argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Rape Convictions — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Anne Frances Milton (Conservative, Centre-right): The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre in Guildford, of which I am a patron, is overwhelmed by women and men requesting help. The abuse often happened years ago, and a fear of coming forward means that the perpetrators do not face prosecution. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s Close the Loophole campaign aims to ensure that young men and women are better protected. I do not know what progress has been made in reviewing the Sexual Offences Act 2003; perhaps the Minister can update us.
Rape Convictions — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend rightly draws attention to the importance of giving victims the confidence to come forward and not only report these offences but take them through the system—there is quite a high drop-out rate between the reporting of an offence and the case being prosecuted in court. She mentions a particular centre in her constituency that is doing excellent work; I hope that some of the additional money announced last week may find its way into that centre’s hands to help with its work. The 2003 Act is among the matters being considered as part of the review that will report back in spring next year.
Rape Convictions — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions:   I,  too, congratulate the Minister on his new post. Indeed, my question is linked to his being in that post. We simply do not have enough rape crisis centres and we need to support survivors of rape better. Will the Government consider ratifying the Istanbul convention? That should lead directly to their providing the right number of rape crisis centres. Will the Minister meet me to discuss that?
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp (Conservative, Centre-right): Via the Domestic Abuse Bill, which was debated last week, a number of steps are being taken in the direction that the hon. Lady points towards. I repeat the point I made a moment ago about the additional funding for the victims of rape: there has been a 50% increase, which I hope will increase provision of the kind that the hon. Lady rightly calls for.
Financial Capability: Prisoners and Prison Leavers — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Education
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): As my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for Education knows, education is often the route out of a challenging background. I pay tribute to all the work that he did in his previous role. We know that we can sustain employment and manage our own budget only if we have financial capability, so we have ensured through the new prison education contracts that personal budgeting skills can be taught. Under the new prison framework, 103 out of 104 prisons currently commission functional mathematics qualifications.
Financial Capability: Prisoners and Prison Leavers — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): Building up savings can be truly transformational. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 allowed for prisoners’ earnings to be paid into an account. I encourage my hon. and learned Friend to look at that provision again and enact the regulations, as part of her wider work on meaningful paid work.
Financial Capability: Prisoners and Prison Leavers — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is right to identify the fact that leaving prison with savings can be hugely beneficial to an offender’s rehabilitation. Although he is right to point out that the relevant clauses of LASPO have not been commenced, we do enable prisoners to save money under the terms of the Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996. In addition, all prisoners have access to a prison savings account during their time in custody. We hope that our recent changes in respect of release on temporary licence will enable an even greater number of prisoners to benefit from saving. Since I have been in post, I have been looking actively at how we can ensure that all prisoners have a bank account.
Financial Capability: Prisoners and Prison Leavers — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Labor
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): As I mentioned, we are increasing the opportunity for people to do work on release on temporary licence, which will increase their ability to earn money while they are in prison, so we are looking at the point that the hon. Lady raises. In relation to universal credit, my predecessor, now the Lord Chancellor, had a number of meetings with his counterpart in the Department for Work and Pensions and offenders are now able to access a DWP work coach prior to release, so they can make an appointment early and then, even on the day of release, complete their claim, because universal credit is critical.
Financial Capability: Prisoners and Prison Leavers — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Philip Thomas Hollobone (Conservative, Centre-right): Whatever advice and guidance prisoners get while in prison, it is of little use if they are released at the weekend when support they need is often not available. How many prisoners as a proportion are released at the weekend and what are we doing to reduce that?
Financial Capability: Prisoners and Prison Leavers — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady makes an important point about rehabilitating people in prison. We have reduced the youth estate over the years, so only the most serious offenders are in prison and we do want to ensure that appropriate sentences are handed down. None the less, education in prison, accommodation on release and universal credit are priorities for this Government.
Financial Capability: Prisoners and Prison Leavers — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): I would be willing to meet the hon. Gentleman and discuss this matter. I must say that, as I have visited a number of prisons since I have been appointed, I have seen some fabulous schemes around the country, and I am very happy to hear about this one.
Prisons: Staffing Levels — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): In my first orals in this role, I am very pleased to pay tribute to the hard work of all our prison staff. I have had the opportunity, since I was appointed, to visit a number of prisons and I have seen at first hand the dedication of their staff. It is critical that we recruit and retain staff to keep our prisons secure. We have invested significantly in increasing staff numbers, recruiting a net total of an additional 4,366 prison officers between October 2016 and June 2019, surpassing our original target of 2,500, and we will continue to recruit officers to ensure that our prisons are decent and safe.
Prisons: Staffing Levels — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): We have recruited more than 4,000 staff since 2016. The hon. Gentleman is right to identify that if the police catch more criminals and we prosecute them, there will be more people going into our prisons. That is why we have committed to investing £2.5 billion in prison places. He is also right to identify that we will need not only prison places but more prison officers. We are actually ahead of our recruitment targets in this regard. The Prison Service has been lauded as a good employer: for example, it is in the top 100 graduate employers.
