Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Spending Review 2021: Law Officers’ Departments

Thursday 6 January 2022 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government committed to improving performance in the criminal justice system through increased funding for the Crown Prosecution Service.
  • The Government plans to recruit 20,000 new police officers, with over 300 already added in Lancashire.
  • The Attorney General did not provide a direct guarantee about legal consequences for individuals in Downing Street involved in breaching covid restrictions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Scott Benton
Justice & Courts Economy
Context

The question arises from the need to assess how government spending will affect the legal system and law enforcement.

Question

What assessment she has made of the implications of the Spending Review 2021 for the Law Officers' departments?

Answer from Suella Braverman

The Government committed to improving performance across the criminal justice system in the spending review. Funding for the Crown Prosecution Service will increase by more than £80 million a year by 2025, used to drive improvements in rape case prosecutions and court backlog reduction.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address potential negative implications or specific challenges faced by Law Officers' departments due to the spending review

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Q2 Scott Benton
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The question follows up on how government funding will support the police increase programme to enhance safety in towns like Blackpool.

Question

What assessment has she made of the way in which that funding will support the police uplift programme, which will in turn help to deliver safer streets in towns such as Blackpool?

Answer from Suella Braverman

The Government plans to recruit 20,000 new police officers to cut crime. There are already over 300 new police officers in Lancashire, contributing to community safety. The funding increase for the CPS since 2019 has led to more prosecutors being recruited.

Answered
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Q3 Emily Thornberry Lab Islington South and Finsbury
Context

The question is prompted by concerns over the consistency of legal enforcement regarding breaches of COVID restrictions. It seeks clarity on whether individuals will face equal legal consequences.

Question

Will the Attorney General guarantee that, if Sue Gray concludes that covid restrictions were broken by individuals in Downing Street, there will be no barrier to those individuals facing the same legal consequences as everybody else?

Answer from Suella Braverman

The process is being led appropriately by Sue Gray, and all recommendations will be considered in the right way. The Attorney General did not provide a direct guarantee about legal consequences for individuals in Downing Street.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly commit to ensuring that those involved in breaching restrictions face equal legal consequences as others

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