My Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Rt Hon David Lammy MP) has today made the following statement:

"This Government inherited a prison system in crisis, with prisons on the verge of collapse. Dame Anne Owers’ Independent Review of Prison Capacity has...

My Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Rt Hon David Lammy MP) has today made the following statement:

"This Government inherited a prison system in crisis, with prisons on the verge of collapse. Dame Anne Owers’ Independent Review of Prison Capacity has...

This Government inherited a prison system in crisis, with prisons on the verge of collapse. Dame Anne Owers’ Independent Review of Prison Capacity has set out that shortly after the announcement of the 2024 General Election at one point there were fewer than 100 places available in adult male prisons,...

This Government inherited a prison system in crisis, with prisons on the verge of collapse. Dame Anne Owers’ Independent Review of Prison Capacity has set out that shortly after the announcement of the 2024 General Election at one point there were fewer than 100 places available in adult male prisons,...

My Noble Friend, the Minister of State for Justice (Lord Timpson), has today made the following statement:

"The Government is committed to strengthening public protection and ensuring the Probation Service has the tools and capacity it needs to keep communities safe, protect victims and change lives.

Today I am setting out a...

My Noble Friend, the Minister of State for Justice (Lord Timpson), has today made the following statement:

"The Government is committed to strengthening public protection and ensuring the Probation Service has the tools and capacity it needs to keep communities safe, protect victims and change lives.

Today I am setting out a...

The Government is committed to strengthening public protection and ensuring the Probation Service has the tools and capacity it needs to keep communities safe, protect victims and change lives.

Today I am setting out a package of reforms that will deliver tougher, more targeted supervision for offenders who pose the greatest...

The Government is committed to strengthening public protection and ensuring the Probation Service has the tools and capacity it needs to keep communities safe, protect victims and change lives.

Today I am setting out a package of reforms that will deliver tougher, more targeted supervision for offenders who pose the greatest...

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many probation officers have been recruited since 5 July 2024.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many probation officers have been recruited since 5 July 2024.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the number of probation officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the number of probation officers.

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind words and for the work that he has done in Harlow. I repeat that to my knowledge there was not a Government before us who even cared about tradespeople.

In addition, we are investing up to £700 million more in community punishment and...

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind words and for the work that he has done in Harlow. I repeat that to my knowledge there was not a Government before us who even cared about tradespeople.

In addition, we are investing up to £700 million more in community punishment and...

Programme (No. 2) motion. Agreed to on question. Consideration of Lords amendments. Lords amendment 7, motion to disagree, considered with amendments in lieu and further Lords amendments. Lords amendment 7 disagreed to on division (319 to 127). Amendments (a) and (b) made in lieu. Lords amendments 1-6 and 8-15 agreed to.

Programme (No. 2) motion. Agreed to on question. Consideration of Lords amendments. Lords amendment 7, motion to disagree, considered with amendments in lieu and further Lords amendments. Lords amendment 7 disagreed to on division (319 to 127). Amendments (a) and (b) made in lieu. Lords amendments 1-6 and 8-15 agreed...

I beg to move, That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 7.

I beg to move, That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 7.

I begin by putting on record the Government’s welcoming of the new shadow Justice Secretary, the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy), to his job. We look forward to working with him; he is somebody of some intellectual heft, and in any event, he is in the lucky position...

I begin by putting on record the Government’s welcoming of the new shadow Justice Secretary, the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy), to his job. We look forward to working with him; he is somebody of some intellectual heft, and in any event, he is in the lucky position...

The Minister is making a powerful speech. He will recognise that the Bill is of huge concern to residents in my constituency, because many victims of crime who are waiting for justice to be served are waiting years for the person responsible to face trial. Does the Minister agree that...

The Minister is making a powerful speech. He will recognise that the Bill is of huge concern to residents in my constituency, because many victims of crime who are waiting for justice to be served are waiting years for the person responsible to face trial. Does the Minister agree that...

Absolutely. My hon. Friend is a fine champion of this agenda and for his constituents in Harlow, and as he knows, the Bill does more than just fix the crisis we inherited; it will confront reoffending and keep our communities safe.

As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister set...

Absolutely. My hon. Friend is a fine champion of this agenda and for his constituents in Harlow, and as he knows, the Bill does more than just fix the crisis we inherited; it will confront reoffending and keep our communities safe.

As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister set...

The Minister has outlined very clearly what the Government, and he in particular, are trying to achieve. There is a perception among the general public—this is certainly indicated in the press and the media—that the Government are going to be a bit soft on those who carry out crimes, but...

The Minister has outlined very clearly what the Government, and he in particular, are trying to achieve. There is a perception among the general public—this is certainly indicated in the press and the media—that the Government are going to be a bit soft on those who carry out crimes, but...

I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s intervention. Over the course of this speech, I will set out what the Government are doing more generally to increase rehabilitation and crack down on reoffending. The hon. Gentleman states that there is a suggestion that this Bill is somehow soft on crime. I say...

I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s intervention. Over the course of this speech, I will set out what the Government are doing more generally to increase rehabilitation and crack down on reoffending. The hon. Gentleman states that there is a suggestion that this Bill is somehow soft on crime. I say...

In government, the Conservative party oversaw a disastrous privatisation of probation, which ended in a £500 million bail-out by taxpayers. Our Probation Service plays a critical role in the rehabilitation of offenders and in keeping our communities safe, so can the Minister further set out how the Bill will ensure...

In government, the Conservative party oversaw a disastrous privatisation of probation, which ended in a £500 million bail-out by taxpayers. Our Probation Service plays a critical role in the rehabilitation of offenders and in keeping our communities safe, so can the Minister further set out how the Bill will ensure...

I welcome the intervention from my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson). I will come on to the issue that she raises shortly.

While we cannot support Lords amendment 7 as drafted, we fully support the intention behind it of promoting transparency and improving the experience of victims....

I welcome the intervention from my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson). I will come on to the issue that she raises shortly.

While we cannot support Lords amendment 7 as drafted, we fully support the intention behind it of promoting transparency and improving the experience of victims....

A comment often made to me and my colleagues when I was policing was that as soon as I left the police station in full uniform, I was a sitting target, every single day. Does the Minister agree that the proposal for mandatory whole life sentences for those who murder...

A comment often made to me and my colleagues when I was policing was that as soon as I left the police station in full uniform, I was a sitting target, every single day. Does the Minister agree that the proposal for mandatory whole life sentences for those who murder...

Absolutely. I thank my hon. Friend for his service, his contribution, and his support for Lords amendment 1. As I said when I had the great privilege of meeting Lenny’s parents last week with the shadow Justice Minister and Lord Timpson in the other place, this is not just about...

Absolutely. I thank my hon. Friend for his service, his contribution, and his support for Lords amendment 1. As I said when I had the great privilege of meeting Lenny’s parents last week with the shadow Justice Minister and Lord Timpson in the other place, this is not just about...