Social Security Benefits Tribunal Hearing: Waiting Times Mr Philip
Hollobone (Kettering) (Con) 1. What the average waiting time is for
a social security benefits tribunal hearing in (a) Northamptonshire
and (b) England. (902341) The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of
State for Justice (Mike Freer) Between April and June 2022, the
average waiting time for benefits appeals in Northamptonshire was
46 weeks. In England it was 28 weeks. Waiting times can fluctuate
due to...Request free trial
Social Security Benefits Tribunal Hearing: Waiting Times
(Kettering) (Con)
1. What the average waiting time is for a social security
benefits tribunal hearing in (a) Northamptonshire and (b)
England. (902341)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
Between April and June 2022, the average waiting time for
benefits appeals in Northamptonshire was 46 weeks. In England it
was 28 weeks. Waiting times can fluctuate due to a number of
factors, including volumes of benefit decisions made locally, the
complexity of the case, the availability of panel members and
venue capacity.
Mr Hollobone
When I asked the same question three years ago, the figures were
21 weeks for Northamptonshire and 33 weeks across England. While
there has been improvement across the country as a whole, clearly
things are going backwards quite severely in Northamptonshire.
Does the Minister share my concern that this is clearly an
unacceptable situation, and will he outline plans to tackle
it?
My hon. Friend is spot on: it is not acceptable that his area is
going backwards. I have commissioned officials to report in
detail on the exact problems affecting his area, and I will
report to him in the next four to six weeks.
Common Platform
(Blackburn) (Lab)
2. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the
Common Platform on the delivery of justice by HM Courts and
Tribunals Service. (902342)
(Luton South) (Lab)
13. What steps he is taking to improve the performance of the
Common Platform. (902356)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
We have rolled out the Common Platform at 173 criminal courts in
England and Wales and 76% of courts are now live. It has improved
the format and timeliness of outcomes of hearings generated and
shared with our criminal justice partner agencies and removed the
need for staff to re-key information across different IT systems.
If we are to reform the criminal justice system, we need to press
ahead and reform the IT that underpins it.
The Common Platform has been nothing short of a disaster—one
quarter of a billion wasted on a project that was fundamentally
flawed from the start and designed primarily to slash thousands
of highly skilled legal jobs. Even the Lord Chief Justice has
raised serious concerns recently to the Justice Committee. Is it
not time the Minister held up his hands, admitted this was a
mistake and told His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service to
build a better system that focuses on delivering justice instead
of wasting money in such a damaging and short-sighted way?
The simple answer to that question is no.
Last month, staff at courts across the country, including the
magistrates court in Luton, went on strike—not over pay or
pensions, but because the Common Platform IT system is so flawed
that it is effectively unusable. That should have been enough to
make the Government sit up and take notice, but if the Minister
will not listen to his own workers and their trade union, the
Public and Commercial Services Union, maybe he will listen to the
judges who are speaking out? One judge called the Common Platform
“completely unsuitable” and “not fit for purpose”. Does the
Minister agree?
No, I do not agree. All new IT systems take time to bed down and
officials continue to work with user groups, both staff within
the criminal justice system and judges. The system replaces eight
legacy systems that are at the end of their lives, support for
which is being withdrawn. If we do not reform the IT system
underpinning the criminal justice system, we will not be able to
make the progress we wish.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Select Committee, .
(Bromley and Chislehurst)
(Con)
The Minister is of course right to say that we need to modernise
and improve IT systems and replace the legacy systems, but will
he sit down and talk in some detail with users of the system,
both judges and practitioners? For example, a platform that is
unable to record whether a case concludes in a guilty plea will
not be very much help in tracking the progress of cases or
improving listing at a time when we have massive backlogs.
Practical changes are surely what is needed.
My hon. Friend makes a good point. I am always happy to speak to
staff groups and my legal friends in the justice system to iron
out any particular issues, but the roll-out of the Common
Platform needs to continue.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Stockton North) (Lab)
Oh dear, dear, what a mess: our courts systems were in chaos
before the pandemic, and now it is much worse, with some cases
taking years to come to court and remand numbers at record
levels. The Common Platform was supposed to make courts more
efficient, but fails in everything from recording criminal
convictions to getting crucial data to the Registry Trust on
time. Worst of all, it is having an adverse effect on people’s
lives, including those who use it. Costs have soared from £236
million to more than £300 million, with Ministers ready to pay an
IT firm another £20 million for product enhancements. Will the
Minister tell us where the money has gone, why the system has not
been sorted and whether he will pause the roll-out until it
is?
I point out that the backlogs were on a downward trajectory until
the Criminal Bar Association action. The roll-out of the Common
Platform is a necessary part of modernising our systems, and I am
confident that we will ensure that the system is delivered for
the benefit not just of users, but of everyone who touches our
criminal justice system.
Males Convicted under Joint Enterprise: Black and other Ethnic
Groups
(Edmonton) (Lab/Co-op)
3. If he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of
males convicted under joint enterprise who were (a) Black and (b)
from other ethnic groups. (902344)
Mr Speaker
Welcome, Minister.
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker—it is nice to be back in the
Ministry of Justice after an absence of a little over three
years.
Data is collated on the ethnicity of defendants who are
prosecuted and convicted of a criminal offence, but not on
whether that crime was part of joint enterprise. We are, however,
considering whether such data could be collected as part of the
Common Platform programme. The Common Platform aims, as Members
will have heard, to provide a single case management system that
will enable the sharing of evidence and case information across
the criminal justice system.
Members have been hearing for nearly a decade that the data will
be released soon, but nothing ever comes of it. What possible
excuse can there be for not being open about which prisoners have
been convicted under this discredited and biased doctrine and
which have not? It is that the data would clearly show how joint
enterprise has been used to target black people
disproportionately, particularly young black men.
On the hon. Lady’s first point, we are unable at this stage to
give a firm timescale for that data because capturing data on
joint enterprise will depend on the level of change needed to the
Common Platform and on the cost and work required to develop,
test and implement it. On her broader point, the Government
recognise that convictions based on joint enterprise appear from
some studies to affect black, Asian and minority ethnic groups
disproportionately. However, I assure her that the Crown
Prosecution Service can only apply the law when making decisions,
and race or ethnicity should play no part in any such decision
making. We recognise the importance of the law of joint
enterprise, and the consequences it can have for defendants and
their families as well as for victims and their families.
