Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Tuesday 13th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Blunt]

No, they are not. Victims of domestic violence will continue to receive civil legal aid in order to apply for protective injunctions, and we will continue to waive the financial eligibility limits in those cases.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

12. How many people in the London borough of Havering have been convicted of offences in connection with the public disorder in August 2011.

[The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Nick Herbert)]

Data available on 1 February show that six people from Havering were convicted for their part in the public disorder of 6 to 9 August last year.

[Andrew Rosindell]

As the Minister knows, many of our courts worked extra long hours last August to ensure that many of those who engaged in the riots were dealt with very quickly. What lessons have the Government learned from that to ensure that our courts are more efficient in future?

[Nick Herbert]

We certainly were impressed by the speed with which the criminal justice system responded to the disorder, and we are grateful for the efforts of those working in it. Cases were dealt with in a matter of hours and days, rather than the routine, which can be weeks and months. We seek to learn the lessons from that and we will shortly come forward with proposals for how we can ensure that we have a justice system that is swifter and more sure.