Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Buckland Excerpts

Thursday 2nd February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

2. When he plans to extend the scope of the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

[The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland)]

We committed ourselves in our manifesto to extending the scope of the scheme. As a first step, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced that we would extend it to sentences in the Crown court for terrorism offences, and we are working with her to implement that.

[Philip Davies]

I am grateful to my hon. and learned Friend for confirming that our manifesto commitment is still on track, but I should also be grateful if he was a bit more specific about the dates on which we might be able to make some headway, because these reforms are long overdue.

[The Solicitor General]

My hon. Friend is right to press the Government for a commitment to action. Work is being done with the Ministry of Justice, and both the Attorney General and I are committed to ironing out the obvious inconsistencies in the system, which cause understandable frustration among victims and their families.

[Chris Davies (Brecon and Radnorshire) (Con)]

Over the last 12 months, how often has my hon. and learned Friend been asked to review sentences handed down by the courts?

[The Solicitor General]

The number of sentences continues to increase. In 2015 we considered 713 requests, but of 80,000 passed in England and Wales in that year, only just over 100 were varied by the scheme. I think that that represents a vote of confidence in our judges and magistrates.

[Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) (Lab)]

3. What assessment he has made of potential trends in the level of prosecutions for hate crime towards non-UK EU citizens once article 50 is triggered.

[The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland)]

The Government are working closely with the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and community organisations to monitor any changes in hate crime levels, and we will continue to do so after the triggering of article 50. However, it is not possible to predict prosecution trends, and the data on the nationalities of victims are not disaggregated.

[Gerald Jones]

What steps is the CPS taking to improve the conviction rate for hate crimes against disabled people? Does he support the call by the shadow Solicitor General, my hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Nick Thomas-Symonds), for parity in the treatment of all protected characteristics in the aggregated offences regime?

[The Solicitor General]

The hon. Gentleman will be glad to know that rates of disability hate crime prosecution continue to rise. The rise last year was 41.3%, the conviction rate for hate crime being just over 83%. The total number of hate crimes prosecuted last year was 15,442, which is the highest number to date. I do, of course, take very seriously the helpful and sensible submissions made by the shadow Solicitor General.

[Seema Kennedy (South Ribble) (Con)]

What steps is the Department taking to prevent the spread of hate crime by the media?

[The Solicitor General]

As we know, in an age of social media it has become all too easy for perpetrators to spread hate and intimidation. The Crown Prosecution Service takes very seriously offences which cross the line to constitute grossly offensive communications, and prosecutions take place regularly. We will continue to work with social media to ensure that the detection of such crimes can be improved.

[Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)]

5. What the cost to the public purse was of fees related to legal proceedings on the triggering of article 50.