:00:00. > :00:18.Questions to the Attorney Gdneral, the Commons deals with some private
:00:19. > :00:22.business. Order! Order! I bdg to move that Mr Speaker to isste his
:00:23. > :00:25.mortgage to the clerk of thd Crown to make out a new rich for the
:00:26. > :00:29.electing the member to servd in this present Parliament for the borough
:00:30. > :00:59.constituency of Richmond Park, . The question is that I do issue my
:01:00. > :01:04.warrant to make out any ratd for the electing the member to servd in this
:01:05. > :01:33.present Parliament for the borough constituency of Richmond Park.
:01:34. > :01:48.Order. The clerk will now proceed to read the title of the Private Bill
:01:49. > :01:52.set down the consideration this day. New Southgate cemetery Bill, second
:01:53. > :02:01.reading. Objection. Third objection, objection taken. Thursday the 3rd of
:02:02. > :02:09.November. Thursday the 3rd of November. Thank you. Or it.
:02:10. > :02:19.Questions to the Attorney Gdneral. Question number one. The Crown
:02:20. > :02:23.Prosecution Service has this very month published guidelines on crimes
:02:24. > :02:28.involving social media and publish a broader cyber crime strategx and
:02:29. > :02:32.guidance for prosecutors thhs autumn. All CPS prosecutors have
:02:33. > :02:41.access to training on how to deal with cyber crime. Last week's
:02:42. > :02:46.Internet of things attack w`s the result of tens of millions of
:02:47. > :02:51.household devices like baby monitors and televisions being hijacked by
:02:52. > :02:56.cyber criminals. This government has been perilously slow to recognise
:02:57. > :03:01.the real harm at online scals and viruses do to our constituents. What
:03:02. > :03:07.is he doing to make sure th`t the CPS can respond to these attacks?
:03:08. > :03:12.The government does have in place many measures to deal with
:03:13. > :03:15.prevention, but when it comds the prosecution, I am confident the CPS
:03:16. > :03:22.understand the international nature understand the international nature
:03:23. > :03:27.of this crime, and cooperathon with other jurisdictions in order to deal
:03:28. > :03:32.with that. I think our cyber crime strategy will address a lot of the
:03:33. > :03:36.issues she has addressed. Is it not the case that we rely too mtch on
:03:37. > :03:41.prosecution guidance when it comes to cyber crimes, such as online
:03:42. > :03:51.abuse, when that is no substitute for a clear, primarily little
:03:52. > :03:55.consolation. -- primary leghslation. Will he advise the Lord Chancellor
:03:56. > :04:05.is that this should be a top priority. I am grateful and paid
:04:06. > :04:10.tribute to her other work she does in order to tighten up the law for
:04:11. > :04:14.offences like revenge pornography. I do believe it is incumbent on police
:04:15. > :04:19.and prosecutors to use the dxisting a lot more thoroughly, but hf that
:04:20. > :04:24.is a case of further reform, the government will look at it very
:04:25. > :04:27.carefully. As Minister seen over 100 members of Parliament have now
:04:28. > :04:34.signed a letter to President Obama on the case of Larry Love, who is
:04:35. > :04:39.going to be extradited to the United States to face trial for hacking
:04:40. > :04:44.into government files? Did he realise this young man is on the
:04:45. > :04:49.autism spectrum, he has sevdre mental health challenges and may not
:04:50. > :04:53.survive that journey? I am very conscious of that case, havhng
:04:54. > :04:57.strong interest in autism issues myself. I have to edit the size is a
:04:58. > :05:01.matter for the courts and h`s has-been" procedure relating to
:05:02. > :05:05.these issues, so I'm loathe to make direct comment about the kexs, but
:05:06. > :05:09.it is one I am certainly following very carefully indeed. Therd is
:05:10. > :05:13.little doubt that has been huge increase in cyber crime over the
:05:14. > :05:17.past few years. Does the Attorney General think we have the specialist
:05:18. > :05:26.knowledge we need to tackle this problem? My honourable friend hits
:05:27. > :05:29.the nail on the head. It is vital the investigatory and prosecutorial
:05:30. > :05:34.authorities understand the nature of cyber crime and I'm confident we're
:05:35. > :05:40.going to address the very concerns he has rained. Vulnerable vhctims
:05:41. > :05:44.and witnesses can already ghve evidence from behind a scredn or
:05:45. > :05:48.through a video link, but in addition, having piloted prd-trial
:05:49. > :05:53.cross-examination, which allows vulnerable witnesses to record all
:05:54. > :06:00.of the evidence before a trhal, we will be rolling this out nationally.
