argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Victims and Witnesses: Court Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Phillip James Lee (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right. Ensuring that victims of crime are able to give evidence in the easiest possible way is among our highest priorities. The roll-out of new video and audio technology will ensure that courts and their work loads are managed more efficiently.
Victims and Witnesses: Court Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Phillip James Lee (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her question. The Department is of course aware of that serious case review of the sexual exploitation of children. The details are shocking. Like all the agencies involved, we are looking into ways to continuously improve our service. I shall write to the hon. Lady about whether we will respond directly to that review.
Victims and Witnesses: Court Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Phillip James Lee (Conservative, Centre-right): We have plenty to learn from what is happening in Scotland with regard to the way we deal with women who are victims of domestic abuse, and indeed offenders who have been victims of domestic abuse. As the Justice Minister with responsibility for the devolved Administrations, my discussions continue regularly. I look forward to learning from Scotland in future.
Victims and Witnesses: Court Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Phillip James Lee (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman is spot on in his analysis. The abuse and coercion of females, invariably by males, through the court process is wrong and not acceptable. We will bring forward details on how we intend to address that in the Bill that is coming later this year.
Unduly Lenient Sentences — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): As the House will be aware, a major change in the law was brought in in 1988 to allow victims to be able to challenge unduly lenient sentences. At the moment, that applies to the most serious indictable offences, but the Government have recently extended it to a range of terrorist offences.
Unduly Lenient Sentences — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the Minister for that answer, but as he well knows the Government have promised for quite some time—including in our manifesto—to extend it to a further range of offences. When will the Government pull their finger out and extend the number of cases that can be appealed for being unduly lenient, as we have been promising for quite some time?
Unduly Lenient Sentences — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have already said in my answer, the most serious offences—murder and so on—are already covered by the unduly lenient sentence scheme. We have extended it twice in the past few years, but we are talking very closely to my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney General about looking at other opportunities to extend the scheme.
Unduly Lenient Sentences — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): To get to the nub of the hon. Gentleman’s question, there is a very serious issue here, which is that it is absolutely true that there are many more women in prison than we would like. The Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Dr Lee), is working very hard to reduce that population for exactly the reasons that the hon. Gentleman has raised.
Prison Officer Recruitment — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): Skilled professional prison officers are absolutely heart and centre of running good prisons. That is why we have committed to recruiting 2,500 extra prison officers. I am pleased to say that we are now nine months ahead of target on delivering those prison officers.
Prison Officer Recruitment — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Andrew James Bridgen (Conservative, Centre-right): I of course welcome the fact that the Government are making progress in recruiting extra prison officers, but will the Minister reassure the House that he is making every effort to retain the services of experienced and long-serving officers who are absolutely essential for mentoring new recruits into the service?
Prison Officer Recruitment — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): Absolutely. As my hon. Friend points out, this is not just about numbers. Working in a prison is incredibly challenging, and having the experience and the prison craft to do it is vital, so we are putting incentive schemes in place to try to retain our most experienced staff and to understand, when they do leave, why they are doing so.
Prison Officer Recruitment — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): The central objective of bringing in 2,500 extra prison officers is to allow us to pair each individual prison officer with six prisoners, which allows them to develop their individual personal relationship over time through weekly meetings to achieve exactly the rehabilitative and educational objectives needed to reduce reoffending and protect the public.
Prison Officer Recruitment — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What effect does the Minister think the shortage of prison officers has on the number of suicides and the amount of self-harm in prisons?
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): One hundred per cent.—we will be working very closely with prison officers for exactly that reason. As the hon. Lady points out, we must get the numbers right. Those 2,500 extra prison officers will be vital in order to get the 1:6 ratio needed for rehabilitation.
Prison Officer Recruitment — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What effect does the Minister think the shortage of prison officers has on the number of suicides and the amount of self-harm in prisons?
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the challenges around the high-security estate, particularly in places such as London, has been the employment opportunities. We have put new incentives in place—a signing-on bonus and a retention bonus—to recruit people in London. I am not in a position to guarantee the employment market exactly, but we are making a lot of progress—for example, in recruitment to the high-security Belmarsh Prison in London.
Prison Officer Recruitment — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What effect does the Minister think the shortage of prison officers has on the number of suicides and the amount of self-harm in prisons?
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman’s fundamental point is right: we need experienced prison officers. It is very difficult working in a prison. We can bring in huge numbers of new junior staff, but it will be difficult to get the kind of results we need unless they have experience. We therefore have a plan whereby we have targeted the prisons that are losing the most experienced officers and we are understanding why that is happening. We are both working with the staff and putting in place financial incentives to retain experienced staff.
Prison Officer Recruitment — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What effect does the Minister think the shortage of prison officers has on the number of suicides and the amount of self-harm in prisons?; The new recruits are certainly welcome, but senior officers are also important. I am told that on certain grades, prison staff acting up to higher roles are paid more than if they accepted the actual promotion. This acts as a disincentive to staff looking to take on more responsibility. Will my hon. Friend look into this anomaly?