Family Court: Waiting Lists
(North Norfolk) (Con)
4. What steps he is taking to reduce the size of waiting lists
for family court cases. (902345)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
We established the family mediation voucher scheme in March 2021
to help to reduce the number of private law cases coming into
court. We have invested nearly £9 million to date and issued more
than 12,800 vouchers to support families. In 2021, family sitting
days were at their highest level ever. In July, we introduced a
regional virtual court pilot to allow deputy district judges from
other regions to sit virtually in London and the south-east so
that they can hear as many cases as possible.
We all know that there are significant backlogs in the family
court system. However, what some might not know is that it is
having real knock-on effects on families, single parents and
children across the country. The sooner those cases can be heard
and dealt with, the better for everybody involved. What does my
hon. Friend intend to do to address those backlogs, and what
specific measures is he taking to ensure that there are enough
judges and adequate funding for our family courts?
My understanding is that the voucher scheme has been successful,
and that about 65% of families who have used it say that it kept
them out of the court process. It is our intention to ensure that
the voucher scheme continues, with additional publicity. To
address some of the other issues relating to capacity, using the
virtual courtroom is a possibility, and the general recruitment
of more than 1,000 new judges should help.
(Hammersmith) (Lab)
Government figures show that, as of last week, the backlog in the
family courts now stands at more than 110,000 cases. Given that
the Ministry of Justice budget will go up by about half the rate
of inflation next year—meaning a real-terms cut of hundreds of
millions of pounds—does the Minister think that this and other
backlogs will go up or down?
Our intention is to ensure that the backlogs go down by ensuring
that as many families as possible are kept out of the court
system through the use of schemes such as the family mediation
voucher scheme.
Strengthening Human Rights: Discussions with Cabinet
Colleagues
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
5. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
strengthening human rights. (902346)
(East Renfrewshire)
(SNP)
6. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
strengthening human rights. (902347)
(West
Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
8. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
strengthening human rights. (902349)
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice ()
We have introduced the Bill of Rights and look forward to
bringing it forward for Second Reading shortly so that we can
strengthen quintessential UK rights such as freedom of speech, as
well as deporting more foreign national offenders and restoring
some common sense to our justice system.
Given his last stint in the role, the entire legal sector was—how
should I put this?—rather surprised when the Secretary of State
was reappointed, and they are not alone. The former Lord
Chancellor, the right hon. and learned Member for South Swindon
(Sir ) called his Bill of Rights
“worse than useless”. The former Northern Ireland Secretary, the
right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon () called it “wrong headed and
regressive”. Other Ministers described it as “a complete mess”.
If that is what his friends think, the House can only imagine
what we in the Scottish National party think about this measure.
Can the Secretary of State tell us why his own colleagues do not
think his pet project is required or desirable?
The hon. Gentleman is wrong on all counts. I am confident
that—[Interruption.] He can quote anonymous sources, and there
are some well-known differences of opinion, but I can confidently
predict that on Second Reading, the Bill of Rights will have
overwhelming support in this House. He cited academics, but I
point to KC, Oliver Sells KC, Jonathan
Fisher KC, Steven Barrett KC and John Larkin KC, former Attorney
General for Northern Ireland, all of whom have very much welcomed
the proposals.
Four out of the five parties in the Scottish Parliament are
committed to protecting the Human Rights Act. That view is shared
by the party of Government in Wales, it constitutes the majority
position in Northern Ireland and it is shared by more than 40% of
MPs here, who collectively represent a clear majority of the
electorate. Does the Secretary of State not see that by pushing
his proposed Bill, he is trampling on the will of the devolved
Administrations, but also on the views of the majority of the
public?
I am afraid I do not accept that. It was a manifesto commitment.
The Human Rights Act is a UK-wide piece of legislation and a
protected enactment under the devolution settlements. Amending it
is therefore a matter for the UK Parliament. I have been to all
the devolved Administrations and talked to all the Executives. I
have had roundtables with all the relevant stakeholders, as have
fellow Ministers. We continue to be committed to working with the
devolved Administrations in Scotland and elsewhere to ensure that
the reforms work well and benefit people across the UK.
Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and
Local Government pointed out this month that the Human Rights Act
has a 22-year record of delivering justice, including for some of
the most vulnerable people in communities across the whole of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Given how
the Act is woven into the very fabric of the constitutional
settlements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and how it
benefits us all, will the Secretary of State accept that it is
not in his power or that of his Government to unilaterally unpick
that on behalf of the other nations of the United Kingdom?
What I will say to the hon. Gentleman is that this was a
manifesto commitment. We are not removing the European convention
on human rights—indeed, it will stay, as it was under the Human
Rights Act, in a schedule to the Bill of Rights—but I do think
that the idea that the Human Rights Act was the last word on
human rights in UK constitutional history is daft. Actually,
there is an opportunity to strengthen things such as free speech
to the benefit of people across the United Kingdom, but also to
deal with problems and abuses of the system, particularly things
such as foreign national offenders abusing the right of article
8—the right to a family life—to avoid deportation. I suspect that
that is as popular in Scotland as it is across the rest of the
United Kingdom.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson, .
(Cumbernauld, Kilsyth
and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)
It is carers, victims of domestic violence, disabled people,
trafficking victims and people with mental health issues who are
among those who have vindicated crucial rights and tackled
Government discrimination using the Human Rights Act. Their
victories could not have happened under his Bill. As we face up
to the cost of living crisis, should we not be strengthening our
citizens’ rights rather than undermining them? Why does he want
to put people in the UK into a second-tier system of rights
protection?
A series of cases have been put about that either would not be
affected by the Bill of Rights or were not the product, in terms
of the remedy, of the Human Rights Act. I do not accept the hon.
Gentleman’s assertion; I want to work with hon. Members from all
parts of the House. There is a great opportunity to strengthen
the UK tradition of human rights—I think we should be proud of
that as one United Kingdom—but to deal also with the elastic
interpretation of rights and the shifting goalposts that have
undermined the credibility of human rights and put huge pressure
and strains on our ability to protect the public.