Prisons: Staffing Levels — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Gordon Leonard Henderson (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the Government on their efforts to recruit more prison officers. However, does my hon. and learned Friend accept that cuts earlier this decade contributed to a vicious cycle of prison violence because fewer officers on landings led to more assaults, which caused more staff to leave, leading to more violence and so on? With morale and retention of prison officers at rock bottom, does she accept that more must be done to reward these brave public servants—for instance, by improving and reducing their retirement age to 60 because 68 is far too late?
Prisons: Staffing Levels — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for raising the profile of the work of prison officers in his Westminster Hall debate last year, as well as this morning in questions, and for participating and promoting the excellent Prison Service parliamentary scheme. He is right to refer to prison officers as "brave public servants", and the Secretary of State referred to them in his conference speech as "unsung heroes". We made offers to staff to reduce the pension age in 2013 and 2017, but both offers were rejected by the Prison Officers Association.
Prisons: Staffing Levels — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): We have made a significant breakthrough in the number of prison officers. We have introduced the key worker scheme, which allows prison officers to build relationships with the prisoners, and during my visits to prisons I have heard that the scheme is extremely popular among prisoners and prison officers. We are professionalising our workforce in the youth estate, providing all frontline officers with a foundation degree—
Prisons: Staffing Levels — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): But in looking at the way in which the Prison Service operates, will my hon. and learned Friend also review the kind of prisoners who are sent to open prisons? Bearing in mind the announcements made last week, there is concern that open prisons will contain more people who have been convicted of very serious offences and are therefore not suitable for open prisons. Will she review this?
Judiciary: Independence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): An independent judiciary is the cornerstone of our constitution and our democracy, and we are rightly proud of our world-class judiciary. As Lord Chancellor, I have sworn an oath to defend its independence. I take that extremely seriously and will continue to defend its independence vigorously.
Judiciary: Independence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James MacGillivray Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): Consistent with the Lord Chancellor’s speech at the opening of legal year, will he confirm that there is no place for political involvement in the appointment of judges and no question but that the rulings of the courts must be observed by all?
Judiciary: Independence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Government Operations
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend tempts me along the path of debate about the constitution, and in particular the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. While I am always keen to engage in academic constitutional debate, we have many other fish to fry at the moment.
Judiciary: Independence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the hon. and learned Lady. I treat the remarks of the noble Lord Hope with extreme gravity, bearing in mind his experience and knowledge. It always bears repeating that the judiciary do not have political motivations, and that case was no exception. Frankly, I think the matter needs no further debate. If we ended up with an American-style approval system, we would all be the poorer for it.
Reforming Probation — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): We recognise that there is more we can do in relation to probation, which is why we are changing the system, but "Transforming Rehabilitation" brought 40,000 people back into supervision, and we are ensuring that the new procedure will work well.
Reforming Probation — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Derek Gordon Thomas (Conservative, Centre-right): Good probation can be the means to transform young people’s lives and help to rehabilitate them in communities. We do not have a prison in Cornwall, but we have many people who are involved in this process. What can the Minister do to help those organisations to get the funds they need to support those young lives, so that they can play a full part in life?
Reforming Probation — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Claire Leigh (Frazer) (Conservative, Centre-right): The new system will ensure that, while offender management is brought in-house, private sector innovation will be involved in providing unpaid work, and there will be a dynamic framework to enable new schemes and charities to bid to provide bespoke local services. I am happy to talk to my hon. Friend about what might be provided in Cornwall.
Prison Leavers: Accommodation — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
David Roy Lidington (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome what my hon. and learned Friend has said about the pilot projects now under way and wish them success. Since up to 30%, by some estimates, of people sleeping rough on the streets have a prison record, does she agree that one of the best ways to secure a reduction in reoffending is to step up these schemes and ensure that when someone has served their time, they have a roof over their heads on release?
Access to Justice: Court Digitisation Programme — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp (Conservative, Centre-right): Digitisation is designed to improve access to justice and, of course, efficiency in the court system. Last year, 150,000 people accessed court services online. To date, no fewer than 63,491 people have entered uncontested divorce proceedings online. The take-up rate is now 62% and growing. Some 94,975 people have issued or responded to civil money claims to date, and they report an 88% satisfaction rating. No fewer than 317,206 minor pleas have been entered since 2014, and if the House is wondering, 85% of those pleas were guilty and 15% were not guilty.
Access to Justice: Court Digitisation Programme — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp (Conservative, Centre-right): The House has been in the process of legislating in this area for some time. The Prisons and Courts Bill fell at the 2017 election. We finally legislated in the Civil Liability Act 2018, which is due to be implemented along with the £5,000 limit for the small claims track in April next year, and that remains the Government’s intention.
Access to Justice: Court Digitisation Programme — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Peter James Guy Aldous (Conservative, Centre-right): In Suffolk, nearly half of all victims of domestic abuse or sexual offences are unwilling to proceed with prosecutions. Clause 75 of the Domestic Abuse Bill will help to improve the situation, but will the Minister confirm that the Government are committed to root-and-branch reform to remove the culture of confrontation, fear and intimidation in the courts and tribunals system?