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the work of my hon. Friend, particularly on prisons and advocating for the prison population in her constituency. It is absolutely true that there is a strange anomaly in the human resources procedure, and we must tackle it. It cannot make sense that people are paid more to act up than to occupy the role. We want people to have career development and we will focus on the issue immediately.
Prisoner Work Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): Certainly, the prospect of a cup of tea with the hon. Gentleman does concentrate the mind, and I would be delighted to accept his invitation. We are trying to ensure that we have a prison system that encourages people to progress by having opportunities to gain experience of work, and I am keen to do that in this post.
Prisoner Work Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James MacGillivray Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): The Secretary of State’s speech this morning and his emphasis on more use of release on temporary licence is extremely welcome and constructive. Will he bear in mind, though, that the Through the Gate programme currently involves careers and employment advice being given only towards the very end of a prisoner’s sentence, whereas all the evidence suggests that that should happen much earlier?
Prisoner Work Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Chair of the Justice Committee for his comments. I do want to look at whether we can expand release on temporary licence and provide these opportunities more widely. On his second point, I am keen to ensure that we provide as much support as possible and make it clear that there is a second chance for people who have gone to prison. If they abide by the rules and comply with the system, we want to give them the support to turn their lives around.
Prisoner Work Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady raises a good point, and rightly so. I am keen to do precisely as she suggests. A lot of work already goes on in prisons with, for example, work coaches providing this support. Part of the challenge is about access to emails. We need to look very carefully at that because it raises a large number of questions.
Prisoner Work Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): Work experience in prison that leads to work on release is proven to reduce reoffending. Does the Secretary of State therefore believe that, while we rightly praise employers who offer ex-offenders work experience, we need to call out those employers who have a blanket ban on employing ex-offenders unrelated to any reasonable or fair risk assessment of doing so?
Prisoner Work Experience — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend. I have seen surveys suggesting that some 50% of employers simply will not engage. It is frustrating that when one speaks to employers who do take on ex-offenders, their experience is frequently very positive indeed. If we can increasingly build a culture whereby these offenders are given that opportunity, that is good for the offenders and good for society, as it will reduce reoffending.
Port Talbot Prison — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): I believe that the hon. Gentleman and I have discussed this issue about five times in the past six weeks. I pay tribute to him for being a very firm advocate for his community. We have listened very carefully to his complaints. A decision on this prison is not likely to be imminent, as construction is not likely to be imminent. I would like to say, however, in addition to having listened to his complaints, that a prison built in the right place in the right way can provide significant economic opportunities for an area.
Port Talbot Prison — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Labor
Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt (Conservative, Centre-right): Would there be an answer to the hon. Gentleman’s question on the industrial estate if any new prison fully incorporated the work of ONE3ONE Solutions, which was designed more than six years ago to increase the productive and commercial output of prisoners? The numbers given by the Justice Secretary just now suggest that we have not made much progress in the number of prisoners who are working. Will any new prison include ONE3ONE Solutions, and how are we getting on with prisoners working overall?
Port Talbot Prison — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): I think we ought to be very careful with that kind of language. There are currently about 85,000 prisoners within the estate, so having 1,000 extra prisoners in Wales is not the creation of England’s penal colony.
Leaving the EU: Legal System — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the operation of the legal system in each jurisdiction of the UK.
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): We are seeking a new deep and special partnership with the EU that works for the whole United Kingdom. Of course, Scotland and Northern Ireland have distinct legal systems. That is why, in the negotiations on civil judicial co-operation, market access for our legal services and criminal justice, I want a deal that works for Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as England and Wales. That is also why my Department is meeting regularly with the devolved Administrations to look at the ways in which our legal and justice systems are affected by EU exit.
Leaving the EU: Legal System — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the operation of the legal system in each jurisdiction of the UK.
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): In terms of what is described as the continuity Bill, I am not sure, in all honesty, how helpful or useful that will prove to be. The reality is that there is very close scrutiny in this House of the measures the Government are taking and the negotiations we are having.
Leaving the EU: Legal System — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the operation of the legal system in each jurisdiction of the UK.
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): The extent to which this Parliament decides that it wishes to replicate provisions of EU law is a matter for this Parliament, and whether or not we put that in the EU withdrawal Bill, that freedom will continue to exist for this Parliament.
Leaving the EU: UK Legal System — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: International Affairs
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): It is absolutely right that we provide legal certainty for businesses, families and individuals as we leave the European Union. That is why, as the Prime Minister said in her speech on Friday, part of our future partnership with the EU will be to have effective reciprocal arrangements with the EU to deal with cross-border legal disputes in civil and family matters. The best way to deliver that co-operation is with a close and comprehensive agreement between the UK and the EU that sets out coherent common rules.
Leaving the EU: UK Legal System — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Jeremy John Elton Lefroy (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. Leaving the EU is likely to lead to additional workload for the UK legal system. What additional resources have been made available to his Department and to the legal and courts system more generally to ensure that they are fully prepared?
