Contributions
747 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLocked Child Trust FundsThe hon. Member will understand, as will Mr Turner, that we have to balance the desire to support young adults who lack capacity in accessing what is their property by right with…03 Jun 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe Ministry of Justice currently provides free sentencing remarks for victims of murder and manslaughter. As of last month, we have made permanent our pilot to provide those…03 Jun 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe hon. Lady highlights an absolutely appalling case. If she is asking whether I think that is acceptable, the answer is no. As my hon. Friend the Victims Minister said, justice…03 Jun 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsIt is vital that those who need legal aid—some of the most vulnerable people in our society—can access it. We are funding provisions such as Advicenow, which is an online…03 Jun 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentOnce we have resolved this investigation, once we can be assured that the hackers are no longer in the system and that people’s data is safe and once we can be assured that our…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that incidents such as this perpetrated by cyber-criminals represent an attack on our justice system and are corrosive of trust. He is also…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentI thank my hon. Friend for that very important question. People can do two things: first, be in touch with their legal aid provider, because that will be the source of the data…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. Whether in Government, local authorities or other bodies such as universities and businesses big and small—as we know, some of the most famous…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentThe hon. Gentleman will know that the cyber-security and resilience Bill will be introduced in this Session. The focus of that Bill is to improve the cyber-defences of this…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentI will not disclose the name of the perpetrators of this malign attack. I do not think it would be responsible for me to do so while the investigation is live and while they are…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentAs I said, those responsible are the baddies here, but let me be clear: I was absolutely shocked when I came into the Department to find the state of the Legal Aid Agency’s legacy…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentI am afraid that the hon. Lady has got her chronology the wrong way round. There was a newspaper article because the Ministry of Justice had published a public statement as soon…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentMy understanding is that the entirety of the Legal Aid Agency’s system has been exposed. We do not know the full extent of that exposure and the theft that has taken place, and we…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentThe hon. Member is right to say that those responsible for this attack on our justice system are criminals—no ifs, no buts. What they have perpetrated on our legal aid systems is…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentWith permission, I will make a statement about an incident that has affected the Legal Aid Agency—an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. The House will appreciate that…19 May 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentI thank my hon. Friend for that pertinent question. He will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment in any great detail while the investigation is ongoing. As…19 May 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. The other day I visited the Telford justice centre, where one of the courtrooms was out of use because of mould and a leaky roof. The…22 Apr 2025HANSARDCourt BacklogsI am desperately sorry to hear about the case that my hon. Friend describes. Once again, the best thing that we can do for those families, to ensure that they get swifter justice…22 Apr 2025HANSARDCourt BacklogsWe recognise the traumatic impact of delays in our Crown courts on victims of violence against women and girls and, indeed, victims of all crimes. The best thing we can do for…22 Apr 2025HANSARDCourt BacklogsThis Government inherited a record rise in court backlogs. The last Conservative Government let down victims of crime, businesses, workers and families, all through their neglect…22 Apr 2025