Contributions
411 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHis Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service: IPP Sentence Annual Report 2025-26My noble Friend the Minister of State for Justice (Lord Timpson) has today made the following statement: Today, I am laying before Parliament the HMPPS 2025-26 annual report on…09 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersI thank the shadow Justice Secretary for his opening remarks. This is a profoundly serious matter for all Members in this place, victims across the country—including those here in…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersI appreciate the right hon. Gentleman’s intervention. He has been consistent on this, although we do not agree on everything when it comes to criminal justice matters. The…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersWhat we will not do is put our head in the sand, which would lead to another prison capacity crisis, which would lead to another urgent, chaotic early release scheme as we saw…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersLet me make some progress first. The Home Secretary recognised that alongside prison building, there would be a need to reform sentencing, and for that be done above party…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersSome Opposition Members still think he is a great man. I do not think that is a universal view on the Opposition Benches. Following publication of the review, the Sentencing Bill…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersI understand. I meet victims all the time in my role at the Ministry of Justice. Before being elected to Parliament, I represented many victims of child sexual abuse every day in…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersI am not sure which letters the right hon. Member is referring to, because none of the letters sent out by the Ministry of Justice has referred to people already being released. I…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersAbsolutely. The hon. Lady’s call for us all to reflect on that will be taken up. I know that the Justice Secretary and the Victims Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Derby…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersAs happened on numerous occasions under Boris Johnson and Theresa May, in Opposition day debates the Government are quite within their rights not to divide on an issue—an…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersI appreciate the right hon. Gentleman’s kind words, personally, but I gently say that the Opposition party has no plan for how to deal with the prison crisis that its amendment…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersI will not give way another time. Once prisoners are released, offenders will be subject to strict licence conditions. We are adding tougher restrictions as part of the Probation…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersI understand my hon. Friend’s intervention. Let us be clear that many of the offenders we are talking about have been released previously and would continue being released but for…07 Jul 2026HANSARDEarly Release of PrisonersSentencing judges always consider dangerousness and risk to the public, as probation officers do. Every offender has a level of dangerousness, which is risk-assessed by probation…07 Jul 2026HANSARDSafeguarding in Youth Custody: Review and Government ResponseToday the Government published their response to Isabelle Trowler’s independent review into the safeguarding of children in youth custody. No child should ever come to harm, least…07 Jul 2026HANSARDDraft Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Anti-social Behaviour and Prevention and Investigation Measures) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Anti-social Behaviour and Prevention and…01 Jul 2026HANSARDDraft Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Anti-social Behaviour and Prevention and Investigation Measures) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026That is certainly something we can look into. As my hon. Friend knows from his previous life before becoming a parliamentarian, legal aid is vital for access to justice,…01 Jul 2026HANSARDDraft Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Anti-social Behaviour and Prevention and Investigation Measures) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026I am grateful for hon. Members’ contributions. I appreciate the uncharacteristically constructive tone from the official Opposition—there was a party-political barb in there, but…01 Jul 2026HANSARDWomen’s Prison Estate: Biological MalesThere are fewer than five transgender women in the general women’s estate. The exact figure cannot be provided without breaching data protection legislation obligations.30 Jun 2026HANSARDWomen’s Prison Estate: Biological MalesMy hon. Friend is absolutely right that we are determined to drive down the population of women who are in prison where it is safe to do so. That is why Lord Timpson set up the…30 Jun 2026