Leaving the EU: UK Legal System — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: International Affairs
John Robert Lamont (Conservative, Centre-right): As we leave the European Union, many powers over many aspects of our legal and judicial enforcement will return from Brussels. What discussions have the Government had with the Scottish Government on how such policies will be implemented after Brexit, and does the Secretary of State agree that the SNP Government’s disruptive continuity Bill will do nothing but add to the uncertainty in our country?
Leaving the EU: UK Legal System — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: International Affairs
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): We are committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom—for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England. The Government expect that the outcome of leaving the EU will significantly increase the decision making of each devolved Administration. I can tell the House that I wrote to Michael Matheson last month to reaffirm the Department’s commitment to continue meaningful engagement with the Scottish Government.
Leaving the EU: UK Legal System — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: I would be delighted to do so. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.As the Prime Minister has made a number of concessions with regard to the European Court of Justice after Brexit and given that the Scottish Government’s legal continuity Bill provides that, when exercising devolved jurisdiction, Scottish courts may have regard to the decisions of the ECJ, is it not time to amend clause 6 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill to the same effect?
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): On clause 6 and this question more widely, let us be clear: we are leaving the EU, so the jurisdiction of the ECJ will end, but EU law and the decisions of the ECJ will continue to affect us. For a start, the ECJ determines whether agreements the EU has struck are legal under the EU’s own law. If, as part of our future partnership, Parliament passes an identical law to an EU law, it makes sense for our courts to look at the appropriate ECJ judgments, so that we interpret those laws consistently. We have to remember, however, that our Parliament will remain ultimately sovereign. It could decide not to accept such rules, but there would be consequences for our membership of the relevant agencies and linked market access rights.
Private Sector Probation Companies — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): There have been a number of challenges with the community rehabilitation companies—CRCs—particularly in transition. It is not all bad news: in fact, the number of people reoffending has come down by 2% and certain CRCs, such as Cumbria and my own county, are performing well. But we need to focus particularly on the questions of assessment, planning and meeting, and that is what we have focused on in the report on London that is due on Thursday.
Private Sector Probation Companies — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is a Nottingham Member, and I had a very interesting meeting with the CRC last week on my visit to Nottingham Prison, where the CRC is providing very good Through The Gate services—in fact, services for prisoners in prison that did not exist before the transformation reforms. Before, they were outside the prisons. I do not believe this is a question whether it is done by the private sector, the public sector or the voluntary sector, but it is a question of getting the basic standards right. As I say, that is exactly what we will be assessing the London CRC on on Thursday.
Private Sector Probation Companies — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): The shadow Minister refers to a decision by the National Probation Service—which is a Government- run service, so it is not a CRC service—to bring in additional contracted staff to provide double night duty in the hostels. That has been done because it is not work that is traditionally done by trained probation officers, but by contracted staff. Of course I will accept full responsibility for that decision.
Supreme Court Judgment: Metropolitan Police Commissioner — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: Whether he has discussed with the Home Secretary the implications for Government policies of the Supreme Court judgment on the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v. DSD and another.
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): This case is a matter for the Home Office and the police. However, I understand that the Home Office is working closely with the National Police Chiefs Council to understand the impact of the ruling and monitor current claims.
Supreme Court Judgment: Metropolitan Police Commissioner — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: Whether he has discussed with the Home Secretary the implications for Government policies of the Supreme Court judgment on the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v. DSD and another.
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Attorney General has said, disclosure in cases is a question of public authorities performing the roles that they should and doing their jobs properly. Clearly, it is of great concern that there have been cases in which that appears not to have happened.
Service Animals — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): I would like to express, as I am sure would the whole House, our immense gratitude for the role that service animals play and have played for a long time in public life. They frequently do things that humans would not do, ranging from detection of bombs and drugs to taking on violent criminals. There are serious aggravating circumstances that a judge can take into account when sentencing, and serious sentences can be given to anyone attacking a service animal—that is absolutely right.
Service Animals — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Stephen Anthony McPartland (Conservative, Centre-right): Police dog Finn was brutally stabbed several times in my constituency while apprehending a violent criminal. The current law treats police dog Finn, a canine hero, like a piece of computer equipment—the charge is criminal damage. This is unacceptable. My right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North East Hertfordshire (Sir Oliver Heald) is leading a campaign to introduce Finn’s law. Will the Minister agree to meet me and my right hon. and learned Friend, so that we can provide greater protection for our service animals in the course of their duty?
Service Animals — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): As we have discussed, very significant sentences of up to 10 years can already be imposed for this kind of action, but I would be delighted to discuss the issue in more detail with the right hon. Gentleman and my hon. Friends.
Service Animals — House of Commons, 2018-03-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Oliver Heald (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very grateful to the Minister for that kind offer. I just make the point that there is a gap in the law. There are legal difficulties with prosecuting under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, because of the drafting of section 4. Prosecuting for criminal damage means that the value of the animal determines the sentence. However, a police dog like Finn, who was eight years old, is not worth much money—he is of course invaluable to PC Dave Wardell and the country’s police enforcement efforts, but he is not worth a lot of money. I am therefore grateful that the Minister will to talk to us about this issue.