Contributions
1,152 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Victims and Courts BillJust once more—it is hard to say no to the hon. Gentleman!20 May 2025HANSARD Victims and Courts BillThe hon. Member makes an important point about communication with victims, and I will come a little later to the measures in that area that will enhance the system and provide a…20 May 2025HANSARD Victims and Courts BillThe hon. Member makes a powerful point, and I will say later why the Government and I reject the idea that antisocial behaviour is low level and therefore outside the purview of…20 May 2025HANSARD Victims and Courts BillI beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. When the Government took office just 10 months ago, we inherited a justice system in crisis—our prisons were on the point…20 May 2025HANSARD Victims and Courts BillI was just about to pay tribute to the Justice Committee for its work, to Sir Bob Neill, and to my hon. Friend, the current esteemed Chair of that Committee. I thank him and…20 May 2025HANSARD Victims and Courts BillWe hope that the Bill will provide some immediate relief when it comes to the recruitment of prosecutors, because it will address an outdated constraint, remove unnecessary…20 May 2025HANSARD Victims and Courts BillMy hon. Friend is an assiduous champion for the people of Clwyd East. Let me assure her that I approach this as a constituency MP just as much as I do as a Cabinet Minister. Far…20 May 2025HANSARD Victims and Courts BillI thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. I know that this part of the Bill will get lots of support from across the House. By strengthening the Victims’ Commissioner’s powers,…20 May 2025HANSARDPrison CapacityThis Government inherited a prison system at the point of crisis. We took swift and decisive action to stabilise it, but we knew that was a first step. This is why, in October, I…14 May 2025HANSARDJudicial Conduct Investigations Office Annual Report 2023–2024With the concurrence of the Lady Chief Justice, I will today publish the 17th annual report of the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. The JCIO supports the Lady Chief Justice…08 May 2025HANSARDYoung Offender Institutions in England: Use of PAVAThis Government inherited a crisis in our criminal justice system. This extends to the children and young people’s secure estate, which has seen increased levels of violence and…24 Apr 2025HANSARD Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) BillThe Sentencing Council might argue, rightly, that given the guideline was welcomed by the former Government, it probably thought it was on safer ground than I consider it to be.…22 Apr 2025HANSARDStandard Determinate Sentences: Early ReleaseThe hon. Member is right: this is one of the many difficult inheritances left for us by the previous Conservative Government. The contract with Serco was agreed by the previous…22 Apr 2025HANSARDStandard Determinate Sentences: Early ReleaseWe were transparent with the House about the problems with tagging during the second tranche of emergency releases last year. I will ensure that we publish the correct…22 Apr 2025HANSARDStandard Determinate Sentences: Early ReleaseThe last Government left our prisons in crisis. We came within days of running out of space entirely, and the emergency release programme was designed to stop that crisis…22 Apr 2025HANSARD Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) BillIf the hon. Lady will forgive me, I will make more progress. I think I have been more than generous. That brings me to the Bill before us today. While the updated Sentencing…22 Apr 2025HANSARD Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) BillI have ordered a wider review of all guidance across all the MOJ’s work in so far as it relates to equality before the law to make sure that the problems we have uncovered here…22 Apr 2025HANSARD Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) BillHowever, it is always up to the people in this House, if they feel that a law is being applied in ways that were not intended, to put that law right. I am afraid the right hon.…22 Apr 2025HANSARDHyper-prolific OffendingAs I said, we have already removed the effective immunity from prosecution for thefts relating to values under £200, reversing the previous Conservative Government’s policy in…22 Apr 2025HANSARDHyper-prolific OffendingI hope the hon. Gentleman will welcome efforts on the Labour Back Benches relating to tool trade; my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Amanda Martin) has introduced a…22 Apr 2025