Topical Questions 2026-06-30

Question

One in five homicides are domestic homicides with women overwhelmingly the victims. The Fuller inquiry called for a strengthening of safeguards and law but recent reports from Nottingham hospital described some of the abuses that have taken place—bodies mislabelled or even left decomposing. Does the Secretary of State share my fear this could be a pattern across the system, and will he look into this to ensure it is not?

Question

This month I was delighted to award my community champion award to Afzaal Hussain. After his best friend was stabbed and died in 2021, he set up In This Together Bucks, which has removed more than 1500 knives from the streets while also addressing underlying causes of knife crime through mentoring, mediation and support for families. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating Afzaal on his work, and does he agree that organisations such as his in our communities are vital to tackling knife crime?

Question

Mr Speaker, you will be alarmed to know that one in seven NHS staff experienced a physical attack while on shift last year. Our paramedics, doctors, nurses, police officers and firefighters go to work every day to save lives, yet they face unimaginable abuse. We have to clamp down on those who perpetrate these vile attacks. Will the Secretary of State commit to reviewing sentencing guidelines for such heinous crimes?

Question

Mr Speaker, you will be alarmed to know that one in seven NHS staff experienced a physical attack while on shift last year. Our paramedics, doctors, nurses, police officers and firefighters go to work every day to save lives, yet they face unimaginable abuse. We have to clamp down on those who perpetrate these vile attacks. Will the Secretary of State commit to reviewing sentencing guidelines for such heinous crimes?

Question

The Guardian reported last week on the case of a US air force officer accused of drugging, strangling and raping a British woman in his apartment. Although the incident took place off duty, off base and on English soil, the case was removed from the jurisdiction of the English courts and was instead tried by US court martial at RAF Lakenheath, with an all-male panel who were all from his base. Does the Secretary of State agree that victims of crimes on English soil should see justice served in our justice system?

Question

My constituent in South Derbyshire, Sarah Page, is associate professor for social justice at University of Staffordshire, which I visited last week. She and her colleagues told me about their “From Harm to Hope” research highlighting the unique challenges that women prisoners face, including being held far from family due to limited number of women's prisons. They also raised concerns that national drug strategy is not sufficiently gender-sensitive in addressing impact of child abuse and domestic abuse on women in criminal justice system. Will my hon. Friend meet me, Sarah and her colleagues to ensure these women-specific issues are properly reflected in our criminal justice system?

Question

Hundreds of women are secretly filmed on nights out. The clips are then put online, accompanied by horrible, misogynistic comments. They are viewed millions of times, often to make a profit. What steps is the Department taking to close the current gaps in legislation and stop this vile abuse of women on nights out?

Question

Recently, a domestic abuse victim came to my office. She was scared and considering returning to her abusive ex-partner because she had nowhere else to go. I intervened, and Portsmouth city council found her a flat, but it was in an area known to be regularly frequented by her abuser. When she raised this with the council, it said that if she did not accept the property, it would withdraw its support. I intervened again, and the council agreed to find her somewhere else to live, but she is still waiting for a safe place. What steps is the Minister taking to join up support across national and local government, so that domestic abuse victims do not fall through the cracks?

Question

The Secretary of State knows how fond I am of him personally, and I want him to keep his job, so will he please his new boss—the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham)—virtually the entire legal establishment and the English people, whose only wish is to keep their 1,000-year-old right to trial by a jury of their peers when their liberty is at stake?

Question

I welcome the Government's £500 million of investment in victims' services, which is a serious investment after years of neglect. In my constituency, Staffordshire Women's Aid has been supporting survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence for 50 years. For every £1 spent on victims' support services, £10.80 is returned to the public purse. What steps are being taken to ensure that brilliant local organisations, such as Staffordshire Women's Aid, can access this funding, so that no area falls into the gaps?

Question

Magistrates are the backbone of the justice system, yet magistrates in Worcestershire increasingly talk to me about the pressures on their workload and the difficulty of attracting new volunteers. What steps are the Government taking to increase the attractiveness of the magistracy?

Question

Ranby Prison in my constituency is undergoing a £70 million expansion. The main prison car park is across the very busy A620 road. On 1 December last year, prison officer Phillip Tetley was knocked down and killed as he crossed the road to get to work. He leaves behind his wife Eve and seven children. Eve Tetley is campaigning for a crossing to prevent such an awful accident happening again. Will the Minister meet me and Eve to discuss this further?

Question

My constituent was repeatedly sexually abused by a family member. He received four concurrent 28-year prison sentences but has since been transferred to the Netherlands where he was immediately released. She lives in fear of him carrying out threats made during trial. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this case and review international prisoner transfer arrangements?

Question

Street Whyze undertakes targeted work with young people to prevent knife crime, following the stabbing of Oliver Freckleton. Can the Minister say how such programmes will be used under the new cross-Government knife crime strategy?

Question

My constituent's ex-husband sexually abused her children and attempted to murder them. However, the court prioritised parental alienation syndrome, a concept discredited by WHO, allowing him unsupervised access. What steps will the Government take to prevent such concepts from obstructing criminal justice?

Question

Carole, Julie and Elaine campaigned tirelessly following their daughters' murders. The Deputy Prime Minister is the first to commit to this change. Can I implore him to implement it as soon as possible?

Question

A high-profile child sex offender was released into my constituency. I have written to the Deputy Prime Minister over three months ago about this issue but received no meeting or action.

Question

One of my constituents suffered horrific abuse including deepfakes. She tried to divorce her abuser but could not access legal aid due to his bail conditions. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this issue?

Question

Following an attack leading to long-term mental and physical health difficulties, a constituent received a disappointing offer of compensation from CICA after a two-and-a-half-year delay. With my intervention, she finally got fair compensation. What steps will the Minister take to ensure victims receive good service when applying for criminal injury compensation?

Question

Mr Speaker, 68 is far too late. When will prison officers achieve a fair, just and—crucially—lower retirement age?

Question

In their 2024 manifesto, the Government made a promise to set up specialist rape courts in every Crown court location. Two years on, how many have been set up?

Question

The stalker of my constituent Sophie Hall was arrested and deported. Post deportation, there was no monitoring at all; stalking resumed, and he is now back in prison. Under the Government's progression model, he will again not be subject to active probation supervision. How can we keep Sophie safe?

Question

Will the Minister join me in thanking and paying tribute to Carole Gould and Julie Devey, who are constituents of mine and my hon. Friend (Anna Sabine). Will he pay tribute to their dedication, persistence, and courage in trying to get changes to sentencing for domestic abuse?

Question

What work is the Department doing to learn from international best practice—for example, in Estonia—when it comes to using technology in the justice system to help deliver swifter justice for victims?