issue. According to the Minister’s own Department, community
payback offenders now carry out 75% fewer hours of unpaid work
compared with five years ago. On average, 30,000 offenders get
away without completing their community sentences every year, and
now we hear the Government are letting criminals finish their
unpaid work sentences at home. Why have they gone so soft on
crime that they are letting those criminals get away with it?
It is not the case that community sentences can be completed
using those hours, but I am sure the hon. Gentleman will
understand that, during the pandemic, with the restrictions
placed upon us, we had to find a way to allow offenders to
complete their sentence in a satisfactory way. We have systems in
place to make sure the jobs are done rigorously to time and, as I
have said, we will be winding down that project.
Family Justice System Reform
(Eddisbury) (Con)
17. What steps his Department is taking to reform the family
justice system. (900205)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
We are committed to reforming family law to reduce conflict and
protect children and victims of domestic abuse. We are reducing
demand in the private family courts. In 2021, we invested £3.3
million in the mediation voucher scheme, and over 8,000 vouchers
have been issued to separating couples. In February, we launched
pilots to test the less adversarial way of hearing private family
law cases, and we aim to reduce the retraumatisation of domestic
abuse survivors.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his answer. Our family
courts, of course, remain under significant pressure. It is
welcome that there is additional funding for the likes of the
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service and that
the prioritisation protocols are being used for the time being.
During my time as chair of CAFCASS, we established that about one
in four cases going into private law children’s courts could have
been avoided had pre-proceedings work been done. Is the
Department also looking at that?
There are domestic abuse or safeguarding concerns in half of
private family cases; those cases, of course, need to be heard in
court. But when it comes to cases that do not involve those
concerns, the Government will support parents to resolve their
issues earlier and outside court. We are considering making
mediation compulsory for those cases.
As a former distinguished Children’s Minister, and given his
former role at CAFCASS and his professional experience, my hon.
Friend brings an awful lot of experience to these matters. Let us
have a meeting to discuss his ideas in more detail.
Court Backlog: Sexual and Violent Crime Victims
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
21. What recent assessment he has made of the impact of the court
backlog on the wellbeing of victims of (a) sexual and (b) violent
offences. (900209)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
We are taking action across all jurisdictions to bring backlogs
down and improve waiting times for those who use our courts. I
can confirm that the number of days taken for an adult rape case
to progress from Crown Prosecution Service charge to completion
has fallen by 38 days since the peak in June 2021. That is
encouraging.
Under the leadership of , our police and crime
commissioner, Northumbria police have invested heavily in victim
support. But they cannot make up for the wholesale failure of the
justice system, with victims telling us that they feel
revictimised by the length of delays and the complexity of the
process. Does the Minister acknowledge that his plan to get the
backlog down to 53,000—still a huge number—will not significantly
address the delays? What additional support is he putting in
place for the mental health of victims during these long, long
delays?
The hon. Lady asks about what supports are in place; I am
grateful to hear from her police and crime commissioner about the
role that independent sexual violence advisers are playing. I
confirm that we are investing further in victim support services
by increasing funding to £185 million by 2024-25.
And the delays in the courts?
I am coming to those. Of course we want to reduce delays as far
as possible, but, to give a sense of the progress that we are
making, I should say that in March there were 124,000 disposals
in the magistrates courts and 9,280 in the Crown courts. Those
are the highest figures for both since the pandemic. They show
that output is increasing. That is why the backlog is now
falling; we expect it to continue falling further.
Mr Speaker
It will help even more when you open the Chorley court again.
(Wellingborough) (Con)
The victims of modern-day slavery experience the worst of
violence and sexual assault. One of the ways in which we can keep
them engaged with the justice system is for there to be victim
navigators, which the Government are piloting. If that approach
could be spread further, more people would be kept in the court
system and more of these evil gangs would be taken off our
streets.
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. As he will know, this is
primarily a matter for the Home Office, but the roll-out of
section 28 will support those cases. As we have mentioned several
times today, there is a significant increase in funding for
ISVAs, who provide significant support for dealing with precisely
such issues as attrition and for ensuring that victims are
supported throughout the process.
Topical Questions
(Tatton) (Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(900211)
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice ()
Since the last Justice questions, I have published the
Government’s response to Jonathan Hall’s independent review of
terrorism in prisons and the Government’s root-and-branch review
of the parole system in England and Wales. I have also discussed
action to hold to account the perpetrators of war crimes in
Ukraine with International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan
and United States war crimes ambassador Beth Van Schaack.
