Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Munira Wilson and Alex Davies-Jones

Tuesday 3rd February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Alex Davies-Jones]

I commend my hon. Friend as a fantastic constituency MP and Sefton Women’s and Children’s Aid for all the brilliant work it does in supporting victims of abuse and violence. He is right to highlight that victims are now coming forward with much more complex needs—not just physical violence, but coercive and controlling behaviour—and it is right that that is properly treated and recognised. That is why we are ensuring that victims have the right to timely support. That is a key part of the Government’s mission to halve the levels of violence against women and girls. We have committed to ringfencing the funding that the MOJ provides to police and crime commissioners, and we are working with them to ensure that, post their abolition, following their term coming to an end, we can provide certainty to victim support services, so that they know they will be there whenever a victim or survivor needs them.

[Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)]

Supporting victims of heinous crimes such as child abuse is paramount. Aside from support services, clear communication and transparency is key, yet the parents of the 21 babies abused by Roksana Lecka at the Riverside nursery in Twickenham Green were given less than a week’s notice that she would be deported to Poland this Thursday. They have been given no information about whether Lecka will continue to serve the rest of her eight-year sentence or whether she will walk free after just four months in a UK prison. They fear that if left unsupervised, she will harm many more children. Can the Minister tell the House what the release terms are for Lecka? Those parents deserve answers.

[Alex Davies-Jones]

I thank the hon. Lady for raising that very important case. I think the thoughts and sympathies of the whole House will be with all the victims of these most heinous crimes. Child abuse is one of the most heinous crimes, and it is right that we have the correct support services available for child victims. The Sentencing Minister is meeting colleagues in the Home Office today to discuss this case, and I will ensure that the hon. Lady gets a full update as requested on the specifics.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Munira Wilson and Alex Davies-Jones

Tuesday 11th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Alex Davies-Jones]

The Government are committed to bearing down on the caseload and bringing waiting times down for victims. Since July, we have put more funding into Crown courts, so that they will have their greatest capacity ever, and we have doubled magistrates’ sentencing powers to free up time for the Crown courts, so that they can hear the most serious cases. We have also commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to recommend once-in-a-generation reforms to our criminal courts, and we look forward to receiving his report in the spring.

[Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)]

I recently met a distressed constituent who escaped a very abusive marriage, only for the courts to order a financial settlement that allows her ex-husband to still exert financial control over her. I was shocked to discover that the financial remedies court relies on outdated legislation—the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, which does not allow domestic abuse to be taken into consideration in a settlement. What consideration has the Minister given to the Law Commission’s recent scoping report on the issue, which recommends significant reform?

[Alex Davies-Jones]

This Government are determined to tackle all forms of abuse, including financial abuse. I am aware of the report that the hon. Lady mentions. We are considering the findings closely, and will report back soon.