The only thing undermining human rights protections in this
country is the Justice Secretary’s proposed Bill of Rights. The
reality is that a nursery class could have designed a more
sensible piece of legislation than his Bill of Rights. Everybody
from human rights campaigners to big city lawyers are saying
so—indeed, even the disastrous Truss Administration understood
that fact. Given the universal criticism, what exactly is it that
makes him think he can just carry on regardless, without even a
further consultation?
I am afraid I do not accept that characterisation. I think that
on Second Reading, the hon. Gentleman will see the level of
support. There has already been consultation on not just the
policy proposals but specific clauses. We have looked at this at
length. It is a manifesto commitment dating back to 2010. It
remains one today, and we are going to deliver it for the British
people.
Isle of Wight Constituency: Camp Hill Site
(Isle of Wight) (Con)
7. What plans he has for the Camp Hill site in Isle of Wight
constituency. (902348)
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
As my hon. Friend knows, HM Prison Camp Hill in his constituency
was closed in 2013. We are currently exploring options for a
number of decommissioned prison sites, including Camp Hill.
Do Ministers agree that one way the Government can drive economic
growth is through quicker decision making? As the Minister has
admitted, we have waited nearly a decade for an answer on Camp
Hill. Do Ministers understand, and have they taken on board, that
our preferred option on the Isle of Wight is for the Camp Hill
site to be sold to the council at a price it can afford—we have
done that with the Columbine building in East Cowes—so that we
can use that land for jobs, housing and development, taking
pressure off greenfield sites and creating wealth on the Island,
rather than having this valuable site stand empty for such a long
time?
First, I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of making
timely decisions on all such matters. I also hear what he says;
transferring that site to Isle of Wight Council is one of the
options being looked at, among others. I know that MOJ officials
have been speaking to the council, and I commit to my hon. Friend
that they will continue to do so.
Criminal Justice System: Support for Victims
(Bradford South) (Lab)
9. What steps he is taking to support victims in the criminal
justice system. (902352)
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice ()
In May, we published our landmark draft Victims Bill and a wider
package of measures to improve victims’ experience of the
criminal justice system. We will respond to the Select
Committee’s scrutiny of that shortly.
The victims of crime matter, but it has been seven years and six
Justice Secretaries since the Victims Bill was first promised,
and it still has not made it to the statute book. Why are the
victims of crime not a priority for this Government?
I say gently to the hon. Lady that I do not accept that
characterisation. The Victims Bill had to go through
pre-legislative scrutiny; it was right that it should do that. We
are now ready to bring it forward, as and when parliamentary time
allows. We will also be including a victim surcharge. Alongside
these measures, we are increasing the funding for victims and
witness support—we are actually quadrupling it compared with the
last Labour Government, which ought to show that it is the
Conservatives who are standing up for victims and the public when
it comes to fighting crime.
(Witham) (Con)
I am actually reassured by my right hon. Friend’s comments about
the Victims Bill. We need this Bill, and he is aware of my
long-standing support for it. With this Bill, the victims of
crime cannot be forgotten, including my constituents who have
been let down by the courts and the Crown Prosecution Service,
which must be held to account when it comes to securing
compensation for victims of crime, because the perpetrators are
getting off too lightly. These are fundamental areas that the
Victims Bill must put forward. May I urge him to give me a
commitment today that these areas will not be forgotten?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I pay tribute to
her for all the work we did together on these issues, and what a
stalwart, doughty supporter she has been. The Victims Bill will
place the victims code into law. It will increase oversight of
how the criminal justice agencies work, both at the police and
crime commissioner level and in the national inspections. I
mentioned the increase in funding for victims. The increase in
the victim surcharge will mean that we have more restorative
justice, with offenders paying for the wrongs they have done and
victims getting extra compensation.
Dame (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
I find myself in agreement with the right hon. Member for Witham
(), whose Government, of course,
have been in power for 12 years. The court delays are a real
problem for victims. One of my constituents was violently
attacked and given a court date three years later. Her
seven-year-old witnessed the attack, and the perpetrator keeps
pestering her, breaking non-molestation orders, leaving the
police pretty powerless, because he knows there is no traction.
The Public Accounts Committee has looked into this. The backlog
is not going down and will not be lower than pre-pandemic—it is
not about covid. What is the Secretary of State doing to get a
grip on his Department and make sure the courts deliver justice
for victims?
I say to the hon. Lady that the Crown court backlog reduced from
more than 60,000 cases in June 2021 to under 58,000 cases at the
end of March 2022—[Interruption.] Hold on. The increase and the
reversal of that trajectory were the result of the Criminal Bar
Association’s strike action, which was
unwarranted—[Interruption.] I am looking at Opposition Front
Benchers. When we announced our proposals on the legal aid
review, they agreed with every single one. Yet again, when it
comes to the justice system, as with many other things, they are
on the side not of the public, but of those who take disruptive
industrial action.
Dame (Basingstoke) (Con)
The best way to support victims is better criminal law. The
Government have done much to tackle violence against women and
girls, but the law still fails anyone who discovers a fake or
real nude image of themselves that has been posted online without
their consent. I suggest that my right hon. Friend looks at
including in the Online Safety Bill, which is hopefully about to
come back to this place on Report, an amendment to address that
once and for all, particularly in the light of the Law
Commission’s recommendations, which were finalised some five
months ago.
I thank my right hon. Friend for her incredible work in this
area. As ever, I listen to her carefully. I reassure her that I
am looking positively and actively at bringing forward
legislative changes in this area, and I will confirm the vehicle
for that shortly.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
I am sure the Secretary of State will share my concern about a
local case whereby a man who had pleaded guilty to sexually
abusing two girls was given permission by the judge to go abroad
on holiday while awaiting sentencing. Does the Secretary of State
agree that that is totally unacceptable and that measures must be
taken to stop it happening again?
The hon. Gentleman knows that I cannot comment on individual
judicial cases, but I understand the concern in such cases. Of
course, if he wishes to write to me with the details, I will be
happy to look at that very carefully.
(Torbay) (Con)
Two of my constituents who were subjected to a vicious,
unprovoked knife attack, as well as many others in the bay, felt
let down by the justice system due to the level of sentence that
was applied. They continue to feel let down by not getting
information about someone who was connected with that series of
offences. Will my right hon. Friend, or the relevant victims
Minister, meet me to discuss that case and what we can do about
it?
