Contributions
923 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingMy Lords, our vision is that no female offender who is subject to probation supervision will be released from prison homeless. Building on the success of our Covid emergency…21 Mar 2022HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingThere was quite a lot in that question. I acknowledge that it is a very important topic. I will pick up on a couple of the points made. The 77% figure comes from the recent IMB…21 Mar 2022HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingI think that robust categories are in place. We define homelessness, in accordance with the legal definition, as being where the individual does not have any accommodation…21 Mar 2022HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingI absolutely agree with that point. I have said from this Dispatch Box, on a number of areas, that data is absolutely critical. We need to ensure that we are looking at the same…21 Mar 2022HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingMy Lords, I am more than aware of this problem, because we debated it both in Committee and on Report for legislation which was going through this House. It is a real issue, and…21 Mar 2022HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingMy Lords, the noble Baroness is absolutely right, but we have seen a significant reduction in the number of women prisoners in the past three to four years. There will always be…21 Mar 2022HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingMy Lords, this is obviously a very important issue. We have tried to join up the dots between the Prison Service and the NHS. The problem in the past was that women left prison,…21 Mar 2022HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingMy Lords, integrated support is absolutely key—I agree with the noble Lord on that. We have done a number of things; we have set up a scheme to offer 12 weeks’ accommodation to…21 Mar 2022HANSARDPrisons: Releasing Women into Safe and Secure HousingMy Lords, I disagree with the noble Lord only on one point, when he said that prison chaplains can play an important role for prisoners, including in rehabilitation. I think that…21 Mar 2022HANSARDBarristers Leaving Criminal PracticeMy Lords, our plan is more work for criminal barristers at higher fees. We have made radical proposals for wholesale reform of legal aid, provided £150 million more on fees and…17 Mar 2022HANSARDBarristers Leaving Criminal PracticeMy Lords, it did not take the threat of a strike from the Criminal Bar Association for us to respond to Sir Christopher Bellamy’s report, but I hope that our responding in a way…17 Mar 2022HANSARDBarristers Leaving Criminal PracticeMy Lords, as a barrister-politician, I now know where I stand in public esteem. The noble Baroness is right. One of the issues has been that there has not been a means-test review…17 Mar 2022HANSARDBarristers Leaving Criminal PracticeThe noble and learned Lord is absolutely right. We do look at the cost of travel for barristers. As I have just said, we hope that increased online hearings will mean that travel…17 Mar 2022HANSARDBarristers Leaving Criminal PracticeMy Lords, we think that these changes will be a systemic change in legal aid: 3.5 million more people will be eligible for legal aid in magistrates’ courts and 2 million more…17 Mar 2022HANSARDBarristers Leaving Criminal PracticeMy Lords, solicitors need a higher rights of audience certificate to appear in the higher courts. We are in discussions to ensure that this system is working well. However, as…17 Mar 2022HANSARDNo-fault DivorceMy Lords, I do not make any apology for the mediation voucher scheme; it is important to encourage mediation in family law, as indeed across the civil justice system more…15 Mar 2022HANSARDNo-fault DivorceMy Lords, the letter from my noble and learned friend Lord Keen was sent at the conclusion of the parliamentary process for the divorce Act. In the intervening two years, we have…15 Mar 2022HANSARDNo-fault DivorceMy Lords, yes: no-fault divorce means that the question of fault is essentially irrelevant to the fact of the divorce. As to equality of arms, that is where mediation is so…15 Mar 2022HANSARDNo-fault DivorceMy Lords, we of course recognise that divorce can be a stressful time for families. We want to make sure that support is there for separating couples. We have invested in family…15 Mar 2022HANSARDEarly Legal Advice Pilot Scheme Order 2022That the draft Order laid before the House on 19 January be approved. Relevant document: 29th Report from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee . Considered in Grand…15 Mar 2022