Debates between Cat Smith and Robert Buckland during the 2019-2024 Parliament

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Cat Smith and Robert Buckland
Tuesday 16th March 2021

(3 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Buckland Portrait Robert Buckland
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The hon. Gentleman is right to talk about the need for representation for domestic abuse victims. He knows, of course, that in criminal scenarios the Crown Prosecution Service will act with regard to the prosecution of offences. He will also note that, in phase 1 of the CLAR process, up to £51 million a year has already been injected into criminal legal aid fees. That is the most significant increase in investment in legal aid for a quarter of a century. We are working on the existing body of evidence with the new chair of the criminal legal aid review, Sir Christopher Bellamy QC, who is already engaging with the professions. I am confident that his work will deal not only with the situation with regard to fees in court, but, as he says, the “sustainability” of those criminal legal aid firms that are the lifeblood of representation in that sector.

Cat Smith Portrait Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)
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What progress he has made on tackling the backlog of cases in HM Courts and Tribunals Service.