I will certainly ensure that my hon. Friend gets a meeting with
the victims Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for
Charnwood (). I will not comment on
individual cases, but we have increased sentencing substantially
through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022,
against which Opposition Members voted. In individual cases,
however, it is of course for the judiciary to decide and that
discretion is important.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Cardiff North) (Lab)
My constituent Sarah was sexually assaulted. After a three-year
wait and a hugely traumatic trial, the defendant was found not
guilty. Of her experiences in the criminal justice system, she
said:
“I felt like I was being publicly beaten and humiliated. I
wouldn’t advise anyone to go through it, they destroy you.”
Can the Secretary of State tell me how survivors such as Sarah
are supposed to trust the Government when, seven years on, we are
still waiting for the victims Bill and he is under investigation
for bullying?
I am afraid that the hon. Lady rather demeaned the important
point that she was making by trying to score political points at
the end. Let me answer directly: we appreciate the concerns that
there are for any victim, particularly female victims of crime,
whether that is sexual violence or non-sexual violence. That is
why we have rolled out section 28 of the Youth Justice and
Criminal Evidence Act 1999, which provides the opportunity to
give pre-recorded evidence, and why, when we have the Victims
Bill—
Where is it?
It has been going through pre-legislative scrutiny and it is
important to respond to that. It will increase the oversight of
all elements of the criminal justice system, both at the PCC
level—the local level—and at the national inspectorate level. One
thing that, notwithstanding the fiscal event, I am committed to
protecting is the quantum leap in support and funding for
victims, which has quadrupled under this Government compared with
the last Labour Government.
Death Registration Process
(Bradford East) (Lab)
10. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
reforming the death registration process.(902353)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Department of
Health and Social Care and the General Register Office on the
implementation of a statutory medical examiners scheme, which
will provide an additional layer of scrutiny on cause of death in
non-coronal cases. We are also working with the General Register
Office to consider how families might play a greater role in the
registration of their loved ones’ deaths following an
inquest.
I thank the Minister for that response. For many of my
constituents, a swift burial is a core tenet of their beliefs and
faith, but in many cases this swift burial is held back by
bureaucratic legal difficulties in formally registering the
death, particularly when GPs cannot be reached, there is a bank
holiday or it is the weekend. I think the whole House will agree
that no one wants their relatives to be held in a mortuary any
longer than is absolutely necessary. Will the Minister meet me
and colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care to
discuss what can be done to break down these legal barriers and
address these issues so that everybody can be afforded dignity in
death?
First, I can reassure the hon. Gentleman that I have discussed
this specific issue of how faith communities are dealt with by
the coroners service. I have discussed it with the Chief Coroner,
and I have a meeting next week with representatives of both the
Jewish and the Muslim faiths. Once I have had those meetings, I
would be very happy to meet him so that, having looked at the
issue in the round, we can discuss how we can move forward.
Parental Imprisonment
(Bristol East) (Lab)
11. If he will take steps with prisons to estimate the number of
children affected by parental imprisonment.(902354)
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
Yes, I certainly will. I agree about the effects that parental
imprisonment has, and I certainly agree that it is important to
understand the number of children this affects.
I thank the Minister for that response. I have previously had
meetings with former Justice Ministers, Children’s Ministers and
so on. We absolutely need this data because we think there could
be hundreds of thousands of children affected over the years. Not
only is it really traumatic for them, but it puts them at risk
themselves. Once we have the data, we can look at support
services, but may I urge him to do what he can to work with
prisons, schools and local authorities to try to make sure there
is a comprehensive database?
I agree. I have spoken to one of my predecessor Ministers—my hon.
Friend the Member for Louth and Horncastle ()—about the conversation
she had with the hon. Lady. I was also reading with interest the
hon. Lady’s speech in Westminster Hall the other day, and about
the work of the charity Children Heard and Seen. She is
absolutely right that the first step and the basis has to be the
data, and there is important work under way, including changes to
the basic custody screening process, and then the big
cross-Government project called “Better Outcomes through Linked
Data”, and we will continue to work hard on that.
Violence against Women and Girls: Reform of the Criminal Justice
System
Dame (Wallasey) (Lab)
12. What steps his Department is taking to reform the criminal
justice system to help tackle violence against women and
girls.(902355)
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice ()
The Government are taking a range of measures to tackle violence
against women and girls. The number of convictions in rape cases
has increased by two thirds in the last reporting year, but we
are restless to do more at every stage of the process from
Operation Soteria, linking up police and prosecutors, through to
the current national roll-out of pre-recorded evidence in all
Crown courts in England and Wales.
Dame
Rape Crisis statistics show that only 3% of cases saw charges
brought last year, CPS figures show that only 1.3% of reported
rapes are charged or summonsed, and there was a 21% increase in
rape reports from the previous year, so what on earth is the
Secretary of State going to do to reverse these serial failures
and to deal with this epidemic of rape, which on his watch is
going unpunished?
I can reassure the hon. Lady, first, that police referrals and
the number of suspects charged have gone up over the last year,
and Crown court receipts of those actually arriving in court are
going up, but she is right to be restless to do more. We have
rolled out national and local data dashboards for crime, but also
specifically for rape, to provide greater transparency and to
spread better practice in how we secure those vital convictions.
As I have already mentioned, we have quadrupled victim funding
support since 2010. We have expanded so-called section 28
pre-recorded cross-examination, which is now in place for sexual
and modern slavery offences in all Crown courts in England and
Wales. I think Operation Soteria is probably the single biggest
thing, as we get to a national roll-out next year, because it
will get prosecutors and police working more collaboratively
together, but also get the focus not on grilling and
interrogating the complainant—the victim—but on making sure the
balance does not shift and that the focus is predominantly on the
suspect.
(Redditch) (Con)
The Opposition are wrong in their characterisation and narrative
of this issue, and the Justice Secretary and his colleagues
across the Home Office are to be commended for the leadership
that they have shown in driving up rape prosecutions across the
whole system, holding independent partners to account. Will the
Justice Secretary update the House on how the data are trending
in the latest reports? What is he doing to hold the independent
court system to account to tackle backlogs in the system, so that
rape prosecutions do not have to wait longer than they should to
see their day in court?
