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Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice. Mr | :00:10. | :00:14. | |
Dominic Raab. Number one. First of all, I would like to pay | :00:15. | :00:27. | |
tribute to the work done by my honourable friend on human rights | :00:28. | :00:31. | |
reform as a minister in this department. He is a great champion | :00:32. | :00:36. | |
of liberty. This Government is committed to scrapping the Human | :00:37. | :00:40. | |
Rights Act and introducing a British Bill of Rights. Dominic Raab. Thank | :00:41. | :00:46. | |
you, Mr Speaker. At the outset, it is an honour to be the first | :00:47. | :00:50. | |
honourable member to welcome the new Justice Secretary and the new front | :00:51. | :00:54. | |
bench team to their posts. I wish them every success. Can I, | :00:55. | :01:01. | |
personally, from experience, assure her that being a lawyer is of very | :01:02. | :01:03. | |
limited value in her departments, no offence to the Minister of State! | :01:04. | :01:08. | |
Britain's decision to leave the EU will remove the jurisdiction of the | :01:09. | :01:12. | |
Luxembourg court, probably the biggest obstacle to delivering a | :01:13. | :01:17. | |
Bill of Rights. Can I welcome her in continuing with this reform and ask | :01:18. | :01:20. | |
the government to provide consultation as soon as possible? | :01:21. | :01:24. | |
I thank my honourable friend for his question. This is an important | :01:25. | :01:29. | |
reform, we need to get it right. We will be introducing proposals in due | :01:30. | :01:33. | |
course, we will deliver on this manifesto commitment. | :01:34. | :01:39. | |
Which convention rights does the Justice Secretary propose to leave | :01:40. | :01:45. | |
out of the Bill of Rights? I thank the honourable gentleman for | :01:46. | :01:49. | |
his question. I remember with fondness our time together on the | :01:50. | :01:52. | |
Justice select committee, where he had many good thoughts to put | :01:53. | :01:58. | |
forward at that time. We will be putting out our proposals in due | :01:59. | :02:04. | |
course that will discuss this issue in detail. One of the important | :02:05. | :02:09. | |
points is that we want to see the ultimate arbiter of those rights be | :02:10. | :02:13. | |
the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. | :02:14. | :02:18. | |
Charlie Elphicke. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that one of | :02:19. | :02:22. | |
the problems with the current setup is the code includes many | :02:23. | :02:27. | |
reservations and qualifications which the European Court does not | :02:28. | :02:31. | |
embrace, and a British Bill of Rights could ensure that there is | :02:32. | :02:35. | |
proper balance and the interest of justice can be served? My honourable | :02:36. | :02:39. | |
friend makes a very good point, that is absolutely the reason that we | :02:40. | :02:44. | |
want to pursue a British Bill of Rights that'll put that in place. | :02:45. | :02:50. | |
Alistair Carmichael. If we are to have the Supreme Court as the | :02:51. | :02:54. | |
ultimate arbiter, does this mean that if the Lord Chancellor wants to | :02:55. | :02:59. | |
withdraw from the European Convention? | :03:00. | :03:01. | |
The Prime Minister has been very clear that leaving the easy HR is | :03:02. | :03:08. | |
not something that we will pursue. Julian Brazier. Could I too welcome | :03:09. | :03:13. | |
my right honourable friend to her post, and her determination to | :03:14. | :03:16. | |
proceed with a British Bill of Rights? Could I urge her to remember | :03:17. | :03:21. | |
that the cornerstone of the rule of law in this country has always been | :03:22. | :03:27. | |
the sovereignty of Parliament, could I urge her not to listen to those | :03:28. | :03:34. | |
who argue that somehow or other getting rid of an act which came 40 | :03:35. | :03:40. | |
years after we had signed up to the European Convention on human rights | :03:41. | :03:43. | |
somehow or other undermines our position within the treaty? | :03:44. | :03:49. | |
He is absolutely right, human rights were not invented in 1998 with the | :03:50. | :03:53. | |
Human Rights Act. We have a strong record of the country of human | :03:54. | :03:57. | |
rights dating back to Magna Carta. The British Bill of Rights is going | :03:58. | :04:01. | |
to be the next step in enshrining those rights in our laws. | :04:02. | :04:07. | |
May I welcome the Secretary of State to her new role and say that well, | :04:08. | :04:11. | |
of course it is not a prerequisite for her role to be a lawyer, she | :04:12. | :04:15. | |
will no doubt wish to listen carefully to any legal advice she | :04:16. | :04:20. | |
receives in order... Relation to any proposals to reform the law. There | :04:21. | :04:24. | |
was almost universal opposition to the repeal of the Human Rights Act | :04:25. | :04:28. | |
in Scotland, reflected in the Scottish parliament and across | :04:29. | :04:33. | |
Scottish Civic Society. On the 11th of August I wrote to the Government | :04:34. | :04:37. | |
of Britain seeking clarification on the plans of the so-called reform to | :04:38. | :04:42. | |
the Human Rights Act. I have yet to receive a substantive response. At | :04:43. | :04:46. | |
what stage in her plans with the Secretary of State seek to consult | :04:47. | :04:49. | |
with the Scottish Government, and can she confirmed that she will | :04:50. | :04:53. | |
listen to and respect the answer? I thank her for her question. I have | :04:54. | :04:58. | |
already had a number of legal meetings on this issue and I am sure | :04:59. | :05:09. | |
I will enjoy working with the legal profession in this role. The Prime | :05:10. | :05:12. | |
Minister has already had a very good meeting with the First Minister of | :05:13. | :05:15. | |
Scotland, I will be meeting the Scottish justice minister shortly to | :05:16. | :05:16. | |
discuss a number of issues. Order, I apologise, I had not | :05:17. | :05:20. | |
realised that the honourable and Leonard lady wanted a second bite of | :05:21. | :05:23. | |
herself. LAUGHTER | :05:24. | :05:29. | |
I was rather hoping to have the second bite of Her Majesty's | :05:30. | :05:34. | |
Government. I thank the Secretary of State for | :05:35. | :05:38. | |
her early response. If she has been having legal meetings about the | :05:39. | :05:41. | |
Human Rights Act she would have been advised that human rights are not a | :05:42. | :05:45. | |
reserved matter, therefore the Scottish Parliament must be | :05:46. | :05:47. | |
consulted regarding any legislation with regard to human rights. During | :05:48. | :05:52. | |
the independence rep around, Scotland was told it was an equal | :05:53. | :05:57. | |
partner in this union. Did she appreciate that to repeal the Human | :05:58. | :06:00. | |
Rights Act across the UK would fly in the face of that promise and | :06:01. | :06:04. | |
exacerbate the democratic deficit that already exists in Scotland, | :06:05. | :06:08. | |
where a Tory Government we did not vote for is planning to take us out | :06:09. | :06:13. | |
of the European Union against our will? | :06:14. | :06:16. | |
I thank her for her question. I would point out that this was in the | :06:17. | :06:20. | |
Conservative Party manifesto, we secured a majority at the general | :06:21. | :06:24. | |
election. As I said, I will be in touch with the Scottish justice | :06:25. | :06:35. | |
minister and look forward to talking to him on the subject. | :06:36. | :06:37. | |
Richard Bergen. Thank you again, Mr Speaker. I would like to welcome the | :06:38. | :06:40. | |
Secretary of State to her new role. It is good to see a Leeds person at | :06:41. | :06:45. | |
both dispatch boxes. Like me, I understand that she comes from good | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
left-wing Leeds stock, I look forward to our exchanges. | :06:50. | :06:55. | |
In her swearing-in ceremony, the Justice Secretary quoted with | :06:56. | :07:01. | |
approval the late Lord Bingham. On the Human Rights Act, Lord Bingham | :07:02. | :07:05. | |
asked in 2009, which of these rights, I asked, would you wish to | :07:06. | :07:10. | |
discard? And went on to say there may be those who would like to live | :07:11. | :07:13. | |
in a country where these rights are not protected, but I am not of their | :07:14. | :07:18. | |
number. To get the Secretary of State another chance, because she | :07:19. | :07:21. | |
failed to answer the question from my honourable friend the member for | :07:22. | :07:25. | |
Kingston-upon-Hull earlier, which of these rights did she wish to | :07:26. | :07:34. | |
discard? I also welcome the honourable | :07:35. | :07:36. | |
gentleman to the dispatch box, it is great to have somebody who is also | :07:37. | :07:39. | |
from Leeds facing me. And to highlight the error of my ways after | :07:40. | :07:41. | |
growing up in a left-wing household in that great city. | :07:42. | :07:47. | |
LAUGHTER All I can say is I believe that | :07:48. | :07:55. | |
