Contributions
215 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsIt was right that the coalition Government abolished IPPs, which were brought in by the previous Labour Government, and there is consensus that that was the right thing to do. The…04 Jun 2019HANSARDProbation ReformI thank the right hon. Lady for welcoming the reforms. She asks whether I can guarantee that the Ministry of Justice will not be run along ideological lines but when I look across…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformWe will certainly want to prioritise organisations that deliver the best results; that is the key task. As the hon. Gentleman says, it is often the smaller voluntary services that…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformEvery individual case such as the one mentioned by the hon. Lady is a tragedy. We want to do everything we can to ensure that such cases are kept to a minimum, but there will…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformWith regard to previous experience, there is always a balance to be struck between trying to deliver something in good time and waiting to see all the evidence emerge. On where we…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformClearly, there have been difficulties about the payment-by-results model in this context, and Dame Glenys Stacey has been very clear about that. She described herself as being…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformThat is a very interesting point and certainly something that I am keen to explore. The Chairman of the Justice Committee has hit the nail on the head: sentencer confidence is…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformWe are working on the basis of 11 regions, and one of those regions—Wales—is a nation. I recognise that much could be done to ensure that the system is as localised as possible. I…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformTo be candid, one of the problems that we have faced with the current system is that the case load of low and medium-risk offenders has been significantly lower than was…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformTo be fair, by the hon. Gentleman’s standards that was quite a warm welcome for this policy announcement. I thank him for that. Let me pick up some of the points he made. He…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformYes. That is a very important point and I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that issue. When it comes to bringing down reoffending, making sure that we address issues of…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformI shall try to be emollient again. The fact is that the reoffending rate has fallen since Transforming Rehabilitation was brought in. There are areas of very good practice within…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformI can see that the hon. Lady has been working hard on her question. In 2014, the probation system was by no means perfect. There was a need for more innovation, and to ensure that…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformFirst, let me make the point about costs. I come back to the point that I made earlier, which is that our expenditure with community rehabilitation companies has been considerably…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformMy right hon. Friend makes a very important point. I am keen to ensure that we have the innovation that we need, and I have talked about the innovation fund. It is very important…16 May 2019HANSARDProbation ReformWith permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a statement on the Government’s response to the “Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence” consultation. Earlier today, I…16 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationBut before I do, I will give way to my hon. Friend.14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationThe hon. Lady brings me to probation, to which I wish to turn—14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationWhen looking at prisons, it is important to compare like with like. Our prison estate contains a range of prisons doing different tasks, with different cohorts of prisoners, which…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationThat is exactly right. If the private sector is not working, I am prepared to step in—I have no problem with doing that—but the most important thing is that we should look at the…14 May 2019