Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts
Monday 9th July 2012

(12 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness Featherstone Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Lynne Featherstone)
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My hon. Friend raises the issue of A and E departments and the penalties therein. We have introduced a simplified system, going from 19 orders to six, and criminal behaviour orders provide criminal sanctions if needed and also put people on a better behaviour route.

Lilian Greenwood Portrait Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab)
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T10. The recent conviction of rioters from Nottingham was secured in part by forensic evidence recovered from the wicks of smashed petrol bombs, but the Forensic Science Service has been abolished, staff numbers have been slashed and local forensic services still face multi-million pound cuts. What assurance can the Secretary of State give my constituents that front-line forensic services will not be harmed by her Government’s cuts?

James Brokenshire Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (James Brokenshire)
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We had to address the problems with the Forensic Science Service, which was, sadly, making unsustainable losses. New arrangements have been put in place with private contractors and we are confident in the robustness of those measures.