Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Al Pinkerton Excerpts
Tuesday 11th November 2025

(1 day, 11 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Lammy Portrait Mr Lammy
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My hon. Friend did a valiant job as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, constantly revisiting these issues. She will have noticed how successive Justice Secretaries under the last Government have said that they cut the numbers, they failed to invest, violence was up, and now we have junior staff making very important decisions.

Al Pinkerton Portrait Dr Al Pinkerton (Surrey Heath) (LD)
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I have been contacted by a Surrey Heath resident who has not just endured and survived appalling domestic abuse but is now enduring and attempting to survive the family court process, with multiple hearings over child contact arrangements. Will the Minister commit today to implementing the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s recent recommendations to better protect children at risk?

Alex Davies-Jones Portrait Alex Davies-Jones
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This Government are clear that child safety during court-ordered contact is vital. We are improving multi-agency working to support early identification of risk and enable referral to specialist domestic abuse support. We are carefully considering the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s report, and we will publish our response by the end of this year.