Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Ashley Fox Excerpts
Tuesday 5th November 2024

(2 days, 5 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Sojan Joseph Portrait Sojan Joseph (Ashford) (Lab)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

1. What steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of Crown court cases.

Ashley Fox Portrait Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater) (Con)
- Hansard - -

10. What steps she is taking to reduce the backlog of Crown court cases.

Warinder Juss Portrait Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

11. What steps her Department is taking to reduce the Crown court backlog.

--- Later in debate ---
Heidi Alexander Portrait Heidi Alexander
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

I agree. This Government inherited a record and rising Crown court backlog. We walked into a criminal justice system on the brink of collapse, with our prisons overflowing and our courts buckling under the weight of demand. While we cannot fix this mess overnight, we will do everything we can to ensure swift justice for victims and to restore faith in the entire system.

Ashley Fox Portrait Sir Ashley Fox
- View Speech - Hansard - -

I am sure the Minister will acknowledge that the Crown court backlog is caused by a combination of covid and strike action by barristers. Will she outline the steps she will be taking to continue Nightingale court sittings and to improve the quality and number of Crown court judges sitting and able to hear cases?

Heidi Alexander Portrait Heidi Alexander
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

We are currently operating 18 Nightingale courts in eight different locations, and we continue to recruit to the judiciary. The Conservatives cannot wash their hands of responsibility for the Crown court backlog. It was rising before covid. They closed more than 260 court buildings. They express concern now, but there was scant evidence of that in the 14 years they were in power.