Access to Justice: Court Digitisation Programme — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend raises a very important point, which was touched on by Members under Question 3. It is vital that we help victims of these terrible crimes to pursue the case right through the court system, rather than dropping it after reporting the crime, and there is a lot more to do there. The provisions in the Domestic Abuse Bill, introduced for its Second Reading last week, will help that, as will the increased funding to support victims of these terrible crimes, to which I referred earlier.
Access to Justice: Court Digitisation Programme — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course, access-to-justice considerations are extremely important. Before any court is earmarked for closure, there is an extremely thorough consultation process, and if any courts are due to close in the future, a similarly thorough consultation process will be gone through. I would point out that in the cohort of courts consulted on in 2015 that were subsequently closed, on average their utilisation rates were about one third. We need to balance a reasonable approach to the court estate with the access-to-justice considerations that the hon. Lady quite rightly raises.
Assisted Dying — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his question. There was no initiation of a call for evidence. However, I hear his point about prosecutions. The Crown Prosecution Service guidelines, which were actually pioneered by the right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Keir Starmer), in my view strike a very sensitive and sensible balance between the need to protect the vulnerable and the need to understand the sensitive and emotive circumstances of many of these tragic cases.
Assisted Dying — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): Last week, the police and crime commissioner for Durham, Ron Hogg, said there needed to be changes in the law on assisted dying, and this reflects the view of many in the police. I know that the Secretary of State for Justice is a very compassionate man, so will he meet police officers to discuss their concerns?
Assisted Dying — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who has taken a very close interest and been actively involved in this issue. Of course I would be happy to meet police officers—indeed, I have committed to meet others on this issue—but I do harbour the gravest of doubts about the ability of legislation to be watertight when it comes to the potential, sadly, for abuse.
Assisted Dying — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend raises the Noel Conway case, in which the Court found that Parliament’s decision not to change the law did indeed strike a fair balance between the interests of the wider community and the interests of people who were in that tragic position. That was upheld by the Court of Appeal. It is a matter for right hon. and hon. Members to raise that issue, either in a private Member’s Bill or in a general debate.
Automatic Release from Prison on Licence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not have any immediate plans to extend the proposals that I made last week. I reassure my hon. Friend that public protection weighs very much in my mind when it comes to automatic early release—something about which I have long held strong views, from my days in the criminal justice system.
Automatic Release from Prison on Licence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): The automatic early release of prisoners halfway through their sentences, introduced by the last Labour Government, is dishonest. It undermines public confidence in the justice system, and it lets people out halfway through their sentence even if they still a pose a risk to the public and there is a risk of their reoffending. A Conservative Government should scrap that for all offenders.
Automatic Release from Prison on Licence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I hear my hon. Friend’s strictures. He will be greatly encouraged by the announcement that I made last week to move that threshold to two thirds for serious, violent and sexual offenders. As I have said, this is about public protection and confidence in the system, and I am sure that he will fully support the Government’s measures.
Automatic Release from Prison on Licence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady and I have spoken about this case in this past. She is an assiduous campaigner on this and other issues, and I am grateful to her. The reforms to probation give us an opportunity to get that sort of risk assessment absolutely right. Ending the division between the National Probation Service and community rehabilitation companies will allow us to focus on the offender, rather than worrying about which part of the system they should be in. I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising that issue.
Automatic Release from Prison on Licence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend raises a distressing case. It is perhaps not appropriate for me to comment on it individually, but I extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of that victim. It is precisely why we have decided to take action to try to create a higher degree of confidence for victims and their families when it comes to the administration of sentences.
Automatic Release from Prison on Licence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure the hon. Gentleman will join me in actively supporting my proposals to change the automatic release to two thirds for serious violence and sexual offenders. That will indeed help local police forces, such as Gwent, with their management of offenders in the community. I pay tribute to the work the police do in that respect.
Automatic Release from Prison on Licence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
David Michael Davis (Conservative, Centre-right): When violent criminals are released, it is a time of fear and sometimes terror for their erstwhile victims. Release under licence allows the restriction of both movement and access, but not beyond licence. When the Lord Chancellor reconsiders the issue of licence, will he consider whether restrictions can be put on such criminals after their licence periods are over, to protect the victims?
Automatic Release from Prison on Licence — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend asks a very important question. I have to accept the limitations on the period of sentencing. Supervision is an important part of the licence period, but what happens beyond that is difficult in terms of court order. However, work can and should be done by the probation service to ensure we are protected as fully as possible.
Support for Victims of Crime in Court — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Wendy Morton (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are prioritising support for victims through the criminal justice system and beyond, and we are committed to tackling poor criminal justice outcomes for them. Just last month, my right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor and I took part in a roundtable at Downing Street to discuss support for victims of rape. Victims and stakeholders highlighted the importance of support in their engagement with the criminal justice system.
Support for Victims of Crime in Court — House of Commons, 2019-10-08
Topic: Law and Crime
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister will be aware that the recent consultation on the code of practice for victims of crime has recently closed, and she will be considering representations. Will she look closely at the greater use of criminal compensation orders for the victims of child sexual abuse? They are used in a woefully small number of cases, so vulnerable people have to re-live the trauma either through a private prosecution or through the criminal injuries compensation scheme.