everyone is capable of reform, even those, Mr Speaker, on the benches | :07:56. | :07:58. | |
opposite. I have not given up hope yet on the | :07:59. | :08:03. | |
Shadow Secretary of State for Health adjusters. The whole purpose of the | :08:04. | :08:10. | |
Bill of Rights is to enhance human rights in this country. We have | :08:11. | :08:15. | |
leading human rights since Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights published | :08:16. | :08:19. | |
in Wales in 1689, and we will continue to lead the world in human | :08:20. | :08:26. | |
rights. Thank you very much to the Secretary | :08:27. | :08:31. | |
of State for that response. But we were very clear that we will replace | :08:32. | :08:37. | |
the Human Rights Act, which is not working for British people, with a | :08:38. | :08:40. | |
British Bill of Rights. It gives the ultimate power to citizens in this | :08:41. | :08:46. | |
country. These were the words of the Secretary of State on the today | :08:47. | :08:49. | |
programme in May 20 15. Given that and the answer she has just given, | :08:50. | :08:54. | |
can she explain to the house why she wants to rob the people of Britain | :08:55. | :08:59. | |
of their rights, and will she admits that talk of a so-called bill of | :09:00. | :09:05. | |
rights is simply posturing and making concessions to the hard right | :09:06. | :09:12. | |
of the Conservative Party? Human rights were not invented in | :09:13. | :09:15. | |
1998 with the Human Rights Act. There are major issues with the | :09:16. | :09:21. | |
Human Rights Act. We need to move forward, had a British Bill of | :09:22. | :09:23. | |
Rights that enshrines our ancient liberties. | :09:24. | :09:29. | |
We do no need to make progress, as there are lots of questions, and | :09:30. | :09:33. | |
progress has been slow so far. Can we be speeded up by Mr John Mann? | :09:34. | :09:41. | |
Hate crime is abhorrent and has no place in society, the Government | :09:42. | :09:46. | |
published its plan to tackle hate crime, Action Against Hate, in July | :09:47. | :09:50. | |
20 16. The Government believes that the enforcement of criminal | :09:51. | :09:53. | |
legislation has an important role in tackling online hate, Willie | :09:54. | :09:56. | |
deterrence and prevention which needs a broader response and | :09:57. | :10:00. | |
effective management from the Internet industry. | :10:01. | :10:04. | |
Last time I asked the Secretary of State question she invited me to | :10:05. | :10:07. | |
join her on a delegation to China. May reciprocate and invite the front | :10:08. | :10:11. | |
bench to come to Bassetlaw today in bench to come to Bassetlaw today in | :10:12. | :10:15. | |
the Jubilee room, hosted by myself and the member for Newark. True | :10:16. | :10:22. | |
Vision, the Internet reporting organisation based in her officers, | :10:23. | :10:28. | |
is the pride and joy of her department and the envy of every | :10:29. | :10:32. | |
other Government in the world. Is she going to allow it to disappear | :10:33. | :10:36. | |
into some other government departments, or will she keep it in | :10:37. | :10:39. | |
her department? I thank him for his | :10:40. | :10:43. | |
characteristically delivered question. The Secretary of State, I | :10:44. | :10:46. | |
gather, recently wrote to him on this matter. The cross government | :10:47. | :10:50. | |
hate crime programme is highly regarded by this government, and | :10:51. | :10:53. | |
internationally. I am committed to ensuring that this important work | :10:54. | :10:56. | |
continues. I would like to welcome my | :10:57. | :10:59. | |
honourable friend. The government was right to make posting revenge | :11:00. | :11:04. | |
porn online crime. Figures released today show that have been 200 | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
prosecutions, yet more than 1000 reported cases of revenge | :11:10. | :11:13. | |
pornography reported to the police. Does the Minister agree with me that | :11:14. | :11:18. | |
as with other sex-related crimes, perhaps anonymity for victims needs | :11:19. | :11:22. | |
to be carefully considered in these cases? | :11:23. | :11:26. | |
I thank my honourable friend for this question and the work she and | :11:27. | :11:31. | |
the select committee do in this area, it is a terrible abuse of | :11:32. | :11:34. | |
trust which can leave victims feeling the bated and degraded. By | :11:35. | :11:40. | |
making it a specific offence can offence we've sent clear message | :11:41. | :11:45. | |
this will not be tolerated, with regard to anonymity I'm interested | :11:46. | :11:47. | |
in what she's saying she would write me on that issue I will consider it. | :11:48. | :11:53. | |
Can look on the Minister to his post and ask if he has seen the comments | :11:54. | :11:56. | |
the Director of Public Prosecutions this morning that social media is | :11:57. | :12:02. | |
one of the driving forces behind the record high in recorded crimes, | :12:03. | :12:07. | |
violent crimes against women and girls, and welcomed what he said | :12:08. | :12:10. | |
about needing a broader response to these issues. Can he tell me what he | :12:11. | :12:15. | |
plans to do to safeguard the many specialist services that exist to | :12:16. | :12:19. | |
support women who are suffering online harassment and abuse, many of | :12:20. | :12:23. | |
which are suffering from funding cuts? As I already stated, this | :12:24. | :12:30. | |
crime is deplorable. I suspect it has always happened and social media | :12:31. | :12:34. | |
has facilitated it and we are now detecting a greater level of crime | :12:35. | :12:40. | |
of this kind. I am determined to maintain services that support women | :12:41. | :12:44. | |
and men who are subjected to this crime and will continue to keep a | :12:45. | :12:51. | |
close eye on that. What action is the Government taking to combat | :12:52. | :12:55. | |
online anti-Semitic hate crime emanating from extremist groups on | :12:56. | :13:02. | |
campus? Like revenge pawn, these are all pulling crimes, more easily | :13:03. | :13:10. | |
committed by the internet and use of anonymity with specifically regards | :13:11. | :13:17. | |
to anti-Semitism, thanks to the fantastic work for the member for | :13:18. | :13:20. | |
Bassetlaw and his all-party group, the Government has made significant | :13:21. | :13:25. | |
advances and I will consider her comments, particularly on campus. In | :13:26. | :13:34. | |
the last year, assaults have risen by 31% and those on staff in our | :13:35. | :13:41. | |
prisons have risen by 40%. This is totally an acceptable and I'm | :13:42. | :13:44. | |
determined to tackle it. Reforming prisons will only be possible if | :13:45. | :13:48. | |
they are made safer places for staff and offenders alike. The section of | :13:49. | :13:57. | |
state makes clear prisons safety but continues to deteriorate and is a | :13:58. | :14:00. | |
major problem got putting prisoners and staff at risk but the major | :14:01. | :14:04. | |
issue that must be tackled is the retention of staff. Can she set out | :14:05. | :14:08. | |
what she will do to make this a priority and how she will succeed | :14:09. | :14:13. | |
her predecessors have failed? I agree with the honourable lady that | :14:14. | :14:18. | |
retention of staff is a very important issue. I've been to a | :14:19. | :14:21. | |
number of prisons and seen how brave, fearless and hard our prison | :14:22. | :14:29. | |
officers are, they are a vital in turning around offenders and getting | :14:30. | :14:32. | |
them the education and skills they need to succeed outside and I'm | :14:33. | :14:35. | |
determined to support them and work with them. Over the coming months I | :14:36. | :14:43. | |
will lay out more detailed plans. May I warmly welcome the secretary | :14:44. | :14:48. | |
of state and her team to their posts, lawyers are sometimes have | :14:49. | :14:56. | |
their uses. -- do sometimes. Her predecessor made prison reformer | :14:57. | :15:00. | |
centrepiece of the agenda, he rightly described the deterioration | :15:01. | :15:03. | |
in safety and prisons as terrible. The figures have now got worse, he | :15:04. | :15:09. | |
committed to an action plan to tackle violence in our prisons. Will | :15:10. | :15:13. | |
she reaffirm that? Can she tell us what specific steps will be taken to | :15:14. | :15:17. | |
deal with what is a ticking time bomb that we have in our criminal | :15:18. | :15:20. | |
justice system? Because nothing else works if that isn't right. Can I | :15:21. | :15:27. | |
first say how pleased I've been to be able to meet the chairman of the | :15:28. | :15:32. | |
select committee, I take the advice of all my lord, but particularly the | :15:33. | :15:36. | |
chairman of these like committee extremely seriously, this is a | :15:37. | :15:40. | |
critical issue that faces our prisons. We cannot have reforming | :15:41. | :15:44. | |
our prisons if we don't have safe prisons for people to work in. These | :15:45. | :15:50. | |
