Oral Answers to Questions

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

9. What steps he is taking to reduce the court backlog.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

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

[Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame) (LD)]

12. What steps he is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Lammy]

The right hon. Gentleman is right that we have to build the system’s capacity to use courtrooms better. I can tell him that Sir Brian Leveson—I was very grateful to Sir Brian for coming to see me, as Foreign Secretary, while he was completing his review because of my experience in the criminal justice system—is completing his review by the end of the year.

[Douglas McAllister]

One of the most effective steps taken by this Government to help reduce the Crown court backlog is the record increases to criminal legal aid. Fewer criminal barristers and solicitors will not help to tackle case waiting times. Scotland is experiencing unacceptable delays in solemn cases coming to trial, made worse by the inadequate funding of Scottish legal aid by the Scottish Government. Does the Justice Secretary agree that unless we significantly increase legal aid fees across the UK, the current criminal defence model is unsustainable and we risk the collapse of our court system?

[Mr Lammy]

My hon. Friend highlights almost two decades of the SNP running Scotland into the ground. Here, we have had a record increase of £92 million. On the day we introduce the Hillsborough law, it is hugely important to record that that is the biggest extension of legal aid for people who have suffered at the hands of the state in over a decade.