Oral Answers to Questions

Sheryll Murray Excerpts

Tuesday 12th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Damian Hinds]

First, may I join you, Mr Speaker, in welcoming the hon. Lady to her place? I look forward to working constructively with her. She raises an important point about the protection of people from domestic abuse from those who are on probation. I can reassure her that we have put in place further measures and, indeed, invested additional money—£1.5 million a year—to support those extra checks into addresses of where offenders may be going, to make sure that there is not that domestic abuse risk.

[Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

2. What steps his Department is taking to help offenders find employment following release from prison.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Damian Hinds)]

We continue to develop opportunities for work and training, both during custody and on release. I am pleased to say that the proportion of prison leavers employed six months after release has increased markedly over the past two years.

[Mrs Murray]

What help can the Department give to aid the mobility of this potential workforce and get them to where they need to be?

[Damian Hinds]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. Going to where the job opportunities are is incredibly important; I would mention to her opportunities such as the Jobcentre Plus railcard through the Department for Work and Pensions. We also need to make sure that, at the point of release, prisoners are put in touch with opportunities near to where they live—where they are going to. Although we work with employers large and small, there is a particular value in working with multi-site firms that have locations in many different places.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mike Freer]

I am always happy to look at individual cases to see if there are specific issues causing a delay. Broadly speaking, I work with colleagues at the Home Office and the Solicitor General’s office to see what we can do to ensure that any delays in the process are smoothed out, so that people do not have to wait for their day in court.

[Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

T9. What review, if any, has the Department carried out to ensure that when courts extend bail, they ensure that the police are dealing with their investigations diligently and expeditiously?

[Mike Freer]

My hon. Friend raises an important point for her constituents. I must stress that the independence of the judiciary is fundamental to the rule of law and the running of the justice system. Therefore, the Department has not and will not conduct a review into how the judiciary undertakes its functions in individual cases. However, I can reassure her that the judiciary ensures that the relevant agencies that it works with undertake their functions smoothly and effectively.