things go hand-in-hand and I'm committed to an agenda of making our | :15:51. | :15:55. | |
prisons safe and places of reform, I will lay out my plan is very shortly | :15:56. | :16:00. | |
on this issue and I look forward to discussing it more with the select | :16:01. | :16:06. | |
committee tomorrow. Will the Secretary of State look again at | :16:07. | :16:09. | |
statements that were made by her department recently around numbers | :16:10. | :16:13. | |
of prison officers, her department claims the number has increased, it | :16:14. | :16:17. | |
hasn't and when the will should look again because I believe not taken | :16:18. | :16:21. | |
into account staff being regretted or the number of hours actually work | :16:22. | :16:25. | |
when she examines the number of officers in the system. I thank the | :16:26. | :16:30. | |
honourable lady for her question, I will of course look at those numbers | :16:31. | :16:34. | |
in detail and I'm looking at them just now. What I would say as well | :16:35. | :16:37. | |
as the number of staff, it is important how staff are deployed and | :16:38. | :16:42. | |
how staff are trained and the Paras the governors have to be able to get | :16:43. | :16:47. | |
the best out of the staff working in the prisons. I agree, staff are | :16:48. | :16:57. | |
crucial to make them work well. One of the causes of lack of safety and | :16:58. | :17:02. | |
prisons has been psychoactive substances, with the secretary agree | :17:03. | :17:05. | |
with me that the ban on possession of the substances in prison should | :17:06. | :17:10. | |
improve the safety of other prisoners and prison officers if | :17:11. | :17:14. | |
that ban is properly enforced? My honourable friend is right, they | :17:15. | :17:20. | |
have, MPS have been a major issue in our prisons. I was pleased when I | :17:21. | :17:25. | |
visited HMB Norwich last week to see they are using the new wedges Laois | :17:26. | :17:31. | |
and the tackle that issue -- the new legislation. The search and catch | :17:32. | :17:35. | |
people out and they is exceeded in reducing the amount of usage of that | :17:36. | :17:38. | |
struggle ready. I would like is it that type of programme happening | :17:39. | :17:39. | |
more across our prison estate. Forgive me, I think the summer | :17:40. | :18:03. | |
recess has taken its toll, I am determined to ensure our prisons are | :18:04. | :18:08. | |
places of safety and reform, we need to help get offenders of drugs, | :18:09. | :18:12. | |
improve their education and get the work skills they need so they are | :18:13. | :18:15. | |
less likely to reoffend when they come out. Could she answered this | :18:16. | :18:24. | |
question, does she see a connection between the long-term decline in | :18:25. | :18:29. | |
prison officer numbers down 30% between 2010 and 2013 and they are | :18:30. | :18:33. | |
going down again and this massive increase on assaults on staff, 90% | :18:34. | :18:40. | |
up on the last month? I thank the honourable gentleman for his | :18:41. | :18:43. | |
question, there are many factors driving prison violence and self | :18:44. | :18:47. | |
harm, I am looking at the evidence about what will work and what steps | :18:48. | :18:51. | |
we can take but I'm determined to tackle this and I'm very clear the | :18:52. | :18:54. | |
current levels of violence we have are unacceptable. Can I warmly | :18:55. | :19:02. | |
congratulate the secretary of state and the new ministerial team on | :19:03. | :19:04. | |
their appointment, of course we need more prison officers but can of | :19:05. | :19:07. | |
these extra of state and their ministers to look at greater use of | :19:08. | :19:12. | |
as mentors. Wandsworth is leading the way with 50 mentor 's teaching | :19:13. | :19:17. | |
education, but we can also do this in terms of both employment for | :19:18. | :19:22. | |
therapeutic use and to cut down the use of drugs. I referred to that my | :19:23. | :19:33. | |
honourable friend and as group to prison minister said a tremendous | :19:34. | :19:36. | |
work and we're learning from the work he carried out in the | :19:37. | :19:39. | |
Department. He makes an important point and I think we need to look at | :19:40. | :19:43. | |
overall prison culture in some of our best prisons, we do have | :19:44. | :19:47. | |
exemplary work going on such as mentoring and we have to make sure | :19:48. | :19:49. | |
that is happening across our prison estate. The Secretary of State might | :19:50. | :19:55. | |
be aware the head of the prison service in Northern Ireland recently | :19:56. | :19:59. | |
stepped down, attacks on prison staff are on the rise, can she | :20:00. | :20:02. | |
ensure her department is engaging actively with the Department of | :20:03. | :20:05. | |
Justice in Northern Ireland to see what lessons can be learned and to | :20:06. | :20:09. | |
try and improve safety and prisons in Northern Ireland. Thank the | :20:10. | :20:13. | |
honourable gentleman for his question, I have been in touch with | :20:14. | :20:17. | |
the Justice minister in Northern Ireland and I look forward to | :20:18. | :20:26. | |
speaking Derringer course. My congratulate the sexy of state on | :20:27. | :20:30. | |
her appointment, is part of the problem that we have so many | :20:31. | :20:35. | |
Victorian prisons? -- secretary of state. The honourable gentleman is | :20:36. | :20:39. | |
right. We have a big issue with prisons that are out of date and not | :20:40. | :20:43. | |
fit for purpose. It makes it more difficult for our excellent | :20:44. | :20:47. | |
governors and more officers to manage well. I'm pleased to say this | :20:48. | :20:52. | |
summer we were able to close Holloway prison. We have our ?1.3 | :20:53. | :20:58. | |
billion building programme and what I want to see his new modern prisons | :20:59. | :21:02. | |
built brewery can see prisoners get the education and work then is | :21:03. | :21:07. | |
exceeded in outside life. As McGeeney to succeed. And close down | :21:08. | :21:10. | |
some of our most dilapidated and outdated prisons. It is crucial that | :21:11. | :21:17. | |
victims of crime are supported as effectively as possible, the victims | :21:18. | :21:21. | |
called was revised in 2015, victims of all, no fences after entitled to | :21:22. | :21:25. | |
support from a wide range of organisation as well as criminal | :21:26. | :21:28. | |
justice agencies. The reforms the court will improve services for | :21:29. | :21:32. | |
victims and their families got ensemble to give evidence remotely | :21:33. | :21:37. | |
and digitally. Over 23,000 individual crimes reported in | :21:38. | :21:42. | |
Enfield over the past 12 months, for far too long the victims of these | :21:43. | :21:46. | |
crimes have been forgotten and ignored by the criminal justice | :21:47. | :21:50. | |
system. Given that the victims commissioner support the | :21:51. | :21:54. | |
introduction of a long for victims of crime, when will the Government | :21:55. | :21:58. | |
fulfil its election manifesto commitment to bring forward | :21:59. | :22:04. | |
legislation on the issue? I thank the honourable lady for her | :22:05. | :22:08. | |
question. We want to make sure all vulnerable and intimidated witnesses | :22:09. | :22:11. | |
can give the best evidence in court and feel less anxious, we are | :22:12. | :22:14. | |
committed to making sure victims of crime get the support they need, we | :22:15. | :22:18. | |
have protected the overall level of funding for victims across the | :22:19. | :22:21. | |
spending review period and have announced funding of over 95 main | :22:22. | :22:26. | |
pounds in 20 extreme to find critical support services. -- 2016. | :22:27. | :22:31. | |
Victims of crime want to see the perpetrators of that crime properly | :22:32. | :22:37. | |
punished. Is the minister happy that prisoners are automatically released | :22:38. | :22:41. | |
halfway through their prison sentence no matter how disruptive | :22:42. | :22:44. | |
they are or not much how much of a threat they still pose the public or | :22:45. | :22:47. | |
does he agree that prisoners should serve the sentence was handed down | :22:48. | :22:52. | |
by the courts in full? Thank my honourable friend for his question. | :22:53. | :22:58. | |
The purpose of justice and the justice system must be the primary | :22:59. | :23:02. | |
goal to reduce reoffending. If somebody in prison has been assessed | :23:03. | :23:07. | |
and is deemed not a risk to society and is being properly rehabilitated, | :23:08. | :23:10. | |
it is in the best interests of that individual and for that person to be | :23:11. | :23:18. | |
released. Too often the victims of criminal driving, they are and their | :23:19. | :23:24. | |
families are not treated as victims of crime, told they were involved in | :23:25. | :23:30. | |
annexes and does McCain an accident. When will that got to be changed and | :23:31. | :23:33. | |
had Minister tell us where we will finally get the review into the | :23:34. | :23:37. | |