Delays in family courts were already far too long before covid,
and the problem has only got worse since then. It often means
that a parent is not able to see their child in the meantime—a
point raised by many parents in my constituency of Tatton. Will
the Minister make the reduction of those delays in the family
courts a priority?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. As was mentioned
earlier, something like 50% to 55% of cases that go to the family
court are safeguarding or domestic abuse cases. I do think those
need the authority of a judge, but the rest, frankly, should by
and large be dispensed with before court through an alternative
dispute resolution of one sort or another. We talked about
considering making mediation compulsory, but crucially, we need
the incentives and disincentives for early resolution to be
unequivocal.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Croydon North) (Lab/Co-op)
Voters in Wakefield are furious that the Conservative party
ignored a victim of child sexual abuse and allowed his paedophile
abuser to become their MP. Will the Justice Secretary back an
independent investigation into why his party failed to act on
what this courageous victim told them?
Can I just say to the hon. Gentleman first of all that to
politicise a case that has been subject and potentially remains
subject to judicial proceedings is quite wrong? If he wants to
talk to the voters of Wakefield about the choice at the upcoming
by-election, it is a choice between Labour, which is weak on
crime, and us. Violent crime has fallen by more than half since
Labour was in office. We can talk about tougher sentences for
dangerous sexual and violent offenders, which he voted against.
We can talk about reoffending, which is lower than it was under
Labour, or we can talk about funding for victims, which we have
quadrupled since the last Labour Government.
(Aylesbury) (Con)
T3. The Justice Committee recently visited HMP High Down and HMP
Downview, where we saw excellent examples of businesses working
with offenders to provide training and experience that will help
them get a job when they are released, but there is a problem for
prisoners trying to find out about job vacancies when they are
still inside, because for very obvious reasons they cannot have
access to the internet. Will my right hon. Friend look into ways
of overcoming that obstacle so that offenders have the best
opportunity to apply for jobs before they are
released?(900213)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Let me just talk him through
what we are doing. The in-cell technology in the new prisons will
give them much greater access for the purposes he described. We
are also delivering digital upgrades to a further 11 prisons. The
prison employment advisory boards will be crucial in linking
local businesses with prisons. Critically, not only have we got
key performance indicators, but I have increased the weighting
for employment and skills from below 1% to 20%, so that governors
focus on it. That will drive a step change in getting offenders
into work.
(Middlesbrough) (Lab)
T2. The much-heralded diamorphine assisted treatment programme in
my constituency has been running for two and a half years and
produced some remarkable results, including a massive reduction
in crime and the call on other health services. Sadly, the
funding has now been withdrawn. If this programme unravels, all
that work will be undone, so will a Minister meet me at the
facility to discuss how we might secure its future?(900212)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for highlighting good examples of best
practice, particularly in getting offenders off drugs. We know
that that is the key, along with skills and getting them into
work. If he writes to me on the facts of the case, I will
certainly make sure that we look at it very carefully.
(Ashfield) (Con)
T6. Does my right hon. Friend agree that these eco-hooligans who
are causing untold damage up and down the country should be made
to pay every single penny it costs for the repairs and made to
arrange the work, as well as doing their community
payback?(900216)
A man after my own heart. My hon. Friend is right that it is a
total abuse, which the Opposition seem to want to give succour
to, to allow the freedom of speech and the right to peaceful
protest to become a right to sabotage. It will be very
interesting to see in the weeks ahead whether they stand on the
side of the public or on the side of those saboteurs. The Public
Order Bill will help us to address this issue, and I can also
assure my hon. Friend that courts already have the power to
impose compensation.
Mr Speaker
Order. I know that we may have some by-elections coming, but the
fact is that we are on topicals, and they are meant to be short
and sweet. Lots of Members want to get in, and you are stopping
Members from getting in. It is not fair.
(South Shields) (Lab)
T4. My brave constituent Claire Ball used all her strength and
courage to report that she was sexually abused as a child. She
endured a painful court process, where her good character was
continually called into question. While her abuser was allowed
multiple character witnesses to state that he was a good person,
Claire was not. What is the Secretary of State going to do to
make sure that victims are afforded the same rights as
perpetrators?(900214)
The hon. Lady is absolutely right. I mentioned earlier the
increase in rape convictions that will be promoted by the use of
section 28 to allow pre-recorded video evidence for the victims
of rape and other serious sexual violence. She should also know
that, working closely with the police and the Crown Prosecution
Service, we are making great progress on Operation Soteria to
make sure that the focus is on the accused rather than
overwhelmingly on the victim who comes forward with the courage
that that takes.
(Berwickshire, Roxburgh and
Selkirk) (Con)
T7. The Government should be proud of their pioneering efforts to
protect victims, and I very much look forward to seeing the draft
victims Bill. Have they considered how their actions contrast
with those taken by the SNP Government in Edinburgh? Victim
Support Scotland says that Scotland lags behind the rest of the
UK on victims’ rights.(900217)
It is very telling that the SNP spokesperson, the hon. Member for
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (), did not want to talk
about those issues or Scotland’s record and asked us something
totally outside the realm of Justice questions. My hon. Friend
makes a compelling point, but we will not rest on our laurels
south of the border. We will introduce a victims Bill that will
place the victims code into law and send the clearest possible
signal that the justice system must deliver for victims as a
matter of moral correctness and to ensure the efficacy of the
system.