I thank my hon. Friend and pay tribute to her for the incredible
work she did at the Home Office. She was involved in the meetings
on this, and I know how committed she was and how much impact she
had. On the results—those are what female victims of crime and
the whole country want to see—between April and June 2022, police
referrals were up by 95% from the 2019 figure. The number of
suspects charged was up by 65% compared with 2019 figures, and
Crown court receipts were up 91% from 2019 figures. There is much
more to do, but that shows the trajectory and progress, and all
the hard work that my hon. Friend and others have done.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Lewisham West and Penge)
(Lab)
Responsibility for ending violence against women and girls is a
key role of Government, yet we have a Justice Secretary who could
not get the definition of misogyny right, who is accused of
bullying, and who is desperate to scrap the Human Rights Act—law
that has helped to protect women against male violence. When
domestic violence is up and rape charges are at 1.5%, does that
send a message that tackling violence against women and girls is
not a priority for the Justice Secretary?
Amid all the bluster and political point scoring, the hon. Lady
is losing the opportunity to pay tribute to the important work
being done across the justice system, which will give female
victims confidence to come forward. That is what we need to see:
improvements in police referrals and in the number of suspects
charged, improvements in Crown court receipts, and the ability
for victims to opt for pre-recorded evidence, so that they go
through what must be a harrowing experience without being in the
glare of the courtroom. Those are all positive steps. We are
restless to do more, but we have made progress, and I do not
think it helps to instil or improve confidence in the justice
system if inaccurate characterisations of the progress we have
made are asserted in this place.
Imprisonment Rates
(Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
(PC)
14. What recent estimate he has made of imprisonment rates.
(902357)
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of
people sentenced to immediate custody, along with other
sentencing outcomes, in the criminal justice system statistics
publication. The latest publication is for the year ending June
2022. The custody rate was 6.6% in the year ending June 2022 for
all offences, 33% for indictable offences, and 1.1% for summary
only offences. Although sentencing is entirely a matter for our
independent courts, it is right that those who commit serious
crimes should expect to receive a custodial sentence. This
Government have ensured that courts have the powers they
need.
These data are significant. Cardiff University has uncovered the
fact that courts in Wales imprison more people per head of
population than England, and I am sure the Minister agrees that
we need to know why. That is nigh-on impossible, however, when
England and Wales are treated as identical for justice, even
though key services are devolved. For justice to be best served
in Wales we need to know what is happening in Wales, and who is
responsible for what. Will the Minister commit to publishing
Wales-specific data annually from now on?
I am grateful to the right hon. Lady, and she tempts me a little.
I appreciate the point she makes but, as she will appreciate, the
English and Welsh justice systems are one justice system, and it
is not a simple task to disaggregate the data depending on
whether someone is sentenced to imprisonment and serves in
England or in Wales. I am happy to meet her to discuss the issue,
but I would not underestimate the complexity of what she
asks.
Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid
(Kingston upon Hull East)
(Lab)
16. Whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the
steps taken by his Department to implement the recommendations of
the independent review of criminal legal aid. [R] (902359)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
In March we consulted on our approach to recommendations made by
the independent review of criminal legal aid, and we published
our interim response in July. We have introduced a 15% uplift
across most free schemes, in line with the recommendations. That
means an additional annual benefit of up to £63 million for
solicitor firms, and up to £39 million for criminal barristers in
a steady state situation. Uplifts for solicitors and barristers
have already started being paid, and we have also applied fee
uplifts to the vast majority of existing Crown court cases, to
address concerns that the uplifted fees did not apply to ongoing
work.
Well before the Criminal Bar Association took action to strike, I
warned the Lord Chancellor that that was inevitable unless he sat
down with the association and worked constructively. He accused
me of being its shop steward. Now, criminal defence solicitors’
firms are on their knees. The Justice Secretary is not known for
working constructively, but will he sit down with the Law Society
and representative groups of criminal solicitors to come to an
agreement on parity of funding between the criminal Bar and
criminal defence solicitors?
My right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor meets all stakeholders
on a regular basis, and I think he has a meeting coming up to
address those very concerns. I am sure that he will sit down and
discuss those concerns in the next few weeks.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)
The Lord Chancellor’s successor and predecessor was able to
achieve more in a few days than the current Justice Secretary
ever has by agreeing a deal and ending the CBA’s strike action.
The Law Society has warned that it may be forced to advise its
members to stop working in criminal practice if Bellamy’s
recommendations are not met. Will the Lord Chancellor get his
priorities straight and honour the Government’s own review by
giving legal aid solicitors the funding they need to avoid
collapse and make our justice system sustainable?
I know that the Lord Chancellor—he is his own predecessor, as was
pointed out—has been committed to ensuring that the system
remains correctly funded within the spending envelope. He will
continue to address the concerns raised by all stakeholders in
the criminal justice system. We are entirely committed to working
with the advisory board to address all the issues that the hon.
Gentleman raised.
Criminal Justice System: Racial Disparity
(Slough) (Lab)
17. What steps he is taking to help tackle racial disparity in
the criminal justice system. (902360)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
In response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, the
Government’s inclusive Britain strategy sets out a clear
commitment to tackling race and ethnic disparities in the
criminal justice system. We are reducing the number of
individuals from ethnic minorities entering the criminal justice
system by expanding the use of diversionary initiatives such as
out-of-court disposals to divert towards treatment or drug
education courses. For those in contact with the system, we are
providing funding for grassroots ethnic minority-led and
specialist voluntary sector organisations to provide
rehabilitative services.
Mr Dhesi
The disproportionate representation of black children in our
justice system starts with arrests, with black children over four
times more likely to be arrested than white children as of 2019.
We must address the deep-rooted causes of that, ensuring that
those from ethnic minority backgrounds are not discriminated
against and drawn into a cycle of criminality due to a bias in
our criminal justice system. The Lammy review exposed that bias
and discrimination more than half a decade ago, so why have the
Government still not implemented its recommendations in full?
