Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Tuesday 29th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Edward Argar]

My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for his constituents and his trust, and he is absolutely right.

[Mr Speaker]

Not just a champion but doughty!

[Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab)]

This plan could see two A&Es reduced to one and two maternity units reduced to one. Have the Government taken into account the need for extra capital funding for both St George’s and Croydon university trust should St Helier place this new hospital on the Sutton Hospital site?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Tuesday 4th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Edward Argar]

My shadow is dextrous in bringing in youth justice in the context of the post-conviction disclosure regime. She is quite right to highlight the Supreme Court case and the current regime, which is something we are looking at carefully.

[Mr Speaker]

I think we can agree that dexterity is a very important political quality.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Tuesday 23rd April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Edward Argar]

I join my hon. Friend in his expression of condolence and sympathy to all those who were affected by the horrific events in Sri Lanka over the weekend. It is vital that we get any new legislation right—hence our commitment to consult. We will first revise and strengthen the victims code and then identify any legislative gaps arising from that. We will consult on a victims law this year and bring forward legislation subsequently when parliamentary time allows.

[Mr Speaker]

I am grateful to the Minister and the hon. Member for Crawley (Henry Smith) for what they said. Many Members will have noted what is on the Annunciator, but for those who have not I simply give notice of the intention for us to hold one minute’s silence in respectful memory of those who tragically and horrifically lost their lives in Sri Lanka, and that will take place after the urgent questions and immediately before the first of the ministerial statements.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Tuesday 5th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Edward Argar]

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. If he writes to me with more details, I will be happy to look at the matter.

[Mr Speaker]

If the hon. Member for Mid Derbyshire (Mrs Latham) were standing on this question, I would call her; if she does not, I will not.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

No, no, not now. The hon. Gentleman can work up his question while the Minister is responding to the hon. Lady. [Interruption.] No, no, I am giving him preparation time; he should be thanking me.

[Edward Argar]

My hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire (Mrs Latham) makes an important point about the importance of stable accommodation, which can play a key part in reducing reoffending and giving people the opportunity to get their life back on the right track. We are working with partners across the Government, local authorities and others to ensure that the system works for those people.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Tuesday 18th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[Edward Argar]

I welcome any initiative that aims to combat knife crime by educating young people about the potentially devastating impact it can have, not only on victims and their families but on the perpetrators themselves. I pay tribute to the work that my hon. Friend has highlighted and would be happy to learn more about it. We must all do more to tackle serious violence, which is exactly what the Government are doing.

[Mr Speaker]

In the name of fairness to colleagues, those asking a question should confine themselves to a single short sentence.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

T8. What discussions has the Minister had with the Home Secretary on the use of Clare’s law in cases where a restraining order has been granted through a civil process, which puts the onus on the victim?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Tuesday 13th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Edward Argar)]

My hon. Friend raises a very important issue. It is important that all prisoners are treated with respect, but it is also vital that the safety of all prisoners is prioritised. Detailed procedures are in place in Prison Service instruction 17/2016 to do that in respect of transgender prisoners. The offences at New Hall are very serious and we are looking at how those rules were applied in that case. In the light of that, I can confirm that I continue to look carefully at the content and application of PSI 17/2016.

[Mr Speaker]

I do not know whether the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T. C. Davies) knows this yet, but I do know that he will shortly introduce an Adjournment debate on this matter. His views, and the views of others—which, in many cases, are different—will therefore be heard at rather greater length before very long.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Tuesday 9th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Edward Argar]

As I briefly mentioned, my officials and I have already engaged with the Department for Education’s exclusions review, submitting an analysis by the Ministry of Justice on the correlation between offenders and exclusions. Key to tackling this issue is joined-up working across government and agencies. I heard about this issue on a recent visit to Hackney youth offending team. I will continue to work closely with Ministers and other Departments to develop measures to support the exclusions review when it reports.

[Mr Speaker]

We have heard it from Harlow, so I think we should hear it from Glasgow.

[Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) (SNP)]

20. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to come in on this question. Scotland aims to be the world’s first trauma-aware nation by considering the link between adverse childhood experience and future offending, so will the Minister look at the work being done in Scotland to break the cycle of offending and imprisonment of some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Tuesday 10th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Edward Argar]

I pay tribute to Baroness Corston for her work. My hon. Friend is far too modest to highlight her own significant contribution in this area and her significant work with Baroness Corston. I have already written to the APPG that she chairs and would be absolutely delighted to come and meet it.

[Mr Speaker]

Well, it runs in the family, because the hon. Lady’s dad, as many will remember, was a very modest man, with nothing to be modest about.

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

New Hall, one of the largest women’s prisons, is close to my constituency. The message that I am getting from it recently is, first, about the evaluation of whether new prisoners are literate or numerate, and whether they have problems with autism. Secondly, it demands that all women prisoners should be safe and secure from sexual depredation when they are serving their sentence.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Argar and John Bercow

Thursday 6th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We will probably be able to take only the Order Paper questions next, and that must be done briefly.

[Edward Argar (Charnwood) (Con)]

6. What steps the Government are taking to reduce the gender pay gap.