(North East Fife)
(LD)
T5. In all nations of the UK, rape victims are being let down by
criminal justice systems that make prosecuting rape extremely
rare, lengthy and difficult. At present, charge rates for rape
vary widely from 1.3% in Surrey, home to the Secretary of State’s
constituency, to 8.2% in Durham. Some 63% of cases are closed
because the victim gives up on the process and withdraws from it.
Despite progress on disposals, what additional steps is he taking
to address that horrific reality?(900215)
First, we have seen a step change increase in convictions by
67%—two thirds—over the last year. I think the hon. Lady is
wrong, if I may say so, to use the statistic that she used. In
fact, the conviction rate has increased from 68% in July to
September 2021 to around 71% in the last quarter. Through
Operation Soteria, section 28 and changes that are being made to
disclosure, we will drive a step change in support for victims
with the quadrupling of victims funding, which will help to
support victims through the process and secure more
convictions.
(Carshalton and Wallington)
(Con)
T8. Carshalton and Wallington residents are rightly proud of Ray
and Vi Donovan for their work to promote the rights of victims to
go through restorative justice, which they went through after the
murder of their son Chris. Can my right hon. Friend assure me, in
my position as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on
restorative justice, that access to restorative justice practices
and services will be enshrined in the victims Bill and that
funding will be outlined to go along with that?(900218)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home
Department ()
I am proud that we are quadrupling victims funding to £185
million by 2024-25, which is up from £41 million in 2009-10. The
fact is that the longer-term multi-year funding settlement that
we are introducing should help to give certainty to restorative
justice programmes. Raising awareness of restorative justice is
also key, as my hon. Friend and I recently discussed, and I am
giving that close attention.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
Is the Secretary of State aware of the growing concern on both
sides of the House about people in prison who have been charged
with joint enterprise, and the fact that there is now a campaign
to look at those cases and the kind of convictions that are
taking place? Many people who are charged and imprisoned are
later found to be on the autism spectrum. That is a real concern,
so will he meet me and JENGbA—Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by
Association—to talk about it?
I am very concerned about the endemic levels of mental health
challenges and illness in prison. Interestingly enough, I have
talked particularly to the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism
Legislation about the link between autism and at-risk offenders.
If the hon. Gentleman writes to me about the findings and
learning that he has had, I will be happy to look at them
carefully with the Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care.
(St Ives) (Con)
T9. I had the great privilege of meeting A Band of Brothers,
which is a voluntary organisation based around the UK, including
in Cornwall. It works with and alongside men in the community who
are in trouble with the law or at risk of getting in trouble with
the law. Over 12 weeks, it helps those young men to get their
lives back in order. The problem is that it works completely
voluntarily. It has done great work to support the criminal
justice system and safety in our communities. What more can be
done to help it to grow and flourish and to upskill the great
work it does?(900219)
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
Is that not a sign of a community as a whole taking action, not
just to reduce crime but to try to ensure that the young men my
hon. Friend describes get on the straight and narrow and start to
build healthy and happy lives for themselves? I would be
delighted to discuss that further with him. I know for a fact
that he has a superb police and crime commissioner, who I am sure
will be supporting A Band of Brothers helpfully and
meaningfully.
(Angus) (SNP)
The Secretary of State will be aware that police officer numbers
play a key role in reducing crime and reoffending, so what plans
does he have to increase England’s officer level of 23 officers
per 10,000 people to bring it closer to Scotland’s of 32 per
10,000 people?
The Minister for Crime and Policing ()
Mr Speaker, as you know, the Government are in the middle of a
huge recruitment drive of police officers. We have, happily,
increased the number by 13,500, and I am confident that by the
end of the financial year we will have hit our 20,000 target.
(Warrington South) (Con)
Families living near HMP Thorn Cross in my constituency have
again raised with me concerns about absconds from this open
prison. I am very grateful that the Minister took the time to
visit the prison recently. Could she give us an update on what
steps the Government are taking to reduce absconds from open
prisons?
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this, and I know the concerns
his community have. As he rightly says, I visited Thorn Cross to
see for myself and to ask the governor what can be done to
improve the abscond rate. This is an open prison, so it is right
that the assessments of risk for each prisoner entering Thorn
Cross must be as full as possible to understand whether they have
ties that may cause them to abscond from an open prison. What I
have done is commission a further look into the assessments that
are conducted nationally to ensure that the team at Thorn Cross
are able to manage the people who are staying there as well as
possible for the local community.
(Hammersmith) (Lab)
Given the constitutional importance of his role, is the Lord
Chancellor considering his position in the Cabinet in the light
of the Foreign Affairs Committee report on the withdrawal from
Afghanistan?
No.
Mr Speaker
That is a quick answer—the best we have had to today—and we can
learn from that.