We have implemented the majority of the actions that we committed
to in response to the Lammy review. The hon. Gentleman raises
important points regarding the over-representation of ethnic
minority children in the system. There is a range of activities,
including work that we are doing in two test areas, to ensure
that those people who are arrested have access to and can only
opt out of legal representation, to try to ensure that the issues
that he raised are addressed. I am happy to meet him to go
through those activities and discuss them in much more
detail.
Establishment of a Royal Commission on Prisons
(Easington) (Lab)
18. If he will establish a royal commission on prisons and the
wider criminal justice system. (902361)
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
The hon. Gentleman will know of our commitment. Following the
pandemic, it is also right that we prioritise recovery in the
criminal justice system.
Notwithstanding that answer, which I thank the Minister for, a
little earlier the Justice Secretary referred to manifesto
commitments, and I remind the House that the Conservatives made a
manifesto commitment to establishing a royal commission on
criminal justice, but that is looking like a pretty slim
commitment. Prisons in particular are at the heart of our
criminal justice system, and they are in crisis, plagued by
violence, drugs, squalor and a shameful lack of meaningful
rehabilitation activity. Does the Minister accept that the
priority must be a full public inquiry with statutory powers to
find out what has gone wrong?
The hon. Gentleman is of course right about the commitment, and I
referred to it in my opening response. It is true that the
coronavirus changed many things, including causing significant
issues in the criminal justice system and in prisons. We have
published the prisons White Paper, which sets out a strategy for
further improvement in all aspects of the secure estate, and I am
pleased to be able to report significant progress on matters such
as employment, which we know is important to reducing
reoffending, and accommodation, with a five percentage points
reduction in the number of individuals leaving prison who are
homeless or rough sleeping.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Speaker
I am sorry we did not get to the end of questions, but people
were a little indulgent in the time taken.
Topical Questions
(Tewkesbury) (Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(902366)
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice ()
Since my last Justice questions, we have begun construction of
Britain’s first all-electric prison at Full Sutton and made
apprenticeships available to prisoners for the first time. We are
preparing to bring the Bill of Rights Bill back to this House for
its Second Reading, so that we can strengthen free speech, deport
more foreign national offenders and restore some common sense to
our justice system.
Mr Robertson
To help the rehabilitation of offenders and to reduce
reoffending, will my right hon. Friend support the scheme being
promoted by Gloucestershire’s police and crime commissioner,
, to involve prisoners in the
construction of eco-pods, providing much-needed environmentally
friendly accommodation as well as valuable construction skills
and work experience for prisoners?
It is a cracking scheme that tackles two of the key issues we
need to tackle: homelessness on release, and getting offenders
into work. Following the successful proof of concept at HMP
Leyhill, the scheme is now operational at HMP The Mount, and we
plan to expand the activity to more prisons across the estate. It
is good for offenders to grasp a second chance to turn their
lives around, but critical to reducing reoffending and keeping
our streets safe.
(Croydon North) (Lab/Co-op)
I welcome the Secretary of State back to his place on the
Treasury Bench. This Friday is International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women, but too often the news
headlines are dominated by horrific crimes against women such as
Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa, and now Zara Aleena. How far have
rape prosecutions fallen since the action plan on rape was
launched in 2015?
Because of the backlog and some of the challenges we have faced,
there have been difficulties. I have set out before the House
some of the initiatives, from Operation Soteria to the national
roll-out of section 28 pre-recorded evidence. As I mentioned
earlier, over the last year, convictions have increased by two
thirds, and the trajectories of police referral, CPS charge and
Crown court receipt level have all seen a substantial
improvement, but we are restless to go even further.
Let me remind the right hon. Gentleman that the number of
prosecutions has halved in that time, and today barely one in 100
reported rapes ever makes it to trial. As we just heard, he keeps
trying, but there really can be no excuse for a failure to
prosecute rapists. Will he take the opportunity of the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
to apologise to rape survivors for his Government’s decision to
sack 22,000 police officers, close 160 courts and slash the
number of judges, when they should have been focused on caging
these dangerous criminals?
The hon. Gentleman and I get on very constructively, but I have
to tell him that we are not going to take lectures on standing up
for victims from a party whose Members voted in this House
against the recruitment of police and against the Police, Crime,
Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which increased sentences, and a
party that provided a quarter of the funding for victims that we
have provided.
Mr Speaker
Order. May I remind the Front Benchers that topical questions are
about getting other Members in? It is their time, not the Front
Benchers’.
(Chelmsford) (Con)
T3. There are long waiting lists for the Crown court in Essex,
and I am told that that is in part due to a shortage of judges.
What progress is being made to shorten the waiting lists and
appoint judges in Essex?(902368)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice ()
We are working hard to ensure that we recruit over 1,000 new
judges. We are allowing 80 circuit judges and 125 fee-paid
recorders to sit for more days to ensure we increase capacity. We
are boosting circuit judge recruitment, with about 90 new
appointments, who will sit in London and the south-east,
including Essex, to address the issues my right hon. Friend
raised.
(Midlothian) (SNP)
T2. The miners strike of 1984-85 was hugely traumatic in my
Midlothian constituency and other coalfield communities. Although
the future is bright, many people still need closure. Will the
Secretary of State follow the Scottish Government’s lead and
pardon convictions from that period, and launch the UK-wide
inquiry necessary to finally close this episode?(902367)
I understand the passion with which the hon. Gentleman spoke. We
do not have current plans to do so, but if he wants to write to
me on that issue I will, of course, look at it and reflect.
(Hastings and Rye)
(Con)
T5. There are direct links between education and reducing
reoffending. Education is a factor in promoting reintegration and
rehabilitation. While there is rightly a focus in prison on
education for employment, too many prisoners have very poor
literacy skills, which impacts their ability to access education.
What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to improve literacy in
the prison population?(902370)
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
My hon. Friend is dead right: literacy is fundamental, including,
of course, to access those other parts of education. I welcome
the work of organisations such as the Shannon Trust and I welcome
the recent Ofsted report. We are sharpening our focus, creating a
literacy innovation fund.
(Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)
T4. Two weeks ago, an inquest into the death of my constituent’s
brother, Liridon Saliuka, found that significant and multiple
failings at Belmarsh had contributed to his death while on remand
there. I recognise that Ministers will not immediately know the
details of what happened, but I believe my constituent is
entitled to understand how her brother could have been so
comprehensively let down. Will the Secretary of State find out
what went wrong and, in the first instance, write to
me?(902369)
These kinds of cases are harrowing for the family. If the hon.
