Contributions
1,118 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTrial Processes: Efficiency and EconomyIt is spring 2024.16 May 2023HANSARDEmployment Advisory BoardsEmployment advisory boards, chaired by business leaders across the country, do hugely important work to foster links between prisons and employers. I was delighted to attend the…16 May 2023HANSARDEmployment Advisory BoardsI am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that issue. I know the prison that he speaks of. He is right to highlight the brilliant work of Paul Barrett of Barretts Motor Group,…16 May 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am delighted to have been appointed Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor. The rule of law, access to justice and the independence of the judiciary are the bedrock of a safe,…16 May 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise this point. The Government have invested significantly in new capabilities for law enforcement, including our specially trained network…16 May 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsLet us just get a few things absolutely clear. We believe in criminals spending longer in custody. It is strange that when there was the opportunity to vote for rapists and…16 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillI beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. Some years ago, shortly before I entered Parliament, I was stood in the Crown court at Birmingham, having been instructed…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillI will come to those points in a moment, but it is broadly to do with the offences.15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillMy hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. She mentions Hope Street, and the Nelson Trust, which I have visited, does excellent work in this regard. I think we do always…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillAs the hon. Lady knows, we have discussed these issues at some length in a different context, and she should know that I am ready to continue that conversation.15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillI am very grateful to my right hon. Friend. That is exactly the point. If victims are to be not spectators but participants, from the moment of complaint they must be listened to…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillI thank my right hon. Friend for raising that important matter on behalf of his constituents. The interests and rights of victims are absolutely at the heart of this proposal,…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillMay I thank my hon. Friend, and say that I have read every word of that important evidence to the Committee? I thank him for the time he took to provide that additional scrutiny,…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillIt is incredibly important that child victims receive the support that they need, and that should not be a bar to their giving a video-recorded piece of evidence, for example, so…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillThe hon. Lady should not have found out in a newspaper. She should have been kept updated and informed. If she would like to come to speak to me about that, I will find out what…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillIt is important to consider these things separately, but the right hon. Gentleman identifies something that is a stain on our justice system. The IPP system should never have…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillLet me make a little progress. As I indicated, the Bill will make sure that everyone knows what they are entitled to and it sends a clear signal to the system about the service…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillCan I just make a bit of progress? Before I return to the key elements I mentioned a few moments ago, I want to set out a little context. Hugely important work has taken place…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillI will come to the hon. Lady in one moment. The revised victims code, published in 2020, contains many additional entitlements. For example, right 7 is a victim’s entitlement to…15 May 2023HANSARDVictims and Prisoners BillI begin by thanking my right hon. Friend for her stalwart commitment to the rights of victims. I venture to suggest that no one in this House has done more to stand up for…15 May 2023