sentencing of these types of offences? Thank euphoric the | :23:38. | :23:43. | |
question -- thank you for the question. I don't see that as part | :23:44. | :23:48. | |
of my purview but if he would write to me I will reply to him on this | :23:49. | :23:52. | |
issue. I would agree victims in these situations need more | :23:53. | :23:54. | |
protection and the culture needs to change. The best ways to ensure | :23:55. | :24:01. | |
justice is served is to ensure victims have the chance to make a | :24:02. | :24:04. | |
victim impact statement to the court but this does not always happen. | :24:05. | :24:08. | |
What can the Minister do to ensure this happens in every case? I thank | :24:09. | :24:14. | |
the honourable gentleman for his question. As I understand it, they | :24:15. | :24:19. | |
are getting more opportunity to do this now because of the opportunity | :24:20. | :24:23. | |
today this online I would agree that this is something that should be put | :24:24. | :24:29. | |
in place. As has been mentioned earlier, today's report on violence | :24:30. | :24:34. | |
against women and girls shows an increase in prosecutions, however | :24:35. | :24:38. | |
victims charities remain concerned about their futures as was stated by | :24:39. | :24:44. | |
the chair of the usual frog please -- police and crime commissioners | :24:45. | :24:48. | |
supporting the group when asking the ministry to clarify funding | :24:49. | :24:50. | |
available to be cc earlier this year. The manager told my honourable | :24:51. | :24:57. | |
friend for Wigan that he would be keeping an eye on this matter, which | :24:58. | :25:02. | |
is not good enough with respectful so will the secretary of state | :25:03. | :25:05. | |
confirm victim services will receive the full funding are required. The | :25:06. | :25:14. | |
victim services budget has increased significantly from ?48 million to | :25:15. | :25:18. | |
around 95 main pounds in the current financial year. In 2016 and 17 we | :25:19. | :25:24. | |
have allocated about ?7 billion to 99 rate support centres providing up | :25:25. | :25:29. | |
to male and female victims of rape and child sexual abuse. I do not | :25:30. | :25:35. | |
recognise the description the shadow minister has given, this Government | :25:36. | :25:38. | |
is committed to protecting victims, particularly women who have been | :25:39. | :25:39. | |
victims of crime. Question number six. The illicit use | :25:40. | :25:51. | |
of mobile phones in prison undermines security, order and | :25:52. | :25:54. | |
control and has been linked to many forms of criminality. This | :25:55. | :25:57. | |
Government is determined to take action to stop it. | :25:58. | :26:02. | |
The connection between technology and radicalisation by the | :26:03. | :26:05. | |
dissemination of extremism in prisons is one of the most critical | :26:06. | :26:10. | |
challenges we face. Will my honourable friend continue to do all | :26:11. | :26:15. | |
that is possible to ensure that prisoners, who already face | :26:16. | :26:18. | |
difficulties re-engage in with society, do not have a difficult | :26:19. | :26:22. | |
task made impossible by those who would use mobile phones and | :26:23. | :26:27. | |
technology to spread extremist poisoning? My honourable friend will | :26:28. | :26:30. | |
have no doubt seen the Government response to the review on extremism. | :26:31. | :26:36. | |
We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure extremist ideologies are | :26:37. | :26:40. | |
not spread by any means, including mobile phones. | :26:41. | :26:46. | |
There have been reports in Swansea prison of people simply throwing | :26:47. | :26:49. | |
mobile phones over the wall, which provides anonymity for prisoners to | :26:50. | :26:55. | |
indulge in all sorts of criminal activity. What is he doing about | :26:56. | :27:00. | |
this sort of thing? He makes a very important point, every governor I | :27:01. | :27:04. | |
have spoken to in the last six weeks has mentioned the growing problem of | :27:05. | :27:08. | |
illegal mobile phones in prison. I believe technology is titled -- | :27:09. | :27:13. | |
vital to detect and block these phones, so in addition to the range | :27:14. | :27:17. | |
of technologies already deployed across the prison estate, we have | :27:18. | :27:20. | |
held a high-level meeting with mobile network operators asking them | :27:21. | :27:24. | |
to use their expertise to develop new technological solutions to deny | :27:25. | :27:30. | |
mobile phone signals in prisons. As responsible businesses, I expect | :27:31. | :27:35. | |
these operators to fully cooperate. Question seven. There is and there | :27:36. | :27:43. | |
will be an appropriate level of corporate vision for the people of | :27:44. | :27:54. | |
Bari. -- people of Bury. Thank you, and I warmly welcome my | :27:55. | :27:58. | |
honourable and learned friend to his new role, and thank you for that | :27:59. | :28:03. | |
brief reply. While school provision might be regarded as adequate now, | :28:04. | :28:07. | |
what is important is that it continues to be adequate in the | :28:08. | :28:11. | |
future. And with the new Lord Chancellor and a new ministerial | :28:12. | :28:15. | |
team, could I ask that they look again at the proposals for North | :28:16. | :28:19. | |
Manchester, particularly the consequential effects on, for | :28:20. | :28:23. | |
example, the police budget as the police are faced with longer journey | :28:24. | :28:28. | |
times when they attend court? I am immensely indebted to the | :28:29. | :28:31. | |
honourable gentleman. Can I start by paying tribute to the | :28:32. | :28:35. | |
work that my honourable friend has done, and for the proposals that he | :28:36. | :28:39. | |
has put forward about his local court situation. He will know, as a | :28:40. | :28:46. | |
lawyer as well, that we are investing huge amounts of money, ?1 | :28:47. | :28:51. | |
billion, to transform Court Central ideal is. This modern technology | :28:52. | :28:57. | |
improves efficiency and means fewer people need to attend court in | :28:58. | :29:01. | |
person. There are excellent facilities are available to the | :29:02. | :29:06. | |
people of Bury and Manchester, which has some of the best courts in the | :29:07. | :29:09. | |
country. The Minister will know that the | :29:10. | :29:13. | |
proposals across the whole of Greater Manchester are quite far | :29:14. | :29:17. | |
reaching and controversial in parts of that city region. Can he explain | :29:18. | :29:22. | |
to the house is precisely what has been agreed with the Greater | :29:23. | :29:27. | |
Manchester combined authority in the memorandum of understanding that his | :29:28. | :29:30. | |
department has signed with them, and whether or not it means the combined | :29:31. | :29:36. | |
authority can look again at some of those procedures? Of course, he will | :29:37. | :29:40. | |
realise that none of these decisions is taken lightly and it is important | :29:41. | :29:44. | |
to work closely with local government. That is exactly what has | :29:45. | :29:49. | |
been happening. Just to give him an impression of the tremendous | :29:50. | :29:54. | |
improvement that this Court modernisation programme is making, | :29:55. | :29:58. | |
it has been going for four months and 6 million pieces of paper have | :29:59. | :30:04. | |
been avoided as a result, that is a pile of paper, using digital case | :30:05. | :30:10. | |
files. 6 million pieces of paper avoided, meaning a pile as high as | :30:11. | :30:13. | |
the largest building in London, the Shard. Huntington is a splendid part | :30:14. | :30:20. | |
of the world which deserves to be very well represented by the | :30:21. | :30:23. | |
honourable gentleman, but it is a long way from Bury, to which this | :30:24. | :30:29. | |
question exclusively relates. The question is about Bury. He can come | :30:30. | :30:31. | |
in later and I look forward to hearing from him. | :30:32. | :30:40. | |
This information is published by the legal professions. For example, 30% | :30:41. | :30:46. | |
of QCs are women and 6% of QCs declare themselves as coming from a | :30:47. | :30:56. | |
BA any background. -- a BAME background. That shows a very | :30:57. | :31:03. | |
limited progress. What can the Government do to improve this? I | :31:04. | :31:11. | |
thank him for his question. We want a justice system that works for | :31:12. | :31:15. | |
everyone, a legal services industry using all the talent in our country. | :31:16. | :31:20. | |
I have already had very positive conversations with the Lord Chief | :31:21. | :31:23. | |
Justice, who is keen to improve diversity figures in the judiciary, | :31:24. | :31:28. | |
and I am due to meet the bar Council shortly to talk -- talk specifically | :31:29. | :31:33. | |
about the bar. What assessment has my right | :31:34. | :31:37. | |
honourable friend made of opportunities to increase | :31:38. | :31:39. | |