:06:01. > :06:03.Can you tell the police what special arrangements there are to stpport
:06:04. > :06:09.vulnerable children, partictlarly in cases of abuse of a sexual nature?
:06:10. > :06:13.She is right that these witnesses are of particular concern and she
:06:14. > :06:17.will be pleased to learn th`t when it comes to pre-recorded
:06:18. > :06:22.cross-examination, or that has been trialled, about three quartdrs of
:06:23. > :06:26.the cases concerned are casds of a sexual nature, and most of those
:06:27. > :06:29.witnesses are children, so those are the kind of witnesses who whll
:06:30. > :06:35.particularly benefit from this measure. Would you agree th`t having
:06:36. > :06:45.to go to court for initial procedures, when victims cole to
:06:46. > :06:50.face-to-face, can you see what will be in place to help them? This is a
:06:51. > :06:55.serious concern for many of those involved in this kind of case and
:06:56. > :06:59.that is precisely be why thd sorts of measures have described `re of
:07:00. > :07:04.benefit. If you are prerecording all of the witness's evidence, then they
:07:05. > :07:14.don't come face-to-face with their defendant at all and that, H think,
:07:15. > :07:17.is a huge benefit. With the rise of social media, victims and
:07:18. > :07:21.particularly witnesses fear intimidation from the onlind
:07:22. > :07:26.community. Will he also takd into consideration protections in the
:07:27. > :07:29.digital space as well as thd physical courtroom? Yes, indeed and
:07:30. > :07:34.I think he makes an important point. We have to deal neither the context
:07:35. > :07:38.which is very different frol anything we've experienced before.
:07:39. > :07:42.It's important people to understand social media is not an ungoverned
:07:43. > :07:48.space, the law applies therd as well elsewhere. If those using social
:07:49. > :07:51.media and engaged in crimin`l behaviour, they will find it is
:07:52. > :07:58.criminal there as well as anywhere else. I'd like to ask what progress
:07:59. > :08:04.is being made in providing special protection measures for vulnerable
:08:05. > :08:08.victims within the family courts. Yes, I think we need to look
:08:09. > :08:11.carefully at how we might rdad across some of the things which are
:08:12. > :08:15.working well in the criminal courts to other types of court and I think
:08:16. > :08:20.she is right to highlight that. There is huge scope for us to
:08:21. > :08:23.understand more about how pdople can give their best evidence, and that
:08:24. > :08:32.is what court systems of all kinds should be looking to do. Thd Crown
:08:33. > :08:37.Prosecution Service and the serious fraud office regularly engage with
:08:38. > :08:42.Scotland's prosecution servhce and the service in Northern Ireland The
:08:43. > :08:49.government recognises the ilportance of maintaining good relations with
:08:50. > :08:54.European countries and will continue to seek the best arrangements
:08:55. > :08:59.possible on reading the EU. Post Brexit, will the government continue
:09:00. > :09:04.to use the European search warrant, or if not, what will you put in its
:09:05. > :09:10.place? I will not prejudge the outcome of the disc Association 's
:09:11. > :09:14.were going to have, but -- that discussions we're going to have but
:09:15. > :09:18.that European search warrant and other measures like it are of great
:09:19. > :09:22.benefit to us and our Europdan partners, and for that reason, I am
:09:23. > :09:30.optimistic we will be able to put in place measures which benefit both
:09:31. > :09:33.sides. Once they are freed from the Freedom of movement. Will the Crown
:09:34. > :09:37.Prosecution Service seek to prosecute EU nationals who commit
:09:38. > :09:42.crimes in this country and seek their banned from returning to this
:09:43. > :09:47.country, which we are not able to do at the moment is? He will know that
:09:48. > :09:49.at the moment, the CPS do indeed prosecute European nationals who
:09:50. > :09:54.commit crimes in this country and some of the measures I have just
:09:55. > :09:58.described are of assistance in not just returning those individuals to
:09:59. > :10:05.be trialled in this country, but in gaining evidence to secure their
:10:06. > :10:07.conviction. In terms of what measures are taken thereaftdr,
:10:08. > :10:10.sentencing decisions are further courts and we will look cardfully at
:10:11. > :10:18.what other measures might bdcome available once we have left the
:10:19. > :10:22.European Union. The number of sentences considered by my office
:10:23. > :10:32.under the banner lenient sentence scheme have increased by ovdr 1 8%
:10:33. > :10:37.from 2010, from 342 to 713 requests. Of those, 136 were referred to the
:10:38. > :10:45.court of appeal as unduly ldnient, with the court agreeing to hncrease
:10:46. > :10:49.the sentence for 102 offenddrs. Stalking causes enormous harm and
:10:50. > :10:54.distressed victims and the government has rightly tighten the
:10:55. > :10:58.law in this area. Will he consider and extending the Unduly Lenient
:10:59. > :11:06.Sentence scheme to cover thdse crimes?
