2 Amanda Solloway debates involving the Attorney General

Oral Answers to Questions

Amanda Solloway Excerpts
Thursday 16th March 2017

(7 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Matt Hancock Portrait Matt Hancock
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This is an important point. The Digital Economy Bill brings forward age verification processes so that all pornography cannot be accessed by those under the age of 18. ISPs will be required to block sites that do not put such age verification in place—that is incredibly important. The Bill is in the Lords at the moment but it will come back to this House shortly.

Amanda Solloway Portrait Amanda Solloway (Derby North) (Con)
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I add my excitement to that of my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Rebecca Pow), because the women’s cricket world cup will actually launch in Derby. I recently discovered my inner warrior when playing rugby with England Rugby and my local Derby team—in fact, I made my first tackle—so will the Secretary of State tell me what we are doing to encourage more women to play sports?

Karen Bradley Portrait Karen Bradley
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I know from personal experience that Derby has fantastic sporting opportunities for everyone. It is incredibly important that more women play sport and feel that they can take part. The “This Girl Can” campaign, for which I am sure my hon. Friend has seen the television advertisements, is part of that, as is the fantastic women’s cricket world cup. I know that one of the matches is in Derby, but I have to confess that I am going to the one in Leicester.

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Jeremy Wright Portrait The Attorney General
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Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend. He will know that in a criminal context, courts already have the authority to stop alleged domestic violence perpetrators cross-examining their alleged victims directly. Family courts need to have such a power, too. He will know, I am sure, that the Government intend to make sure that they do have that power, and I understand that that will form part of a Bill that will come before the House very shortly.

Amanda Solloway Portrait Amanda Solloway (Derby North) (Con)
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4. What steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for violence against women and girls.

Lucy Frazer Portrait Lucy Frazer (South East Cambridgeshire) (Con)
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5. What steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for violence against women and girls.

Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland)
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The CPS is prosecuting and convicting more defendants of domestic abuse, rape, sexual offences and child sexual abuse than ever before. Under the cross-Government violence against women and girls strategy, the CPS has committed to a number of actions between now and 2020 to ensure the effective prosecution of these offences.

Amanda Solloway Portrait Amanda Solloway
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What is the CPS doing in the Derbyshire area to ensure that more perpetrators of violence against women and girls are brought to justice?

Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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I know that my hon. Friend has a great interest in and concern about these serious matters. I am happy to tell her that in the last year, 1,805 cases were charged by the CPS—a rise to 70.6% compared with the figure for the previous year—and 1,867 cases resulted in a conviction. The conviction rate in Derbyshire is running at 4.4% higher than the national average.

Crown Prosecution Service: Funding

Amanda Solloway Excerpts
Wednesday 11th January 2017

(7 years, 10 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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No, it is not. It is indicative of much better preparation by the prosecution of the cases, so that when defendants appear, they face a case that has been properly put together. That is also reflected by the increase in the overall guilty plea rate, which has gone up from just under 68% to 76.3%.

The hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull East talked about inefficiency. I am pleased to tell him that average hearings per case for both guilty pleas and trials have reduced. For trials heard in the magistrates court, we are now looking at just under three days, as opposed to three and a half days or more. Compliance with judges’ orders was always an issue when it came to the Crown Prosecution Service. Hon. Members will remember “mentions”—my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Alex Chalk) will know exactly what I am talking about. I am glad to say that we have seen an increase in timely compliance with judges’ orders in the Crown court in recent years. The rate has increased to more than 80% in the last two years.

Amanda Solloway Portrait Amanda Solloway (Derby North) (Con)
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Does my hon. and learned Friend agree that we need an ongoing discussion about how the CPS can be more efficient and effective in its work and that that should continue?

Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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My hon. Friend represents a city that has a Crown court and a magistrates court. It is an important court centre in the east midlands. I know from my visits to many regions across England and Wales that those conversations continue. There is local liaison and local discussion.

To respond to the point my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, Southgate (Mr Burrowes) made about accountability, joint performance management, which is what we are talking about, takes place in most areas and enables local agencies, whether the courts themselves or the defence community, to challenge the CPS when performance is not acceptable. Line managers individually assess prosecutors in the CPS, so accountability is an important part of this.