Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Blomfield and Oliver Heald

Tuesday 24th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

22. When she plans to publish her Department’s review of the introduction of employment tribunal fees.

[The Minister for Courts and Justice (Sir Oliver Heald)]

Imminently.

[Paul Blomfield]

The Prime Minister claims she wants to protect workers’ rights. Is not the Government’s fear in publishing this report that it is going to demonstrate that the introduction of fees has negated that process? The Minister earlier said that publication is “imminent”; his predecessor said last July it was “soon”. Can he define the terms and give us a date?

[Sir Oliver Heald]

The hon. Gentleman will not have long to wait; it is genuinely imminent—but it has taken longer than we had hoped.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Blomfield and Oliver Heald

Tuesday 6th September 2016 Commons Chamber

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

T7. The Justice Committee has expressed concern that judges are now reporting that they hear no money claims at all—claims that were brought by workers in low paid sectors and which often succeeded. So when will the Government publish the review of the impact of employment tribunal fees, which is now six months overdue, and act to restore justice for low paid workers?

[The Minister for Courts and Justice (Sir Oliver Heald)]

May I start by welcoming the Justice Committee’s report on court and tribunal fees? We are intending to respond, and we are also going to publish the review of changes to employment tribunal fees in due course. This is an important area and we will do that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Blomfield and Oliver Heald

Tuesday 25th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

8. What steps the Director of Public Prosecutions is taking to improve the timeliness with which charging decisions are reached in cases of rape.

[The Solicitor-General (Oliver Heald)]

The Crown Prosecution Service’s new rape and serious sexual offences units now advise police in all areas at the start of rape investigations. Rape charging decisions require meticulous attention and can include complex evidence. They are monitored by the Director of Public Prosecutions in all areas at six-monthly intervals, and recent improvements have resulted in the highest ever levels of rape convictions.

[The Solicitor-General]

It is important to charge as soon as possible, particularly when vulnerable witnesses are involved, and there is a protocol to that effect between the Crown Prosecution Service and the police. However, it is also important for the CPS to be able to take on more cases that are referred to it by the police than has previously been the case, and to take on more complex cases involving more vulnerable victims. It is doing that now, and the result is an improved conviction rate. While timeliness is important, it is also vital for there to be that careful attention to detail which results in a successful outcome.

[Paul Blomfield]

What assessment has the Solicitor-General made of the impact on CPS charging times of the loss of a quarter of CPS solicitors and the closure of 40 operational offices since 2010?

[The Solicitor-General]

It has had no impact whatever, because there has been a clear prioritisation of cases of this kind—involving specialist rape prosecutors—and, indeed, of child abuse cases. Cuts would certainly never affect performance, and the overall statistics show that they are not doing so