:11:07. > :11:11.When one looks at that schele, there are a number of offences th`t it is
:11:12. > :11:15.surprising that they are not included in the scheme at the
:11:16. > :11:19.moment. We need to look cardfully at the whole range of criminal offences
:11:20. > :11:22.to decide what should be inside and outside the scheme but I certainly
:11:23. > :11:24.think he makes a good case for the types of offences which we light
:11:25. > :11:34.consider including in the ftture. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Having
:11:35. > :11:39.conceded the need for an on June the lenient sentence scheme, thd public
:11:40. > :11:43.are very confused as to why some offences are covered and sole
:11:44. > :11:48.aren't. Wouldn't it be simpler to have a scheme that covered `ll
:11:49. > :11:52.offences? My honourable fridnd makes a tempting position to give my
:11:53. > :11:56.office a good deal more work but there is no doubt that one of the
:11:57. > :12:00.advantages of the unduely ldnient sentence scheme is that it hs
:12:01. > :12:04.available to the public. It is not require the intervention of lawyers
:12:05. > :12:08.and it is easy for the publhc to access. It should be easy for the
:12:09. > :12:12.public to understand and thdrefore I am in favour of jewellery drawing
:12:13. > :12:15.the line between those outshde and inside the scheme -- in favour of
:12:16. > :12:20.drawing. In an easily understandable place. I would also say that it is
:12:21. > :12:23.important to bear in mind that even on an extended version of the
:12:24. > :12:29.scheme, we will be talking `bout a very small minority of cases where
:12:30. > :12:32.judges err in this way. 102 cases judges err in this way. 102 cases
:12:33. > :12:38.last year considered under the scheme to be unduly lenient, that is
:12:39. > :12:44.out of about 80,000 sentencds passed in the Crown Court that year. Alan
:12:45. > :12:49.Brown. Attorney General. Qudstion five. We are leaving the European
:12:50. > :12:54.Union that cooperation with our European and global allies will
:12:55. > :12:57.remain important. My office will continue to engage internathonally
:12:58. > :12:59.to promote the rule of law, shared understanding of international law
:13:00. > :13:05.and global corporation on criminal justice. Alan Brown. Thank xou the
:13:06. > :13:11.Attorney General that it is a reality that Europe old's dhrective
:13:12. > :13:16.will have a second tier membership. Will this not undermine the UK
:13:17. > :13:19.Government's plans to tackld money-laundering crimes? Mr Speaker,
:13:20. > :13:24.we should not pre-empt the outcome of any discussions that will follow.
:13:25. > :13:27.I think that there is an understanding, as I said earlier,
:13:28. > :13:30.in the rest of the European Union, in the rest of the European Union,
:13:31. > :13:35.the sort of cooperation on crime and security that we have now bdnefits
:13:36. > :13:40.both sides and will need to continue in order to make sure that we are
:13:41. > :13:42.all safe and more secure. And that we can successfully capture and then
:13:43. > :13:49.prosecute the sort of offenders that he has described. If it's not
:13:50. > :13:53.fallacious for the Remoaners two always say that once we havd left
:13:54. > :14:02.the European Union we won't have access to European instituthons Is
:14:03. > :14:05.it not the case that Europe old -- Europol, the Rasmus programle and
:14:06. > :14:10.the Eurovision Song contest all have members which are not members of the
:14:11. > :14:14.European Union. -- Erasmus programme. I don't think by grouping
:14:15. > :14:19.together might honourable friend is describing Eurovision as a criminal
:14:20. > :14:22.enterprise. There are those who say so. LAUGHTER
:14:23. > :14:25.It is important to recognisd, as he says, that leaving the European
:14:26. > :14:29.Union is not the same as le`ving your bad it is certainly not the
:14:30. > :14:33.same as being unprepared to cooperate. -- leaving Europd is bad.
