Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Bob Blackman and Jeremy Wright(8 years, 6 months ago)
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The Attorney General
As the hon. Gentleman quite correctly observes, we have a new Prime Minister and we also have a new Secretary of State for Justice. Both have been in office for only a little over a week, so the hon. Gentleman will have to be a little more patient.
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
9. What recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the prosecution of hate crime.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Bob Blackman and Jeremy Wright(8 years, 8 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Attorney General
The hon. Lady will recognise that the report from the chief inspector, which I asked him to produce in order to look at the way in which the Serious Fraud Office is governed, was a very balanced report that also put forward some very positive points about the way in which the Serious Fraud Office has improved under the direction of the current director. She is right, however, that questions were asked about the funding model. There is a balance to be struck, as I indicated to the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman). We have to make sure that the Serious Fraud Office has the money it needs, and we will. The director will never refuse to proceed in a case for lack of funding, so there is no Treasury veto as she suggests. However, we have to balance the need for that money with the need not to have unused capacity that is being paid for by the taxpayer. The blockbuster funding model has so far been considered to strike that balance correctly, but I will of course look carefully at what the chief inspector says, and we will consider whether further change is appropriate.
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
4. What recent steps he has taken to promote (a) public legal education and (b) the provision of pro bono legal services.