Topical Questions

Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire) (Lab) asked the Secretary of State for Justice to make a statement on her departmental responsibilities. The Secretary of State, Shabana Mahmood, acknowledged that the prison system was on the brink of collapse when she took office two months ago, which is why the government has taken emergency action to release certain offenders a few weeks or months early. She paid tribute to the work of the Prison and Probation Service in responding to the recent violent disorder and preparing for the introduction of these measures, stating that this marks the beginning of a rescue effort to rebuild and reform the justice system. Olivia Bailey welcomed the Secretary of State's commitment to building new prisons and driving down reoffending, as well as the increased transparency, which she said was a significant departure from the previous government's approach of releasing thousands of prisoners early in secret. Edward Argar (Melton and Syston) (Con) asked whether the government has contracted any specific hotels for potential use by early release prisoners. The Secretary of State responded that she has authorised probation directors to make appropriate provision if needed, but it is not definite that it will be required. Mr Lee Dillon (Newbury) (LD) raised the issue of delays in domestic abuse referrals from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service, and the unique risks posed. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Davies-Jones, acknowledged the need to improve the justice system's response to these crimes, including by putting domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms and strengthening the use of protection orders. Joe Powell (Kensington and Bayswater) (Lab) expressed concern about the potential for further delays in the justice system for the victims of the Grenfell fire. The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, Heidi Alexander, stated that the government plans for the Crown court to sit for at least 105,000 days this financial year and will do more to increase the speed of cases being heard. Bradley Thomas (Bromsgrove) (Con) asked the Secretary of State to commit to ending the prisoner early release scheme after 18 months. The Secretary of State responded that she has committed to a review and will return to the House with the results and the approach the government will take at that point. Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab) raised the issue of accessibility of support services for victims of sexual assault who do not report the crime to the police. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Davies-Jones, acknowledged the importance of the issue and said he would be delighted to meet with the MP to discuss it further. Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) (LD) asked the government to discuss how drug addicts are treated in the criminal justice system and look at ways of improving that to tackle the issue of drug-related deaths in Scotland. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Sir Nicholas Dakin, said he would be happy to write to the MP with further details of what the government is doing. Steff Aquarone (North Norfolk) (LD) questioned the government's plan to cap the number of sitting days in courts, which he said would lead to longer waits for justice. Heidi Alexander acknowledged the challenges facing the criminal justice system, stating that the Crown court will sit for more than 105,000 days this financial year, an increase of 28% on the year before the pandemic.