:14:34. > :14:40.We will cooperate with a whole range of partners which will be in our
:14:41. > :14:44.mutual interest. Given the warnings from Rob Wainwright and the Attorney
:14:45. > :14:48.General's duty to the legal profession, will be Attornex General
:14:49. > :14:55.confirm he will be making the case on Europol and the Eurovision Song
:14:56. > :14:58.contest within this Brexit Tory cabinet? I'm willing to comlit to
:14:59. > :15:03.making the case for the Eurovision Song contest. I will say thhs. It is
:15:04. > :15:07.very important that all in this House understand that the government
:15:08. > :15:11.is committed to continuing our internationalist perspectivd and to
:15:12. > :15:14.keeping this nation and its citizens safe. I don't think he will hear
:15:15. > :15:18.from any member of the government the view that we can do so without
:15:19. > :15:22.co-operating internationallx. We will seek to do that just as
:15:23. > :15:27.successfully and just as fully as we have done in the past, inside or
:15:28. > :15:30.outside the European Union. Mr Speaker, how is my right honourable
:15:31. > :15:33.friend interacting with the government of Romania? He whll know
:15:34. > :15:38.the Heritage foundation has recently issued a report saying the court in
:15:39. > :15:45.Romania are subject to chronic corruption and political influence.
:15:46. > :15:49.I'm not going to comment on the status of other court systels. But
:15:50. > :15:54.what I will say is that part of the engagement that this countrx has a
:15:55. > :15:57.broad on the rule of law in a variety of different countrhes is
:15:58. > :16:02.designed to ensure that the long experience this country has in
:16:03. > :16:05.running effective, efficient and fair court systems is translitted to
:16:06. > :16:09.others where they ask for otr help. I am sure that we will conthnue in
:16:10. > :16:12.that enterprise. Question ntmber six.
:16:13. > :16:19.Mr Speaker, I meet regularlx with the Director of Public Prosdcutions
:16:20. > :16:22.to discuss this and other topics. The CPS continues to prioritise a
:16:23. > :16:26.rape and serious sexual offdnding and has taken steps to ensure that
:16:27. > :16:29.prosecutors are able to prosecute these cases are effectively. They
:16:30. > :16:34.include increasing the numbdr of specialist staff within its rape and
:16:35. > :16:36.serious sexual offences units, providing specialist training for
:16:37. > :16:40.prosecutors and developing close working arrangements with the
:16:41. > :16:43.police. Vicky Foxcroft. A constituent of mine is a victim of
:16:44. > :16:47.rape. A complete lack of communication and action from the
:16:48. > :16:53.police has left her unable to move on and recover from the horrific
:16:54. > :16:58.ordeal. After a year and a half the case, which the superintenddnt Dean
:16:59. > :17:02.a professional embarrassment, has finally been brought to the CPS --
:17:03. > :17:06.superintendent deemed professional. This might not be the end of her
:17:07. > :17:11.torment. Will the Minister `gree that communication with victims is
:17:12. > :17:15.vital and effectively prosecuting offenders and the Director of Public
:17:16. > :17:19.Prosecutions should ensure dvery victim is kept updated. That views
:17:20. > :17:27.are taken into account on kdy decisions and they are up polled
:17:28. > :17:32.eight high level of communication. I agree. -- and they uphold. Ht is not
:17:33. > :17:39.acceptable in line of the standards we would all expect. Firstlx,
:17:40. > :17:42.prosecutors are involved as early as possible, so advice can be given to
:17:43. > :17:47.the police about the development of an investigation with a view to
:17:48. > :17:52.prosecution. Secondly, importantly, when a case comes to court, we
:17:53. > :17:56.continue that communication that we should have had up to that point
:17:57. > :18:00.with victims and witnesses. And that people are given to underst`nd what
:18:01. > :18:04.is going on around them. Cotrts can be very confusing places and we only
:18:05. > :18:08.had to the distress if we don't take the trouble to explain the process
:18:09. > :18:11.to those who are, through no fault of their own, suddenly involved in
:18:12. > :18:18.it. That is one of the things we will look to do better. In welcoming
:18:19. > :18:23.the increased number of prosecutions for rape, with the Attorney General
:18:24. > :18:26.outline what more can be done to improve the consistency across
:18:27. > :18:30.different areas? Also, to ilprove the prosecution rate? I am grateful
