Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Tuesday 14 July 2020 · 10 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 10 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister Buckland reports over 14,000 cases heard remotely and 48 Crown court centres now hearing trials due to efforts to keep courts open during the pandemic.
  • Mr. Buckland confirms that nitrous oxide is classified under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 as an offence to supply if used psychoactively.
  • Mr. Buckland outlines a plan to gradually open prisons, with around half beginning to ease restrictions and visits starting in places like HMP Humber.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matt Vickers Con Halifax
Justice & Courts
Context

Questions about the impact of Covid-19 on court operations and technological innovations.

Question

Mr. Vickers inquires about the efforts made by the Department to keep courts open during the pandemic, highlighting the number of remote cases heard and jury trials restarted.

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

Mr. Buckland states that throughout the crisis, courts have remained open with over 14,000 cases heard remotely; 48 Crown court centres are now hearing trials, HMCTS has published a plan outlining next steps, and work continues on increasing capacity, technology usage, and exploring options.

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Q2 Matt Vickers Con Halifax
Context

Concerns about the increase of nitrous oxide canisters found during litter picks, highlighting health and life risks for young users.

Question

Mr. Vickers asks Mr. Buckland to look at this issue with colleagues across Government to get a grip on this growing and dangerous problem involving psychoactive substance use among youngsters.

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

Mr. Buckland confirms that nitrous oxide is classified under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 as an offence to supply if used psychoactively, noting willingness to discuss further with Mr. Vickers.

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Q3 David Lammy Lab Tottenham
Justice & Courts
Context

Criticism of the decade-long underinvestment in legal aid, urging for an expedited review with a deadline.

Question

Mr. Lammy criticises the delay in reviewing criminal legal aid and requests a deadline for the report's submission.

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

Mr. Buckland asserts that part 1 of the criminal legal aid review is complete with a consultation finished, expressing readiness to move forward with part 2 while acknowledging past cuts during Mr. Lammy's tenure.

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Q4 Mike Wood Con Dudley North
Justice & Courts
Context

Inquiries about the progress made in allowing prison visits to maintain family connections for rehabilitation purposes.

Question

Mr. Wood seeks information on the Department's plan to gradually ease restrictions in prisons while ensuring safety for staff and inmates, asking about the start of prison visits again.

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

Mr. Buckland outlines a June issued plan to gradually open prisons, guided by public health advice; he mentions around half of all prisons beginning to ease some restrictions with visits starting in places like HMP Humber.

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Q5 Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem St Austell and Newquay
Justice & Courts Standards & Ethics
Context

Discussions on the restoration of legal aid for early legal advice, aiming to resolve more cases before they reach court.

Question

Ms. Hobhouse presses Mr. Buckland to consider restoring legal aid at least for initial advice sessions, highlighting its importance for accessibility and resolution speed.

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

Mr. Buckland acknowledges the availability of criminal trial legal aid subject to means test, while noting £5 million allocated for early legal advice provision aimed at diversion from lengthy processes.

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Q6 Scott Mann Con North Cornwall
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

Questions on the Department's measures to support crime victims specifically in the Cornish region.

Question

Mr. Mann seeks information on steps taken by the Department to support victims of crime in his constituency, particularly those under the Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner area.

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

Mr. Buckland provides details on over £2 million in funding to the Devon and Cornwall PCC area, including specific allocations through rape support funds and additional Covid-19 extraordinary funding for local providers.

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Q7 Catherine McKinnell Lab Newcastle North
Justice & Courts Children & Families
Context

Kinship carers help children stay within family networks when they cannot live with their parents.

Question

They often face legal fees to secure the right to care for these vulnerable children. Will the Lord Chancellor pledge to bring forward legal aid reforms for special guardians in private law cases and ensure kinship carers are not financially disadvantaged?

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Lord Chancellor)

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising that specific point, which deserves closer scrutiny. I would be happy to engage directly with her on the issue.

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Q8 Fleur Anderson Lab Coventry North East
Justice & Courts Standards & Ethics
Context

New regulations set a standard fixed fee for complex asylum and immigration work, potentially making it financially unviable.

Question

Will the Secretary of State commit urgently to assessing the impact of this fixed fee and to funding a system that pays a fair wage to legal aid lawyers, ensuring access to justice for disadvantaged people?

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Attorney General)

I have already committed to the second stage of the consultation to reflect fully the nature of the work undertaken by immigration practitioners. Our aim in the first stage was to quickly bring forward increases for skeleton arguments, but we will continue with the planned consultation.

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Q9 Paul Bristow Con Braintree
Justice & Courts NHS
Context

HMP Peterborough is a privately managed prison.

Question

What reassurances has the Minister been given by prison operators about handling of covid-19, and what support is available from the Ministry?

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Attorney General)

Staff at HMP Peterborough have responded with care and compassion to support prisoners through the pandemic, helping them maintain family ties and providing exercise and materials. The Ministry has worked closely with privately managed prisons throughout this period.

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Q10 Sarah Jones Lab Croydon North
Children & Families
Context

Nine out of ten children currently in custody in Croydon are black, raising concerns about underlying discrimination and racism.

Question

Following the Prime Minister's announcement of a commission to investigate racial inequality, can the Secretary of State provide details on its setup, chair, terms of reference, and expected actions?

Answer from Robert Buckland (The Attorney General)

There are issues identified in the Lammy review relating to legal advice tendering and system engagement. We have started 'Chance to Change' pilots for dealing with allegations against black and minority ethnic youngsters, but I do not have specific details on the commission's setup at present.

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