Contributions
510 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesCertain things are a matter of policy, and they are for the Government and for Parliament. We have had a constructive meeting with the Sentencing Council, a letter is going to the…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesI thank the right hon. Member for the constructive tone of his question. I refer him to the point about our not wanting to get ahead of ourselves. We need to allow the process to…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesI am afraid that I am becoming a bit repetitive. There is a desire from Opposition Members to rush ahead, and I have great respect for that— [ Interruption. ] Well, you had 14…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesThere was a constructive meeting. If the right hon. Member had been in it, I do not think he would have seen it as somebody “asking”. There was a constructive exchange of views,…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesThe Government do not believe that there should be differential treatment before the law. The Lord Chancellor has been very clear about that. The “Equal Treatment Bench Book”, to…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesPolicy decisions should always be made by this House; the hon. Member is absolutely correct about that. The background to where we are today is that the Sentencing Council…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesI have tried to explain this, and I will explain it once more. The Justice Secretary, the Lord Chancellor, has been extremely clear that she believes in equality before the law,…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesThe hon. Gentleman will not be surprised to learn that I agree with him. The victims Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones), is sitting next to me;…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesThe Lord Chancellor has made her position clear. She immediately met the Sentencing Council, and she is writing to it again to set out her concerns, and the Sentencing Council has…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesThe consultation was held under the previous Government, who not only expressed no concern, but welcomed what the Sentencing Council was doing. Immediately on seeing the…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesThe hon. Member reads out a phrase that was welcomed by the previous Government, but that the Lord Chancellor is objecting to and talking to the Sentencing Council about.17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesThe letter the previous Government wrote to the Sentencing Council during the consultation is clear. The previous Government were not just consulted; they welcomed the guidance.…17 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesFurther to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I do not believe that I inadvertently misled the House.17 Mar 2025HANSARDDraft Civil Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Fees (Amendment) Order 2025I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Civil Proceedings and Magistrates’ Courts Fees (Amendment) Order 2025. It is a pleasure to serve under your…12 Mar 2025HANSARDDraft Civil Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Fees (Amendment) Order 2025I thank the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle for his contribution. He is right that any future changes should have proper scrutiny, like the scrutiny we are providing today, and…12 Mar 2025HANSARDPrison Leavers: ResettlementThe sentencing review’s interim report describes the situation at the moment, and it is the first stage of that independent review’s addressing this long-standing issue. Frankly,…11 Mar 2025HANSARDPrison Leavers: ResettlementI thank the Chair of the Select Committee for his identification of these very good actions that are going on within the prison estate. The Prison Service is keen to encourage all…11 Mar 2025HANSARDPrison Leavers: ResettlementThe Ministry of Justice recognises the benefits of mentoring in resettlement and is currently reviewing our approach to peer mentoring to make sure it is consistent and effective.…11 Mar 2025HANSARDFemale OffendersI certainly share my hon. Friend’s deep concern about that issue, which she is right to raise. Good relationships between staff and prisoners are essential in our efforts to…11 Mar 2025HANSARDPrison CapacityThis Government inherited a prison system on the verge of collapse. Under the last Government, in 14 years only 500 prison places were produced. Under the last Labour Government,…11 Mar 2025