Contributions
179 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Second sitting)Q On the practicalities of jury trials, you talked about the time savings of having judge-only trials over jury trials. I want to talk about other potential savings in terms of…25 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Second sitting)Q You said that your preference would be for two magistrates and a judge to sit together, and I understand your views on that. There are already examples in our criminal justice…25 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Second sitting)Q So potentially there would be less repetitive listing of the same trial over and over again through those issues. Clement Goldstone: You would have one trial listed once,…25 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Second sitting)Q My last question is about the allocation process. In previous debates, we have heard concern that the judge’s allocation decision about whether it is the Crown court bench…25 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Second sitting)I want to declare that, as Crown prosecutor, I was assigned to the team that looked at the Insulate Britain campaign and reviewed the evidence as to whether charges should be…25 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Second sitting)Is it not the case that magistrates courts can be more agile in terms of court listing and picking up cases, like we heard from the Canadian—25 Mar 2026HANSARDRail Connections to London: Rural TownsShrewsbury certainly does sound like a wonderful place to visit. I am working hard on the visitor economy for Amber Valley, and an integrated transport system and good transport…23 Mar 2026HANSARDBusiness of the HouseDenby Pottery has been the heart of Amber Valley since 1809. It provides over 500 jobs and brings in 250,000 visitors a year, but it has sadly had to apply for administration…19 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals BillOur plan for court reform implements time savings across the system, not just in the courtroom but in a number of other aspects of the justice system that contribute to delays…19 Mar 2026HANSARDDraft Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2026At a recent coffee morning that I held in the village of Holbrook, constituents raised their worries about energy bills. In 2024-25, 6,219 people, or 14.5% of all households in…18 Mar 2026HANSARDProductivity and Economic Growth: East MidlandsIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) for securing the debate. Many in Amber Valley—including…17 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals BillI absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, and I thank all those people working in the criminal justice system who, frankly, have been propping up the system with the generosity of…10 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals BillWill the hon. Gentleman give way?10 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals BillOn appeals against magistrates’ rulings, is the shadow Minister aware—as I am, through my experience—that appeals are essentially a retrial in the magistrates court, and that many…10 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals BillOn that point, will my hon. Friend give way?10 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals BillAnyone who has worked on the frontline of the criminal justice system knows that the Crown court crisis has been years in the making. Underfunding, austerity, covid and the…10 Mar 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals BillI absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that this is about getting justice to victims, which defendants game the system to prevent. Arguments against the Crown court bench division…10 Mar 2026HANSARDSupport for NEET Young People12. What steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.09 Mar 2026HANSARDSupport for NEET Young PeopleI am delighted that the Secretary of State is planning to visit the David Nieper Academy in Alfreton later this year. The school recently achieved zero NEETs at age 18 for the…09 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsT8. I was pleased to see that the schools White Paper outlines significant reforms to support children with special educational needs and disabilities. Will the Minister outline…09 Mar 2026