Tuesday Volume 603 8 December 2015 No. 84 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 8 December 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 839 8 DECEMBER 2015 840 Tom Pursglove: Anne Forbes, whose son Iain was House of Commons brutally murdered by five men in Corby in 1993, has this year alone had to go through the ordeal of reading Tuesday 8 December 2015 out three of these victim statements. This has taken its toll not only on her family but on her health. Will the Minister meet me and Mrs Forbes to discuss the role of The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock victim statements and how they can work better for victims and their families? PRAYERS Mike Penning: The whole idea of a victim statement is for the victim to feel that they are part of the process, [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] and not for it to be a burden on them. Naturally I will meet my hon. Friend and Mrs Forbes to see how her experiences, and other victims’ experiences, can improve Oral Answers to Questions the situation for them. I look forward to the meeting. Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab): The average time taken from charging to Crown court trial is close to a JUSTICE year. That is lamentable for victims. What is the Minister going to do to bring this time down substantially? The Secretary of State was asked— Mike Penning: I fully agree that the length of time Torquay Magistrates Court between charging and the case coming to court needs to be improved for victims, and that their whole experience 1. Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con): What recent progress needs to be improved within the criminal justice system. his Department has made on consulting on the future The Justice Secretary has already announced measures of Torquay magistrates court. [902593] to speed up the process, and more will be coming forward shortly. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Shailesh Vara): The Courts and Tribunals Service is Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): Victims always evaluating all responses to the consultation, and no remain victims, whereas criminals eventually serve their decisions have been made. An announcement on the sentence in full, so will the Minister ensure that especially future of Torquay magistrates court will be made in due in cases of violent crimes, parole is very rarely given? course. Mike Penning: That is obviously a matter for the Kevin Foster: I thank the Minister for his answer. At Parole Board, but my hon. Friend is absolutely right. the end of this month, a successful turnaround integrated Victims are victims for life; it is something they have to offender management team that is based at the court live with for the rest of their life. That is why the support building is due to be evicted. Can he confirm that this is that the Government intend to continue to give to victims not a sign that the decision has already been taken, and is very important. that the Government are still considering options to keep justice local in the bay? Conor McGinn (St Helens North) (Lab): My constituent Marie McCourt’s daughter Helen was murdered in Mr Vara: May I first thank my hon. Friend for the 1988 and her body has never been found. Her killer submission that he made to the consultation? I am also received a life sentence, but despite still refusing to grateful to him for raising this point so that I can clarify reveal the whereabouts of her remains, he is being the issue. I can confirm that no decisions have been considered for parole. Will the Minister look at the taken. Moreover, the arrangement for the turnaround guidelines to ensure that this man and others like him IOM team to use the building was always due to come are never released until they have given information to an end this month. I understand that alternative about the location of their victims’ remains? arrangements have been made for it to continue to provide its very valuable services locally. Mike Penning: Naturally I cannot give a commitment on any individual case, but I would like to meet the hon. Parole Hearings: Victim Statements Gentleman’s constituent if possible to make sure that we can help her and her close family as much as 2. Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con): What steps he is taking possible. It is imperative that where victims feel that to promote the use of victim statements in parole hearings. they want to, and that they have the courage to do so, [902594] their statements are taken into account by the Parole Board. The Minister for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice (Mike Penning): The Conservative election manifesto Graham Jones (Hyndburn) (Lab): The victims can included a commitment to introduce a new victims law sometimes be the wider community. When are the enshrining the rights of victims, including the right to a wider community going to get a say on parole hearings— personal statement before the Parole Board decides on for instance, on violent crimes that might afflict a a prisoner’s release. We will publish details in due course. whole community? When are the community going to I recognise and passionately believe in the importance get a say alongside pre-sentence reports on some of of giving victims a voice. these individuals, so that they are represented and their 841 Oral Answers8 DECEMBER 2015 Oral Answers 842 voice is heard regarding the criminal actions of those and will continue to be, supported through existing processes individuals and the impact they have on a wider number to address their needs, but let us not forget that our of people? Prison Service and probation service were designed with male offenders in mind, because they make up Mike Penning: The hon. Gentleman raises a very 95% of their customers. important point. We have to be really careful, though, that we do not take away from the individual victims the Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP): Will the feeling that they are part of the process, which is something Minister outline what levels of support will be available that all Governments have tried to address for many or are being considered for those women’s dependants, years. We are committed to doing that. We also have to many of whom are quite young children? be really careful that we do not create a vigilante situation, but I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point. Caroline Dinenage: The hon. Lady makes an excellent We have to make sure that the criminal justice system point. That is why our women’s prisons have made an works for everybody. enormous effort to engage with families and children, and some of them give women the opportunity to hold Custodial Sentences: Women overnight visits with their young children. That is what the pilots are about: they are about recognising offending behaviour very early on, so that we can bring in third 3. Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and sector organisations and local authorities to divert women Strathspey) (SNP): What steps he is taking to reduce from ending up in prison. the number of custodial sentences given to women. [902595] Legal Aid The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women 4. Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East) (Lab): and Equalities and Family Justice (Caroline Dinenage): What plans he has to reintroduce the residence test for Crime is falling and the female prison population is legal aid. [902596] now consistently under 4,000 for the first time in a decade. Last year, over 70% of women successfully The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice completed their sentence in the community. However, (Mr Shailesh Vara): The Government are committed to we want to do more, so in partnership with the Government the civil legal aid residence test and are planning the Equalities Office we are making available a £200,000 next steps following the success in the Court of Appeal. grant fund to support local areas to pilot the development Individuals should have a strong connection to the UK of multi-agency approaches to female offending. to benefit from the civil legal aid scheme. Drew Hendry: I thank the Minister for that answer, Mike Kane: The Minister was forced to admit last but the number of women in prisons across the UK has year that there were no precise figures for any savings doubled since 2000. Many are mothers serving six-month from this policy area. The policy was also criticised by sentences or less for minor offences, and that causes the Joint Committee on Human Rights and is subject to irreparable damage to family life. Will the Minister further legal scrutiny under the Supreme Court. Is it not follow the example of the SNP Scottish Government in time that the Minister gave up the ghost on this failed working harder to reduce the number of women in prison area of policy? and give community sentences where possible? Mr Vara: Given the Court of Appeal judgment on Caroline Dinenage: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely 25 November, when it sided with the Government, we right, and that is what the pilots are about. Female have no intention of giving up on this. It is important to offenders often have very complex needs. They are remember that people who seek to have benefit from much more likely to self-harm and to be victims of UK taxpayers should show some connection to this violence or domestic abuse than their male counterparts.