Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her planned timeline is for the implementation of steps to transition toward restorative justice is; and what the key milestones toward this will be.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Restorative justice can, when delivered in the right circumstances, improve victim satisfaction and reduce reoffending. This not only benefits the victims and the offender but also their community.
That is why, under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (‘the Victims’ Code’), all adult victims must be told about the option of restorative justice and how to access it. We also provide Police and Crime Commissioners with grant funding for victim support services, including restorative justice services. They are best placed to assess local need and commission services based on the needs of the population in the local area.
Restorative justice can also already be used as part of out of court resolutions, depending on the circumstances of the case.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans to publish an action plan for imprisonment for public protection sentences.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I am pleased to announce that on 15 November, the Lord Chancellor laid the first IPP Annual Report and a newly updated IPP Action Plan before Parliament. The Report and Plan can be accessed using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmpps-annual-report-on-the-ipp-sentence-2023-to-24.
The Government is committed to ensuring that the updated Plan drives effective frontline delivery in our prisons, to ensure that those serving IPP sentences are given every chance to make further progress in reducing their risk and eventually obtaining a release direction from the Parole Board in a way that prioritises public protection.
We are also committed to ensuring that the Plan improves the support for IPP offenders to comply with licence in the community, so that they can see the eventual termination of the licence and a definitive end to their sentence.
We will review the IPP Action Plan annually and will continue thoroughly to scrutinise the progress made.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to review the eligibility criteria for legal aid.
Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This Government fully recognises that access to legal aid is central to helping those individuals who are unable to afford legal services to resolve their legal issues – provided it is in scope and meets the merits test. We are giving careful consideration to the criteria that govern financial eligibility for legal aid, to support the most financially vulnerable in society in resolving their legal issue.