Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Court Delays: Covid-19

Tuesday 3 November 2020 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister continues progress on criminal courts recovery since August, with magistrates courts completing more cases than received.
  • Investment of millions of pounds in criminal courts includes perspex screens, technology, and Nightingale courts.
  • 20 million of 76 million allocated to victims' organisations was rolled out through PCCs for community support.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rushanara Ali Lab Bethnal Green and Stepney
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question addresses the long-standing issue of court delays caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, affecting many victims waiting for justice.

Question

If he will bring forward a strategy to support victims affected by court delays as a result of the covid-19 outbreak. Victims of serious violent crime like rape and sexual abuse are facing significant trauma due to these delays.

Answer from Alex Chalk

We continue to make significant progress on criminal courts' recovery. Since August, magistrates courts have consistently completed more cases than they are receiving. In the Crown court, millions of pounds have been invested in perspex screens, technology and Nightingale courts to enable thousands of hearings to be listed each week.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific strategy or additional support for victims impacted by delays

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Q2 Chi Onwurah Lab Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The north-east has experienced significant court delays, impacting the mental health of rape victims. Support organizations in Newcastle need specific aid.

Question

Rape is a violent and devastating crime, putting enormous pressure on its victims who may view the trial as a second violation. What support is the Minister providing to victim organisations such as the sexual exploitation hub in my constituency?

Answer from Alex Chalk

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to raise this point, and I am grateful to her for doing so. We take this extremely seriously. Of the £76 million that we allocated to victims' organisations, a full £20 million was rolled out through PCCs to provide community support.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address specific support for sexual exploitation hubs or other organizations in Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West

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Q3 Diana R. Johnson Lab Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Crime & Law Enforcement Community Security
Context

Levels of antisocial behaviour in Kingston upon Hull have been growing, putting pressure on victims who feel justice is beyond reach.

Question

What discussions has the Minister had with his counterpart in the Home Office about a specific strategy for communities where antisocial behaviour is increasing? Will he meet me to discuss what more can be done?

Answer from Alex Chalk

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her question. Let the message go out in Kingston upon Hull that people who want to perpetrate antisocial behaviour should understand that the courts are operating, that the police are there to make arrests and that justice will be done.

Not addressed: Did not discuss specific strategy or willingness to meet for further discussion

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Q4 Rushanara Ali Lab Bethnal Green and Stepney
Justice & Courts Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The delays have caused trauma for victims waiting for justice, with half a million unheard cases. Additional resources are needed to address this.

Question

Will the Minister meet me as well to discuss this matter? How many of the 200 additional court venues have been provided and how much funding has been allocated to deal with the pandemic-induced backlog?

Answer from Alex Chalk

Let me deal with this point about courts. Because so much money has gone into providing perspex and so on, the number of courtrooms available for trials is higher than the baseline.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific numbers or funding amounts related to new venues

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Q5 Peter Kyle Lab Hove and Portslade
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

Victims are waiting longer than ever for justice, with some pulling out of trials due to delays. The Minister has received complaints from PCCs.

Question

How many crimes need to go unpunished before Ministers will come forward with a plan backed by targets and resources? The backlog is not just numbers but a tragedy for each victim awaiting justice.

Answer from Alex Chalk

I regret that the hon. Gentleman has not read the plan that has been published, because if he had, he would know that in the magistrates courts the backlog is being eroded, because disposals have exceeded receipts since the end of July.

Not addressed: Did not provide specifics on a new plan or targets for reducing backlog

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