apprenticeship -based routes into the legal professions and the prison | :31:40. | :31:43. | |
services, to increase social mobility? I thank him for his | :31:44. | :31:50. | |
question, I am a huge fan of apprenticeships. With the new | :31:51. | :31:53. | |
apprenticeship levy, that brings a big opportunity for some of our | :31:54. | :31:57. | |
large legal services firms, but right across the board to increase | :31:58. | :32:01. | |
the number of apprenticeships. It is something I will talk to them about | :32:02. | :32:08. | |
over the coming months. As one London provider of legal | :32:09. | :32:11. | |
education, fees for the academic year ahead are as follows, nearly | :32:12. | :32:17. | |
?11,000 for the graduate diploma in law, almost ?15,000 for the legal | :32:18. | :32:22. | |
practice course and almost ?19,000 for the bar professional training | :32:23. | :32:26. | |
course. On top of the cost of university education, these fees are | :32:27. | :32:30. | |
beyond the reach of many from ordinary backgrounds. Given this | :32:31. | :32:34. | |
reality, how will the Minister ensure a diverse legal profession? | :32:35. | :32:41. | |
I thank him for his question. I have been discussing this right across | :32:42. | :32:45. | |
the legal profession. One of the issues that we have is that the | :32:46. | :32:50. | |
younger end, we are seeing a lot more diversity, the question is how | :32:51. | :32:53. | |
people progress through the pipeline. I would like to see more | :32:54. | :32:57. | |
transparency so we can look at people moving through the system. I | :32:58. | :33:03. | |
have no doubt that with the Lord Chief Justice and leading judges, | :33:04. | :33:06. | |
they want to see more diversity and they are keen to work with me. | :33:07. | :33:12. | |
Number nine. With your permission, I will group this with question 15. | :33:13. | :33:18. | |
Prisons must become places of rehabilitation where offenders can | :33:19. | :33:22. | |
change their lives and turn away from crime, addressing health needs | :33:23. | :33:25. | |
including mental health is key in this. We are committed to meeting | :33:26. | :33:29. | |
the mental health needs of prisoners. All prisons must have | :33:30. | :33:33. | |
procedures in place to identify, manage and support those with mental | :33:34. | :33:36. | |
illnesses. Can the Minister confirm that | :33:37. | :33:40. | |
governors will have new powers and abilities to run their own mental | :33:41. | :33:44. | |
health and health budgets, will that also include co-commissioning of | :33:45. | :33:48. | |
mental health services with local CCG Yes? -- CCGs? It is under | :33:49. | :33:59. | |
consideration at present, I think commissioners have an important part | :34:00. | :34:03. | |
to play in helping to structure health care services within prison. | :34:04. | :34:09. | |
Does the Department have a figure for the numbers in prison at the | :34:10. | :34:13. | |
moment who have mental health issues, would my honourable friend | :34:14. | :34:17. | |
reassure me that prison staff are adequately trained to deal with | :34:18. | :34:21. | |
those people exhibiting mental health issues? | :34:22. | :34:24. | |
I thank him for his question. Based on a Ministry of Justice survey, 49% | :34:25. | :34:29. | |
of prisoners were assessed as being at risk from anxiety and/ or | :34:30. | :34:36. | |
depression, 16% reported symptoms indicative of psychosis. Department | :34:37. | :34:40. | |
of Health figures are somewhat different, north of 90% of prisoners | :34:41. | :34:46. | |
have a mental health problem if you include substance misuse. This is an | :34:47. | :34:49. | |
area where I am seeking more data. We are committed to meeting the | :34:50. | :34:51. | |
mental health needs of prisoners, which is why all new intake prison | :34:52. | :34:56. | |
officers receive mental health awareness training as part of | :34:57. | :35:02. | |
entry-level training. 100 people have taken their lives in prison in | :35:03. | :35:06. | |
the past year, the highest level for over 25 years. Over 9000 people have | :35:07. | :35:12. | |
self harmed in prisons, an increase of over 25% in the last year alone. | :35:13. | :35:16. | |
I think the Government should be ashamed, I think it is a dereliction | :35:17. | :35:20. | |
of their duty of care. I want to know what they will actually do to | :35:21. | :35:25. | |
look at the thousands of prisoners who had serious mental health | :35:26. | :35:27. | |
conditions and are not being looked after. | :35:28. | :35:31. | |
I thank the honourable lady for her question. Mental health is pretty | :35:32. | :35:37. | |
complex, the genesis of problems do not just occur in the terms of the | :35:38. | :35:41. | |
parliament. The system in place in terms of mental health care and the | :35:42. | :35:46. | |
continuity of care for people before, during and after their stay | :35:47. | :35:49. | |
should be. I would argue that has should be. I would argue that has | :35:50. | :35:55. | |
been the case for many decades. -- clearly not where it should be. I | :35:56. | :35:59. | |
have been asked to look at this and will be doing so, but this is a huge | :36:00. | :36:06. | |
and very complex area and I am not about to make dispatch box | :36:07. | :36:08. | |
commitments on it as a consequence. But there is a particular risk for | :36:09. | :36:12. | |
women in prison, 30% of women prisoners have had a previous | :36:13. | :36:16. | |
admission for a psychiatric problems before they went into prison. In the | :36:17. | :36:21. | |
last year, 11 women have killed themselves. My impression is that | :36:22. | :36:27. | |
this is because the last Secretary of State did not focus on the | :36:28. | :36:31. | |
recommendations of a report which would have ensured a better level of | :36:32. | :36:37. | |
mental health for women in prison. What is this minister going to do on | :36:38. | :36:43. | |
this report, and on women in prison? I thank her for her question. I have | :36:44. | :36:49. | |
read that report, it is good. It was published in 2007 and is still | :36:50. | :36:54. | |
relevant today, with some international coherence within | :36:55. | :36:59. | |
another report about youth offenders. I will be looking at it | :37:00. | :37:04. | |
and I am personally persuaded of some of the arguments within. But | :37:05. | :37:08. | |
the idea that the former Secretary of State was in anyway not keeping a | :37:09. | :37:12. | |
close eye on this, I have seen no about. | :37:13. | :37:24. | |
Mr Speaker, Speaker... Those convicted of sexual offences | :37:25. | :37:28. | |
are just one cohort of the range we manage daily. In doing so we shall | :37:29. | :37:32. | |
make sure a state capacity is realigned to meet the demand for | :37:33. | :37:39. | |
places, including those convicted of sexual offences. I thank him for his | :37:40. | :37:43. | |
reply. HMP lose in my constituency has seen a huge surge in prisoners | :37:44. | :37:49. | |
for sexual offences, either on remand or serving a sentence. -- HMP | :37:50. | :37:56. | |
fares. This puts pressure on stuffing, space and resources. What | :37:57. | :38:02. | |
specific advice can he give HMP Lewes? Those served with sexual | :38:03. | :38:05. | |
offences at HMP Lewes and general are held in separate units providing | :38:06. | :38:10. | |
suitable accommodation for their offending behaviour. Perhaps I can | :38:11. | :38:13. | |
reassure her that the Brits -- prison received hundred ?55,000 of a | :38:14. | :38:20. | |
?12 million Government fund for safety, planning to spend this on | :38:21. | :38:24. | |
staff. There is a recruitment drive is going on at the moment. Staff are | :38:25. | :38:32. | |
being vetted, a number of staff will be starting imminently. | :38:33. | :38:35. | |
Surely the Minister would understand that whether it is prisoners who | :38:36. | :38:41. | |
have been tried and convicted for crimes of a sexual nature or | :38:42. | :38:45. | |
prisoners with mental health problems or other problems, it is | :38:46. | :38:48. | |
the quality of management prisons which must give us all great | :38:49. | :38:54. | |
concern. When my select committee looked at education in prisons, we | :38:55. | :38:57. | |
kept coming back that the culture of the prison comes from the top and is | :38:58. | :39:02. | |
supported by well-trained and well-educated prison officers. | :39:03. | :39:07. | |
Mr Speaker, I agree entirely with the honourable gentleman that the | :39:08. | :39:13. | |
quality of the leadership in the prison makes a huge difference to | :39:14. | :39:18. | |
the regime, has staff are inspired, but also how deep can rehabilitate | :39:19. | :39:22. | |
offenders. That is why those on this side of the house argue for prison | :39:23. | :39:27. | |
reform, where we empower these governors, give them control of | :39:28. | :39:32. | |
budgets and enable you to get local resources to meet the needs of | :39:33. | :39:35. | |
offenders. Number 11. | :39:36. | :39:43. | |