Gentleman writes to me with further details, I will be very happy
to look at them and report back to him.
(South Ribble)
(Con)
T8. The Minister will be aware that I have raised a series of
concerns with a number of Ministers and Secretaries of State
about the proposals to put a third prison in the small Chorley
borough village of Ulnes Walton. There is not sufficient road
infrastructure to support it, there is no public transport
solution, the local council objects to it, the councillors
objected to it, and a survey I put out to local residents was
overwhelmingly against it. Please can he commit today to
withdrawing the planning inspector appeal and look again at the
plans?(902373)
The estate expansion programme is important and fulfils a
manifesto commitment. I absolutely acknowledge that my hon.
Friend is a very strong campaigner. I hope she will also
appreciate that a planning appeal is ongoing and, in those
circumstances, it is not appropriate for me to comment
further.
(North Tyneside) (Lab)
T6. Imprisonment for public protection—IPP—sentences are a stain
on the criminal justice system, but the Justice Committee’s
recent report offers a way forward. Will the Minister take the
opportunity to act on the report’s key recommendation of a mass
re-sentencing exercise, or will he allow the hopelessness,
despair and even suicide among IPP prisoners to shamefully
continue?(902371)
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice ()
I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her question, which she puts
with typical passion and care. My noble Friend and I are carefully
considering the Justice Committee report and will respond to it
in due course.
(Mid Derbyshire) (Con)
My Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 comes
into force in February. Will the Minister confirm that
cross-departmental work with the relevant Departments is taking
place, so that from day one teachers, social workers, police,
Border Force officers and others will have had the right training
and know exactly what to do when faced with a case of child
marriage?
First, I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s work on pursuing this
important issue. As she said, the law will come into effect in
February 2023. I can confirm that cross-departmental work has
been taking place to ensure that officials across Government, the
College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council are
as up to date as possible. The Home Office has been updating its
forced marriage guidance, which provides detailed advice to
groups such as Border Force officers, social workers, police and
teachers on what to do when faced with a case of forced child
marriage. I hope that in swift order the work she has been so
passionate about is enforced.
(Kingston upon Hull East)
(Lab)
T7. In 2010, there were 1,861 firms of criminal solicitors with
duty contracts; there are now 964. The profession of criminal
defence solicitor is broken and so is the justice system. Who
does the Lord Chancellor think broke the system? [R](902372)
I do not accept the hon. Member’s characterisation. The
Government have invested—
Those are numbers and facts.
The Government have invested significantly in the criminal
justice system, not just through the recent settlement with the
Criminal Bar Association, but in the run-up to the settlement.
There is continued investment in the criminal justice system. He
may disagree, but those are other facts.
(Bury North) (Con)
Although I welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to
increasing rape charging rates and the positive news regarding
rape convictions, the facts suggest that what is happening is
somewhat to the contrary. In the year ending March 2022, the
police recorded the highest annual number of rape offences to
date—70,330—but charges were brought in only 2,223 cases. With
the split in responsibility between the Home Office and the
Ministry of Justice, what steps can my right hon. Friend take,
working with his Home Office colleagues, to make sure that more
people are charged and put before the courts?
I thank and pay tribute to my hon. Friend for all his work on
this issue and the considerable experience that he brings to
bear. I read out the statistics and there is clearly more work to
be done, but, actually, the trajectory of the latest figures is
going in a better direction. The decision making on CPS charging
is independent, but it is critical that we proceed with the
national roll-out of Operation Soteria, because it is proving to
be a very effective tool in getting the police and the CPS to
work together more collaboratively to bring forward cases that
can go to court.
(Glenrothes) (SNP)
T9. It is exactly four months ago today that the Government
published their response to the consultation on reform of the law
on strategic lawsuits against public participation. Recently, the
Joint Committee on Human Rights heard that a journalist who wants
to defend themselves against one of those malicious attacks might
need backing of £1 million before they can do so in court. How
much longer will it be before the necessary legislation is
brought to Parliament?(902374)
I totally share the hon. Gentleman’s commitment and it is good to
be able to address the issue on a cross-party basis. Earlier this
year, we ran a call for evidence on SLAPPs reform. I brought that
together at very short notice and the Department did an
incredible job in providing specific proposals. Our proposals
include a new statutory definition, an early dismissal process to
strike out SLAPPs claims without merit, and cost protection for
defendants in cases. I intend to introduce legislative proposals
as soon as possible.
(Stroud) (Con)
One issue with family court delays is that lawyers will advise
their clients to get a court application in early. That is not
the lawyers’ fault; they have to do the best for their clients
and they know that delay is not in the best interests of the
child. However, once a court application is in, parents go into a
defensive crouch. Some parents refuse to negotiate until the
first hearing and separated parents information programmes do not
kick in until the court hearing has happened. Will my right hon.
Friend confirm that Ministers in this House and in the other
place are working together for family law reform to reduce court
delays?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I thank her for her
continued campaigning on this issue. It is worth saying, first,
that around 45% of the private family law case backlog is
non-safeguarding, non-domestic abuse cases. It is important that
those other cases go to court. In relation to the others, we are
using mediation and the roll-out and promotion of a voucher
scheme to support mediation. Where a reasonable solution has been
the outcome of mediation, it is also important that we use cost
shifting in the courts, so people cannot just double-dip or go
from one to the other. If we do that, we will have the right
balance between carrot and stick and, certainly, far better
outcomes for children.
(Edinburgh South West)
(SNP)
T10. An official staff network within HM Prison and Probation
Service has circulated an email to all staff, advising them that
use of the phrases “protecting women and girls” and “same-sex
attraction” is transphobic. That email came from a Ministry of
Justice address and was marked “Official”. Does the Minister
agree that that advice risks creating a hostile environment for
female staff and for lesbian, gay and bisexual staff? Will he
distance the Ministry of Justice from it?(902375)
I can reassure the hon. and learned Lady that the email she
speaks of was not an official Ministry of Justice or HM Prison
and Probation Service email; it was from a network of staff. It
does not constitute official advice. The Department is looking
again at how internal communications are done. Most importantly,
she will be aware of the Deputy Prime Minister’s move to ensure
that in future the default assumption is that if you are a
transgender woman with intact male genitalia, you will not be
placed in the female estate. That is an important part of the
reform package.
