Contributions
1,097 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCriminal Justice System: CapacityI thank the noble Baroness for her question. All prisoners who were released in error under the first tranche of releases are now back behind bars. I will write to her on her…22 Oct 2024HANSARDCriminal Justice System: CapacityI have just consulted with my noble friend Lord Timpson and I can reassure the noble Lord that we do have enough tags for the process which we are embarking on. I should also…22 Oct 2024HANSARDCriminal Justice System: CapacityMy noble friend raises a good point. There has certainly been increased resource in probation, and we are recruiting additional probation officers. That is going very well, but it…22 Oct 2024HANSARDCriminal Justice System: CapacityIt is certainly our intention to do so. That underpins so much of what we are going to do. We are increasing the number of people in the Probation Service. Obviously, we want to…22 Oct 2024HANSARDCriminal Justice System: CapacityI became a magistrate just under 20 years ago and at that point there were 30,000 magistrates in England and Wales. There are now about 14,000 and we are trying to get the number…22 Oct 2024HANSARDCriminal Justice System: CapacityI absolutely assure the noble and learned Lord that remanding in custody is covered in magistrate training. When I used to oversee new magistrates, I said to them on their first…22 Oct 2024HANSARDCriminal Justice System: CapacityOf course, I accept the point. The objective is not to change the number of people who are remanded in custody, because obviously that is a judicial decision, but to reduce the…22 Oct 2024HANSARDCriminal Justice System: CapacityI acknowledge the noble Baroness’s point, and of course we value the contribution that they make. We all know these organisations. I remember working very closely with them when…22 Oct 2024HANSARDInfected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024I thank both the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, and the noble Earl, Lord Howe, for their very thoughtful discussion of the regulations. I recognise they have both had long…21 Oct 2024HANSARDInfected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024My Lords, I start by reminding the House why we are here. The infected blood scandal is a mark of shame on the British state. The infected blood inquiry’s final report, published…21 Oct 2024HANSARDInfected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024That the Regulations laid before the House on 23 August be approved. Relevant document: 2nd Report from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (s pecial attention drawn to…21 Oct 2024HANSARDHumanist WeddingsI thank the noble Lord, Lord Meston, for his question, and I agree with his premise that the current state of laws regarding weddings is unsatisfactory. Although the current…16 Oct 2024HANSARDHumanist WeddingsI thank the right reverend Prelate for his question; he makes the point very well. I have heard the phrase “free market approach”, and I have heard people speak about the…16 Oct 2024HANSARDHumanist WeddingsI agree with the noble and learned Lord. That is an important factor within the wider consideration of this issue. It is also a factor concerning which groups would be included.…16 Oct 2024HANSARDHumanist WeddingsUnfortunately, the answer is the same as the one I gave to earlier questions: it will be in due course. I understand the strength of feeling on this matter. There are a lot of…16 Oct 2024HANSARDHumanist WeddingsMy Lords, unfortunately, the timescale is “in due course”. Nevertheless, there is a commitment to look at this and to look at the question in the round. The noble Lord’s question…16 Oct 2024HANSARDHumanist WeddingsThe Government are not in favour of Satanist marriages. I think the noble Lord answers his own question: there are other groups that would claim that they have special beliefs…16 Oct 2024HANSARDHumanist WeddingsMy Lords, we are aware that humanists have long been campaigning on this issue, and all the elements which my noble friend mentioned are true. However, the previous Government…16 Oct 2024HANSARDHumanist WeddingsMy Lords, I open by wishing my noble friend a happy birthday. However, I cannot give her the birthday present she would wish for. The Government understand humanists’ strength of…16 Oct 2024HANSARDCommission on Justice in WalesMy Lords, the commission’s report, published in 2019, is substantial and makes 78 recommendations, a significant number of which are for the Welsh Government to consider. There…07 Oct 2024