Mr Speaker, with permission I would like to group questions 11 and 16. | :39:44. | :39:49. | |
Most offenders arrive in prison with very low levels of educational | :39:50. | :39:53. | |
attainment, very high levels of substance misuse and often very poor | :39:54. | :39:57. | |
histories of employment. I believe modern prisons have a purpose, to | :39:58. | :40:02. | |
keep the public safe and tackle each of these issues so prisoners have | :40:03. | :40:06. | |
the foundations to secure and hold down a job on release. | :40:07. | :40:10. | |
I would like to thank my honourable friend, but I have recently visited | :40:11. | :40:14. | |
prisoners from my constituency who told is that offenders do not have | :40:15. | :40:19. | |
access straightaway on release to accident -- national insurance | :40:20. | :40:22. | |
numbers, bank accounts or an employment benefits. What steps are | :40:23. | :40:26. | |
the Government taking to improve this? I agree with the honourable | :40:27. | :40:31. | |
member that if this through the gate services, as we call them, are to | :40:32. | :40:36. | |
work and stop reoffending, things like national insurance numbers and | :40:37. | :40:39. | |
bank accounts need to be in place. There are a series of programmes in | :40:40. | :40:43. | |
place, including an offender banking programme which opened about 5000 | :40:44. | :40:45. | |
new bank accounts every year. The Minister and fight the fact that | :40:46. | :40:53. | |
research shows that employment after custody gratefully greatly urges the | :40:54. | :40:59. | |
amount of reoffending. What are they doing with the Department for Work | :41:00. | :41:02. | |
and Pensions to ensure offenders find work after they leave prison | :41:03. | :41:08. | |
and also stay in work? To tackle the challenge of getting prisoners work | :41:09. | :41:14. | |
when they leave, the member has rightly identified it acquires a | :41:15. | :41:20. | |
concerted effort across Government and across the community. Every | :41:21. | :41:24. | |
prisoner has the opportunity to meet with a DWP work coach before their | :41:25. | :41:29. | |
release and the role of the work coaches to guide them to employment. | :41:30. | :41:32. | |
Worse coaches can ensure a prisoner knows their national insurance | :41:33. | :41:37. | |
number and the other services they need in order to make the | :41:38. | :41:42. | |
appropriate transition. When many prisoners are already on short-term | :41:43. | :41:46. | |
sentences for under nine months and are often in prison for short | :41:47. | :41:49. | |
periods, could he give some advice as to governors will be judged on | :41:50. | :41:55. | |
placing those prisoners into employment when the challenges are | :41:56. | :42:00. | |
difficult? I've met with a number of governors since I've been appointed | :42:01. | :42:04. | |
to this job and most governors will tell you what they want is to be | :42:05. | :42:08. | |
empowered to match resources to the needs of prisoners in their prison, | :42:09. | :42:16. | |
working with local employers and the entire community. That is what | :42:17. | :42:20. | |
governors want. The other point is that this is not just the | :42:21. | :42:23. | |
responsibility of governors, if we want prisoners to go out and be able | :42:24. | :42:31. | |
to find work, doing business has a raw, to come in the plays a role and | :42:32. | :42:34. | |
we all have a role, because prisoners can leave them have jobs | :42:35. | :42:37. | |
and restart their lives for the better and we all benefit. More than | :42:38. | :42:43. | |
60% of young people in the justice system have a communications | :42:44. | :42:46. | |
disability and more than one third of young offenders have speaking and | :42:47. | :42:50. | |
listening skills at the level expected for an 11-year-old. With | :42:51. | :42:54. | |
the skills being fundamental with the ability to hold down a job, will | :42:55. | :42:58. | |
the Minister update the house of what assessment the Government makes | :42:59. | :43:01. | |
of speech and language support need and how well that need is being met? | :43:02. | :43:08. | |
The member is obviously right, lots of prisoners arrived with huge | :43:09. | :43:14. | |
learning difficulties and a disadvantage and that is well | :43:15. | :43:17. | |
documented, what we need is individual programmes tailored to | :43:18. | :43:20. | |
the needs of the prisoner and the way to do that as the honourable | :43:21. | :43:24. | |
member said is to empower governors to work with probation companies, | :43:25. | :43:30. | |
rehabilitation organisations to deliver these programmes. He said | :43:31. | :43:33. | |
the minister I raise a report on this matter myself in two dozen and | :43:34. | :43:37. | |
it's got a copy of voice and sure you'll find on the internet. Or in | :43:38. | :43:42. | |
the house library. I'm sure the honourable gentleman does. We are | :43:43. | :43:50. | |
immensely grateful. Fewer than half of the people entering our prisons | :43:51. | :43:54. | |
have basic standards of English and maths, this is an enormous problem | :43:55. | :43:58. | |
because we know low levels of education can be read people from | :43:59. | :44:02. | |
securing jobs on release and leading law-abiding lives. The secretary of | :44:03. | :44:08. | |
state is right in saying in order to get a job the need to have both | :44:09. | :44:14. | |
literacy and numeracy are essential. Should we are putting more resources | :44:15. | :44:18. | |
into educating prisoners on release to be able to get jobs? My | :44:19. | :44:24. | |
honourable friend is right. The fact is too many people enter our prisons | :44:25. | :44:28. | |
without those skills but we need to use that time in prison to help | :44:29. | :44:33. | |
those prisoners gain those basic skills so they succeed outside. What | :44:34. | :44:38. | |
we started doing is measuring, testing prisoners as they enter | :44:39. | :44:41. | |
prisons, what I'm looking to see as we measure the progress made during | :44:42. | :44:45. | |
their stay in prison so we can hold governors accountable for that. | :44:46. | :44:50. | |
Could the Minister confirmed there will be no return to the policy on | :44:51. | :44:56. | |
banning books for prisoners? I confirm that books are freely | :44:57. | :45:05. | |
available in prison. I warmly welcome the Right Honourable friend | :45:06. | :45:08. | |
to her position. I would like to see the new Secretary of State about the | :45:09. | :45:13. | |
importance of art in prisons and I hope that my honourable friend will | :45:14. | :45:20. | |
recognise having deleted -- recognise how they can teach | :45:21. | :45:22. | |
prisoners are range of skills and help she will meet the arts Alliance | :45:23. | :45:25. | |
that the earnest opportunity to discuss what the arts can do in | :45:26. | :45:28. | |
particularly in Laois and to literacy. Firstly can I say what a | :45:29. | :45:34. | |
fantastic job and my honourable friend has done in championing the | :45:35. | :45:40. | |
arts in every part of our country and his legacy lives on. It will | :45:41. | :45:47. | |
live on in our prisons. I'm sure he is overcome with emotion, what a | :45:48. | :45:53. | |
happy day. What discussions will she have with the Justice Department | :45:54. | :45:59. | |
into the Volvo legislators to insure that best practice is replicated in | :46:00. | :46:04. | |
improving literacy across prisons in all of the UK? -- in devolved | :46:05. | :46:10. | |
legislatures. I'm looking forward to meeting my counterpart across the UK | :46:11. | :46:14. | |
and discussing these critical issues because it is a challenge we all | :46:15. | :46:17. | |
face. Extreme brevity is now required. The Government's reform | :46:18. | :46:28. | |
programme is intended to deliver a simple modern justice system that is | :46:29. | :46:34. | |
available for everyone. East Lancashire, including my | :46:35. | :46:37. | |
constituency of Blackburn and up to five other constituencies has only | :46:38. | :46:43. | |
one legal aid, sledgers so that makes listers frontier with housing, | :46:44. | :46:47. | |
what the Minister do about this desert of legal advice? It is | :46:48. | :46:53. | |
important they should be legal aid available and it is in housing | :46:54. | :46:58. | |
cases. As it is, in the most important cases where people's life | :46:59. | :47:02. | |
or liberty or home is at stake, it is also available in domestic | :47:03. | :47:06. | |
violence cases and cases where children may be taken into care. I'm | :47:07. | :47:09. | |
grateful to the honourable lady for highlighting this issue. Let's be | :47:10. | :47:14. | |
clear that legal aid in housing cases is something that is available | :47:15. | :47:19. | |
and there is a national helpline as well as the services of lawyers | :47:20. | :47:25. | |
across the country. Double questions, Mr Douglas Castle. I'm | :47:26. | :47:33. | |
proud to take on the role of Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, | :47:34. | :47:37. | |