(Stoke-on-Trent North)
(Con)
Last June, six-year-old Sharlotte-Sky was killed as she was
walking along the pavement near her home in Norton Green. Her
killer, John Owen, had been drinking, was on drugs, was speeding,
was not wearing a seatbelt and was on his mobile phone. He got an
insulting six years and four months in prison. Will the Lord
Chancellor meet Sharlotte’s mother Claire and me to urgently
discuss sentencing guidelines, to ensure that justice is truly
served next time?
May I express my condolences and deep sorrow to the family of my
hon. Friend’s young constituent? He will know that we have
increased the sentencing for driving offences, but I am happy to
look at the matter again with him and meet his constituents.
(Putney) (Lab)
A constituent who is a rape survivor told me in tears how her
phone was taken off her. I have talked to Metropolitan police
officers who say that that was because the courts have stipulated
it. What is the Secretary of State doing to ensure that phones
are not taken off rape survivors? They say that it compounds the
abuse they feel. Evidence could be taken very quickly and
returned to them. My constituent could not afford to buy another
one.
The hon. Lady is absolutely right about this issue, which is one
of the eight levers that we are pressing down on to improve
outcomes and give victims the confidence to come forward. A new
scheme is in place in relation to digitisation, which is being
rolled out and increased across England and Wales. There is also
the possibility of swapping, but the key thing is that a victim
who comes forward gets their phone back quick sharp—within 24
hours—in order to prevent that sense of dislocation, which can
only add insult to injury. If the hon. Lady writes to me about
it, I will give her chapter and verse, because it is such an
important issue.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Justice Committee.
(Bromley and Chislehurst)
(Con)
In 2018, HM Inspectorate of Prisons issued an urgent notification
document setting out serious failings at HM Prison Exeter. Last
week, the inspectorate, for the first time ever, issued a second
consecutive notification about the same prison. I am grateful to
the Minister of State for his courtesy in giving me advance
notice of it, but will he look urgently at why the failings were
not picked up in the four years in between?
I will indeed. I take this extremely seriously, as my hon. Friend
knows. This is the first time that we have had two consecutive
urgent notifications about the same prison. The Department will
come forward with a full action plan within 28 days. As he
rightly says, this is a very serious matter.
Dame (Llanelli) (Lab)
My constituents Mr and Mrs Amner sustained horrific,
life-changing injuries when their motorbike was hit by a car
driver under the influence of drugs overtaking a van. They are
understandably extremely distressed that while they will live
with the consequences of that accident for the rest of their
lives, the perpetrator was sentenced to just 30 months. As the
Secretary of State will know, although there has been a recent
consultation on sentencing, the guideline sentence cannot be
raised above five years without primary legislation. Has he any
plans for a Government Bill with a clause to raise the maximum
sentence for drink and drug driving?
We have relatively recently increased the sentences in relation
to driving offences, but if the hon. Lady writes to me again
about this harrowing case, I will look at it very carefully and
write back to her with the detail.
(Witham) (Con)
I have a constituent who is a victim of grooming. She has been
sexually abused and assaulted. The trial of the defendant keeps
being pushed back, which naturally is causing a great deal of
distress. We know that there are delays in the criminal courts,
some of which have been exacerbated by industrial action, but can
the Justice Secretary tell me how such cases will be prioritised
so that justice can be served for the victims and the
perpetrators can be locked away with good, strong sentences?
My right hon. Friend and I worked together closely to increase
sentences for the most serious crimes, and she is right about the
impact of the Criminal Bar Association’s strike action on the
backlog. I can reassure her that under the spending review
settlement—something I will be keen to protect as far as I can,
given the autumn statement—an extra £447 million will be going
into the criminal justice system to help improve waiting times.
On top of that, we are recruiting up to 1,000 judges in 2022-23
and we have removed the limit on sitting days in a Crown court
for the second year in a row, precisely to get the wheels of
justice turning more quickly and to give her constituents the
justice they need.
(Chesham and Amersham) (LD)
The surgeon who caused life-changing injuries by inserting
surgical mesh into my constituent Carol recently acted as an
expert witness in an unrelated surgical mesh negligence case. The
judge was highly critical of his evidence and accused him of
cherry-picking parts of the evidence that were supportive of the
defendant’s case. Will the Justice Secretary meet me and the
victims of surgical mesh to hear directly from them how such
conflicts of interest are proving to be a barrier to justice?
If the hon. Lady writes to me with the details of that case, I
will certainly ensure that she has a meeting with the most
appropriate Minister.
(Strangford) (DUP)
By their very nature, family court cases are sensitive, delicate
and complex, but all are urgent. During the time for such cases
to be heard, will the courts provide assistance for families who
are having difficult times to get them through the process?
Yes, and if the hon. Member writes to me with the details of his
concerns, I would be happy to address them in more detail, on top
of the assurances I have already provided to the House about the
approach we are taking forward.
(West
Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
My constituent Lisa Brown has been missing, presumed murdered, in
Spain since 2015, yet this morning I heard from Lisa’s family
that the prime suspect, who was imprisoned in Liverpool in 2020
for 12 years for drug offences and gun-running, has absconded.
Can I ask the Secretary of State or their prisons Minister to
assure me, Lisa’s family and the House that their Department is
doing all it can to return this dangerous criminal to prison,
where they rightfully belong?
Certainly I can give the hon. Gentleman and his constituents that
assurance. Absconds are actually very rare now; they have fallen
by nearly two thirds over the last decade, from 235 in 2010-11 to
95 in 2021-22. The majority are captured quickly, but he will
want to know that that happens in this case and I will ensure
that his concerns are passed on.
(Hammersmith) (Lab)
The Bill of Rights Bill strengthens the power of the state by
weakening the ability of victims to enforce their European
convention rights. Does the Secretary of State think that it is
appropriate for him to be piloting this legislation when he is
himself under investigation for the abuse of power and may not be
in Government to complete the passage of this controversial
constitutional change, for which he appears to be the only
advocate?
Yes.
|
