Contributions
617 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Divorce, Dissolution and Separation BillMy hon. Friend raises an important wider point. Further assistance and early intervention, which was mentioned by the Secretary of State, is required to protect all concerned.25 Jun 2019HANSARD Divorce, Dissolution and Separation BillI welcome the Bill. Labour supports the introduction of a no-fault divorce procedure, which we committed to in our 2017 general election manifesto, and we are pleased that the…25 Jun 2019HANSARD Court Closures: Access to JusticeI thank my hon. Friends the Members for Enfield, Southgate (Bambos Charalambous) and for Lewisham West and Penge (Ellie Reeves) and the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst…20 Jun 2019HANSARDPrivately Run PrisonsI would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new Ministers on their appointment. I am sure everyone across the House was deeply concerned by new research showing…04 Jun 2019HANSARDLegal Aid ReformTwo years ago, Taylor Alice Williams died while she was supposed to be under the care of the state in a secure children’s home. Her bereaved mother, who is unable to work due to a…04 Jun 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsI recently met Donna Mooney, the sister of Tommy Nicol, who sadly took his own life in prison while serving an imprisonment for public protection sentence. I am sure that the…04 Jun 2019HANSARDProbation ReformI thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. The Government have been forced to face reality and accept that their probation model is irredeemably broken;…16 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationI beg to move, That this House notes HM Chief Inspector of Probation’s recent conclusion that the privatised probation system is irredeemably flawed and that public ownership is…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationI will give way on this last occasion.14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationMy hon. Friend makes an important point very eloquently. As she says, splitting probation into two and part-privatising it has been a disaster. From the outset, the Labour party…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationMy hon. Friend hits the nail on the head. I am now coming to my conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Conservatives now need to drop this dangerous obsession with running…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationThe hon. Lady makes an interesting point, and we can of course learn from the experiences in Wales and Scotland. I will touch on probation and wider justice later in my speech.14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationThis House is a place for cautious optimism, which is very appropriate—not perhaps on all sides. My hon. Friend the Member for Wakefield (Mary Creagh) makes an important point…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationHe has, but under different circumstances. The key point is that the 10 prisons were cherry-picked and were not the 10 worst. If we are to turn this justice crisis around, we need…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationMy hon. Friend makes an important point. That fact should weigh heavily with the Government. It means that they should not dismiss this debate as being ideological driven and that…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationI certainly do. I do not think that this Government or our society should see the United States of America as the example to follow in relation to incarceration and justice.…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationMy hon. Friend, who makes an important point, has always been a passionate advocate for the improvement of conditions at Wormwood Scrubs. He is right that the former Prisons…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationThat is an important point. Rehabilitation is key to an effective criminal justice system and to turning lives around and keeping communities safer. It is not just about violence;…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationWe are looking for an evidence-based approach. Given that privatisation in the justice system has been such a failure, it seems rather strange that the Government’s response seems…14 May 2019HANSARDPrisons and ProbationI tend to agree with my hon. Friend on that point, as on virtually everything else. There is so much wrong with our prisons and with our wider justice system. It is overcrowded…14 May 2019