upholding the rule of line and justice system, I'm determined to | :47:38. | :47:41. | |
insure our prisons as of safety and reform, where offenders can get off | :47:42. | :47:46. | |
drugs, improve education and get the work skills they need to their less | :47:47. | :47:49. | |
likely to reoffend. I would like to pay tribute to our brave prison | :47:50. | :47:54. | |
officers and probation staff. Over the next couple of months I will lay | :47:55. | :47:59. | |
out my plans for prison reform and setting out plans to modernise the | :48:00. | :48:02. | |
courts to ensure we continue to have a world leading justice system. Sir | :48:03. | :48:09. | |
James Mumby was asked to undertake a review of the family Court in August | :48:10. | :48:16. | |
2014, can the Minister shed light on ending the secrecy that can lay it | :48:17. | :48:21. | |
to injustice quiz I think the honourable gentleman boys question, | :48:22. | :48:24. | |
Andrew to meet James Mumby next week to discuss this issue. There's been | :48:25. | :48:30. | |
some progress in bringing the family Court but there is a balance to be | :48:31. | :48:36. | |
struck behind highly sensitive issues and opening it up Philly, I | :48:37. | :48:39. | |
will get more detail. Will my honourable friend commit to using | :48:40. | :48:45. | |
all the powers at her disposal to protect British military personnel | :48:46. | :48:47. | |
and veterans who have served our country bravely and with great | :48:48. | :48:51. | |
honour from the spurious and outrageous legal claims like those | :48:52. | :48:56. | |
pursued by people such as public interest lawyers? I am delighted to | :48:57. | :48:59. | |
tell my honourable friend that this summer the legal aid agency pulls | :49:00. | :49:04. | |
the plug on its contract with public interest lawyers, it will no longer | :49:05. | :49:10. | |
be adamant chasing our rave service personnel. Legal aid should support | :49:11. | :49:15. | |
vulnerable people in our society, not used to pursue spurious cases | :49:16. | :49:19. | |
against our Armed Forces who do so much to serve our country. Can I | :49:20. | :49:26. | |
join colleagues in welcoming the new Justice Secretary and her team to | :49:27. | :49:30. | |
their new roles. The Government has created the toxic conditions for the | :49:31. | :49:34. | |
record levels of violence, drug finds and death across the prisons | :49:35. | :49:38. | |
is the bike reducing the number of prison officers by one third yet the | :49:39. | :49:41. | |
former prison minister spent much of his time at the dispatch box this | :49:42. | :49:45. | |
year telling me privately about his department was not successful | :49:46. | :49:49. | |
recruitment drive. He did Justice Secretary did not have the figures | :49:50. | :49:52. | |
earlier answering a question from my friend, so I will help out. Can she | :49:53. | :49:58. | |
explained why we have 421 fewer full-time equivalent front line | :49:59. | :50:02. | |
prison officers working in our public prisons than we did one year | :50:03. | :50:08. | |
ago? I fully acknowledge that we do have issues with violence and safety | :50:09. | :50:13. | |
in our prison, the levels are unacceptable and I determined to | :50:14. | :50:17. | |
deal with issues like this and I will lay out my plans shortly. Since | :50:18. | :50:24. | |
the Government has no provision privatisation, concerns have | :50:25. | :50:27. | |
repeatedly been raised about the quality of presentence reports for | :50:28. | :50:30. | |
the court as a result of our project targets set. The probation | :50:31. | :50:32. | |
inspectors has described this month as a persistent problem leading to | :50:33. | :50:37. | |
inappropriate sentences being handed down. Vital safeguarding checks such | :50:38. | :50:42. | |
as domestic violence checks with pulleys and child protection checked | :50:43. | :50:45. | |
with children's services are not taking place prior to sentencing. | :50:46. | :50:50. | |
Will the Justice Secretary can -- commits to an urgent review to the | :50:51. | :50:55. | |
public, probation professionals and sentences can have confidence when | :50:56. | :50:58. | |
convicted criminals are sensed those deciding of all the necessary | :50:59. | :51:03. | |
evidence available. Probation services do vital work at the | :51:04. | :51:09. | |
minister responsible for prisons and probation is looking very close at | :51:10. | :51:12. | |
this issue. I would point out that those on shorter sentences get much | :51:13. | :51:17. | |
more support thanks to our new probation contracts. Questions must | :51:18. | :51:23. | |
be brief. There is a lot to get to and not much time. I would never | :51:24. | :51:30. | |
excuse criminal behaviour but some former prisoners have been denied | :51:31. | :51:33. | |
opportunities in life many of us take for granted, what is the | :51:34. | :51:36. | |
department and other Government departments doing to ensure the life | :51:37. | :51:43. | |
chances agenda extends the prisons? I thank my honourable friend for | :51:44. | :51:47. | |
that question, prisons are places where some of the problems in | :51:48. | :51:51. | |
society are magnified as the Prime Minister said, if we're going have a | :51:52. | :51:55. | |
society and country that works for everyone and prison reform is part | :51:56. | :52:01. | |
of that come including literacy, training, work in prisons and | :52:02. | :52:05. | |
unemployment opportunities when people are released. The Secretary | :52:06. | :52:07. | |
of State will know that Charlie Taylor was asked to carry out a | :52:08. | :52:11. | |
review of the youth justice system last year and enter it does make an | :52:12. | :52:14. | |
interim report was published in February and we were promised the | :52:15. | :52:18. | |
final one in July, we don't have it, can the Secretary of State as when | :52:19. | :52:23. | |
we don't -- where we will have given explanation? I thank the honourable | :52:24. | :52:25. | |
lady for this question, it's an incredibly important issue, but the | :52:26. | :52:30. | |
youth justice Minster and I have ever met Charlie Taylor and we will | :52:31. | :52:32. | |
be publishing our response this autumn. Does the Department intends | :52:33. | :52:40. | |
to promote English law, the rule of law and our legal sector around the | :52:41. | :52:43. | |
world, particularly to take advantages of the opportunities that | :52:44. | :52:50. | |
may arise from Brexit? English law had a huge impact spreading the rule | :52:51. | :52:53. | |
of Law around the world, it is the law of choice is over one quarter of | :52:54. | :52:58. | |
jurisdictions and Brexit gives us even more opportunities to promote | :52:59. | :53:03. | |
this. I will champion ?25 billion legal services industry as a key | :53:04. | :53:12. | |
part of both Brexit global Britain. The selected media has expressed | :53:13. | :53:15. | |
concern that judges are reporting they hear no money claims at all, | :53:16. | :53:22. | |
claims brought by workers in low-paid sectors and which often | :53:23. | :53:25. | |
succeeded, when will the Government published a review of the impact of | :53:26. | :53:29. | |
implement tribunal fees which is now six months overdue and had to | :53:30. | :53:34. | |
restore justice for opiate workers for low paid. Can I start by | :53:35. | :53:39. | |
welcoming the report on court and tribunal fees, we intend to respond | :53:40. | :53:44. | |
and we will also publish the review of changes to employment tribunal | :53:45. | :53:48. | |
fees in due course. This is an important area and we will do that. | :53:49. | :53:55. | |
I would like to ask the Secretary of State about the treatment of women | :53:56. | :53:57. | |
giving birth in prisons and those with young children. And whether she | :53:58. | :54:01. | |
will do more to ensure that children have access to their mothers and | :54:02. | :54:06. | |
where appropriate their fathers and can be as near to them as possible. | :54:07. | :54:13. | |
I think the honourable lady for the question. 100 babies deserve resided | :54:14. | :54:18. | |
in mother and baby units in prison in 2015, prisons do an excellent job | :54:19. | :54:22. | |
making these environments is built as is possible and babies can spend | :54:23. | :54:24. | |
time away from the prisoners nominated carers but knowing the | :54:25. | :54:27. | |
importance of early years is essential we consider alternative | :54:28. | :54:30. | |
ways of dealing with female offenders including those with young | :54:31. | :54:32. | |
children and babies and care responsibilities. Secretary of State | :54:33. | :54:39. | |
alleged earlier to the closure and imminent sale of Holloway prison and | :54:40. | :54:42. | |
made me aware of the wish to cite a women's sector on the site, | :54:43. | :54:47. | |
discussions are taking place with the Mayor of London but I wonder if | :54:48. | :54:50. | |
the Secretary of State could the sperm she and the Government will | :54:51. | :54:53. | |