:18:31. > :18:34.to my honourable friend, he is right that although we should welcome the
:18:35. > :18:39.increased volume of prosecutions that are taking place, therd is
:18:40. > :18:43.still a divergences in the way in which this is done across the
:18:44. > :18:48.country. For that region, the CPS have set up a national delivery
:18:49. > :18:52.board and are looking in -- at ways in which differences exist `nd
:18:53. > :18:55.attempt to resolve them. As he says, it's also a matter of making sure
:18:56. > :18:58.that prosecutors are properly trained, as they are. And they have
:18:59. > :19:08.the resorts as they need to do the job. Mr Speaker, as it's my first
:19:09. > :19:15.question in this role, I do refer to my entry in the register and the
:19:16. > :19:18.fact that I am a non-practising law in Cardiff. The Attorney General be
:19:19. > :19:24.aware of the grave recent concern about the admissibility of `
:19:25. > :19:26.complainants sexual history in rape trials. Does the Attorney Gdneral
:19:27. > :19:30.agree with me that single hhgh profile cases can give rise to wider
:19:31. > :19:35.perceptions of the law, partly because of the level of covdrage
:19:36. > :19:39.they receive? Will he undertake to tackle those wider perceptions? I'm
:19:40. > :19:43.grateful to the honourable gentlemen, let me start by welcoming
:19:44. > :19:46.him to his new responsibilities It is good to see him across the
:19:47. > :19:49.dispatch box, he will be pldased to learn this is the only part of
:19:50. > :19:53.parliament when he doesn't have to apologise for being a lawyer. In
:19:54. > :19:58.relation to the subject he has raised, there is concern here. We
:19:59. > :20:01.need to accept that that concern is sensible and deal with it. H think
:20:02. > :20:04.what we need to look at is ` number of things. We need to understand
:20:05. > :20:18.more about the decision in this particular case. It is not what it
:20:19. > :20:23.is in the is even judges about when this evidence is admissible and
:20:24. > :20:26.about whether that evidence should be used with jury. We need to do
:20:27. > :20:30.that before we understand what changes will be needed. I al
:20:31. > :20:33.grateful to the Attorney General to the welcome and I look forw`rd to
:20:34. > :20:37.debating with him across thd dispatch box and my fellow Welsh
:20:38. > :20:41.lawyer, Solicitor General as well. Prosecution lawyers will, of course,
:20:42. > :20:45.be dealing with these applications for the admissibility of a
:20:46. > :20:48.complainants' sexual historx before the courts. I am grateful to you
:20:49. > :20:51.that the Attorney General h`s committed to looking at the guidance
:20:52. > :20:56.that is given to judges and what judges essayed to juries. In
:20:57. > :20:59.addition, will he also look at the guidance that is given by the Crown
:21:00. > :21:02.Prosecution Service to the noise that appear before the courts that
:21:03. > :21:08.will be dealing with these applications on a regular b`sis --
:21:09. > :21:12.to the courts. I will do th`t. In relation to the Casey race, the
:21:13. > :21:16.Crown Prosecution Service dhd oppose the admission of evidence at the
:21:17. > :21:19.Court of Appeal case -- in relation to this case. It's worth looking at
:21:20. > :21:23.guidance and the whole picttre. I think this is a provision which as
:21:24. > :21:30.far as I'm aware, is not rottinely used. But we must be confiddnt that
:21:31. > :21:33.message sent to those who m`y be willing... Apparently worridd about
:21:34. > :21:37.reporting these sorts of offences is not that they are not encouraged to
:21:38. > :21:42.do so. Quite the reverse, they are. We need to make sure those lessages
:21:43. > :21:46.are clear. Questions to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Vhcky
:21:47. > :21:53.Foxcroft. Question number one, Mr Speaker.
:21:54. > :22:02.Thank you, Mr Speaker. We w`nt to provide all young people with a
:22:03. > :22:07.curriculum that prepares thdm to succeed in modern Britain, that is
:22:08. > :22:10.why we want to make sure th`t sex and relationship education really is
:22:11. > :22:14.fit for the world the children live in today and I agree we need to look
:22:15. > :22:17.at how schools deliver high,quality and age-appropriate sex and
:22:18. > :22:20.relationship education. We `re carefully considering all the
:22:21. > :22:24.options including updating our guidance and I will give an update
:22:25. > :22:26.shortly. The women's and eqtalities select committee has recommdnded
:22:27. > :22:28.that the government