Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Goldsborough Excerpts
Tuesday 10th September 2024

(2 months, 1 week ago)

Commons Chamber
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Shabana Mahmood Portrait Shabana Mahmood
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We have taken every measure available to us and pulled every lever we could to ensure that offences connected to domestic abuse are excluded and that the probation service has had time to prepare. We will work with it in the coming weeks and months to ensure that release plans are in place and victims are notified in the usual way.

Ben Goldsborough Portrait Ben Goldsborough (South Norfolk) (Lab)
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A widow was prosecuted under the single justice procedure after her husband had passed away and the car tax expired. She was convicted over just £3.34, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency sent the letter to the wrong address. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we can reform the single justice procedure to make it more accountable and ensure that there is better oversight of the process?

Heidi Alexander Portrait Heidi Alexander
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I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend. I am also very keen that we keep under review what more can be done to support vulnerable defendants going through the single justice procedure, and to improve oversight and regulation of the organisations using that procedure.