play its part in ensuring an outcome that secures services for women on | :54:54. | :54:58. | |
that site. I thank the honourable lady for a question and I will be | :54:59. | :55:00. | |
interested in looking more at the details on that proposal. Following | :55:01. | :55:06. | |
the closure of the Buxton in Micah the previous minister decided that | :55:07. | :55:11. | |
it should go to Stockport and Chesterfield as was originally | :55:12. | :55:14. | |
intense and. Sign has appeared on the district quarries that McCourt | :55:15. | :55:18. | |
has seen the work when the Chesterfield, will my honourable | :55:19. | :55:20. | |
friend investigators and injure the decision by the ministers admitted, | :55:21. | :55:25. | |
not the one by the officials in the original flawed consultation? | :55:26. | :55:31. | |
I am grateful to my honourable friend for having raised this issue, | :55:32. | :55:37. | |
he will be pleased to note that I have had the notice taken down. | :55:38. | :55:46. | |
Busta the response to the consultation stated that the work | :55:47. | :55:49. | |
would go to Stockport in Chesterfield, that is what is | :55:50. | :55:53. | |
happening. Further to a previous question, I | :55:54. | :55:56. | |
have many constituents who cannot get access to employment tribunal is | :55:57. | :56:00. | |
because the fees have proved prohibitive that were introduced in | :56:01. | :56:04. | |
the last parliament. Can the minister promised the Haas today | :56:05. | :56:08. | |
that he will make a statement to the House on the impact of those fees? | :56:09. | :56:16. | |
As he will have heard, we recognise that we need to produce our review, | :56:17. | :56:20. | |
which we will publish, and also to respond to the Justice committee's | :56:21. | :56:25. | |
report. And, of course, their documents, which will be available | :56:26. | :56:29. | |
in the vote office. That will happen in due course, we are committed to | :56:30. | :56:34. | |
that. And effective court administration | :56:35. | :56:38. | |
is very different from retaining costly court buildings. But whether | :56:39. | :56:41. | |
the closures are going hand-in-hand with investment and better use of | :56:42. | :56:47. | |
technology and efficiencies, not least in Bury, Mr Speaker. | :56:48. | :56:53. | |
I was not psychic, but I realised what the honourable gentleman | :56:54. | :56:56. | |
earlier was driving out and I am glad he was persistent. Persistence | :56:57. | :57:00. | |
pays. Minister? My honourable friend is | :57:01. | :57:05. | |
right, we need a programme of transformation that maintains a very | :57:06. | :57:10. | |
high quality of our legal system. I don't think many in this house would | :57:11. | :57:13. | |
disagree that it is one of the best in the world. But we wanted to be | :57:14. | :57:19. | |
the most modern as well. We are investing ?1 billion, we have saved | :57:20. | :57:22. | |
a shard load of paper, as I mentioned earlier, and we will do a | :57:23. | :57:28. | |
lot more of this. Our courts are benefiting from the digital | :57:29. | :57:31. | |
revolution at every other part of society is benefiting from already. | :57:32. | :57:39. | |
My constituent's 17-year-old son was murdered last year. Will the | :57:40. | :57:44. | |
Minister meet with me and the mother to discuss the repeated failings in | :57:45. | :57:50. | |
the justice system that made his -- mean that his killer is still | :57:51. | :57:54. | |
walking the streets? I would be very happy to meet the | :57:55. | :57:58. | |
honourable lady and her constituents, I am sorry to hear | :57:59. | :58:02. | |
about the case. Colin pitchfork was convicted of | :58:03. | :58:07. | |
raping and murdering two young girls in the 1980s. Will the Minister | :58:08. | :58:12. | |
please assure me and the public of their safety, given that Mr | :58:13. | :58:16. | |
Pitchfork is being moved to an open prison? | :58:17. | :58:20. | |
The honourable member will be aware that transferring prisoners from | :58:21. | :58:29. | |
from one prison to another is done on a careful assessment of the | :58:30. | :58:34. | |
risks. I am sure that would have taken place, but I am happy to | :58:35. | :58:39. | |
discuss in detail if he wants to do so. | :58:40. | :58:42. | |
Does the Secretary of State accept that the Human Rights Act is an | :58:43. | :58:46. | |
indispensable part of the Good Friday Agreement, and whatever the | :58:47. | :58:50. | |
plans for elsewhere, the Government is obligated to the retention of the | :58:51. | :58:55. | |
Human Rights Act in Northern Ireland as a co-guarantor of the Good | :58:56. | :58:59. | |
Agreement? The UK has led the world in human | :59:00. | :59:05. | |
rights, from Magna Carta -- Magna Carta to habeas corpus. We are | :59:06. | :59:08. | |
committed to bringing forward a British Bill of Rights to further | :59:09. | :59:13. | |
build on these ancient protections. The Prime Minister has already met | :59:14. | :59:16. | |
Nicola Sturgeon to make sure that the UK works together... | :59:17. | :59:27. | |
And intensity meets... We intend to meet... | :59:28. | :59:33. | |
We intend to meet, as the Secretary of State said, all those across the | :59:34. | :59:36. | |
United Kingdom with concerns about it. | :59:37. | :59:42. | |
Over the summer I visited the job club at the prison in my | :59:43. | :59:47. | |
constituency, set about the behest of prisoners. Does the Minister | :59:48. | :59:51. | |
agree that some of the best examples of rehabilitation are taking place | :59:52. | :59:56. | |
in the category D prisons, and will he come and see that prison so we | :59:57. | :00:00. | |
can learn across the wider prison estate about what really good | :00:01. | :00:06. | |
rehabilitation can do for prisoners brutal life chances? | :00:07. | :00:09. | |
Spreading best practice is essential, especially in | :00:10. | :00:13. | |
rehabilitation. I welcome the chances is too busy constituency to | :00:14. | :00:18. | |
see the excellent work being done by this job club? | :00:19. | :00:29. | |
Half an hour ago, the Secretary of State for Justice said that the | :00:30. | :00:32. | |
Human Rights Act will be replaced with a new British Bill of Rights | :00:33. | :00:34. | |
including additional human rights. What additional human rights will | :00:35. | :00:36. | |
there be? I said we will be enhancing human | :00:37. | :00:38. | |
rights in this country and bring forward proposals in due course. | :00:39. | :00:46. | |
We have seen a 41% increase in disability hate crime prosecutions. | :00:47. | :00:49. | |
Will the Secretary of State keep this as a priority? | :00:50. | :00:56. | |
I absolutely agree with that. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I received | :00:57. | :01:01. | |
assurances from the Government that the post-implementation review of | :01:02. | :01:05. | |
tribunal fees would be published late last year. Nine months on and | :01:06. | :01:09. | |
thousands more discrimination cases and we are still waiting. Why is it | :01:10. | :01:14. | |
taking so long for the Government to get a move on and publish the review | :01:15. | :01:18. | |
and follow the Scottish Government to abolish tribunal fees are | :01:19. | :01:23. | |
completely in Scotland, not Northern Ireland. | :01:24. | :01:26. | |
As the honourable lady says, it is right that this review should be | :01:27. | :01:31. | |
published, and it will be in due course, together with the reply to | :01:32. | :01:35. | |
the select committee. And we welcome the report and the discussion about | :01:36. | :01:39. | |
this, I would like to thank her for her question. | :01:40. | :01:43. | |
Last but not least. Will the Minister confirm that this | :01:44. | :01:46. | |
ministerial team will continue the good work of its predecessor team in | :01:47. | :01:52. | |
looking at how prisoners' family size can be | :01:53. | :02:20. | |
strengthened to disappoint some remaining colleagues, but demand has | :02:21. | :02:23. | |
exceeded supply as usual. Urgent questions, Jamie Reid. ??F | :02:24. | :02:25. | |
ORCEDWHITE to ask the Secretary of State if he will make a statement on | :02:26. | :02:39. | |
safety at Sellafield? Ensuring high standards of nuclear safety and | :02:40. | :02:42. | |
security will always ensuring high standards of nuclear safety and | :02:43. | :02:47. | |
security will always be a priority. There is no safety risk to side | :02:48. | :02:52. | |
stuff for the public, it would be wrong to suggest otherwise. Sela | :02:53. | :02:56. | |
file -- Sellafield contains the legacy of the UK's earliest | :02:57. | :03:01. | |
programmes, where nuclear waste was dumped with no plan to save | :03:02. | :03:04. | |
disposal. The Government has been turning that around a priority. | :03:05. | :03:08. | |
There is no safety risk to side Stav for the public, it would be wrong to | :03:09. | :03:10. | |
suggest otherwise. Sela file -- Sellafield contains the legacy of | :03:11. | :03:12. | |
the UK's earliest programmes, where | :03:13. | :03:13. |