Contributions
2,978 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Second sitting)Q Exactly, and this would have a similar effect. I was the Bill Minister for that Bill, and I was delighted that the High Court found our legislation to be lawful and compatible…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Second sitting)Q I think Mr Cunningham said that the Secretary of State took the decision, so I was simply seeking to clarify that the Secretary of State refers but the Parole Board decides. Mr…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Second sitting)Q Not to worry; no problem at all. Let me turn to Jonathan, if I may, going back to clause 108, which Alex Cunningham was asking about. This is in relation to prisoners sentenced…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Second sitting)Q May I start by asking Matt Parr if you have any views on the proposals for out-of-court disposals, in particular to simplify the current number of out-of-court disposals,…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (First sitting)Thank you. It may be worth you engaging with the Sentencing Council once the legislation passes, to ensure the sentencing guidelines reflect the seriousness of the offence, and…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you. In that case, my only other question relates to the proposal to double the sentence for the assault of an emergency worker from 12 months to 24 months. Do you welcome…18 May 2021HANSARDBacklog of Court CasesI am rather perplexed to hear the shadow Minister talk about planned court closures. There are not any planned court closures and, in fact, as I have said, we have opened up 60…18 May 2021HANSARDBacklog of Court CasesI thank my hon. Friend for his question and for his interest, of course, in his constituency and his region. There is a great deal we are doing across the country, including in…18 May 2021HANSARDBacklog of Court CasesThe right hon. Gentleman talks about the situation prior to coronavirus. The outstanding case load in the Crown court prior to coronavirus was 39,000 cases—low by historical…18 May 2021HANSARDBacklog of Court CasesIn common with so many other areas of the justice system employment tribunals were profoundly affected by coronavirus, but we have taken decisive action. The number of employment…18 May 2021HANSARDBacklog of Court CasesThe hon. Gentleman is raising an extremely important point. Some of the questions that he is raising, to do with DNA testing and disclosure, are being addressed in the rape review…18 May 2021HANSARDBacklog of Court CasesMy hon. Friend has been a tireless advocate for a Nightingale court in Kent. My colleague Lord Wolfson is working very actively on that question and I strongly hope we will be in…18 May 2021HANSARDBacklog of Court CasesPrior to coronavirus, outstanding case loads in the Crown court were low by historical standards. However, coronavirus has put huge strain on the court system, in common with so…18 May 2021HANSARDProbateWe have increased resources to handle calls and inquiries relating to probate applications and, as a result, the average time taken to process such an application is running at…18 May 2021HANSARDProbateThankfully, distressing examples such as that are extremely rare. I encourage Members who encounter them to write to us at the Ministry of Justice so that we can make sure they…18 May 2021HANSARDEmergency Workers: AssaultsI should start by congratulating the hon. Gentleman on the instrumental role that he played in bringing forward the legislation to which I have just referred. On the question of…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (First sitting)Q As always, it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr McCabe. I join other members of the Committee in thanking the police for their service in the difficult…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (First sitting)We completely agree, thank you. My final question relates to out of court disposals. There are proposals in this Bill to simplify the number of out of court disposals from six to…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you. Based on your response to Alex Cunningham’s question, you may not be able to answer this, but I wanted to double check. Do you have any view on the proposals to…18 May 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Second sitting)Q I have one or two brief points. Mr Sweeting, you discussed remote hearings already; have you or your members seen during the pandemic evidence that using video and remote…18 May 2021