Oral Answers to Questions

Ashley Fox Excerpts

Tuesday 5th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Sojan Joseph (Ashford) (Lab)]

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

[Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater) (Con)]

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

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

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

--- Later in debate ---

[Heidi Alexander]

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.

[Sir Ashley Fox]

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]

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.