Oral Answers to Questions
Sonia Kumar Excerpts(2 days, 2 hours ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Solicitor General
The proposed changes would apply to less than 2% of all criminal trial cases. Under the reforms, almost three quarters of trial cases coming to the Crown court would still be heard by a jury, and that includes offences such as rape. There are transparency measures built in to safeguard justice, with judges setting out reasons for their verdicts and introducing recording in the magistrates courts.
Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)
The Solicitor General
Last April, the Government published a modern slavery action plan to reinforce our commitment to working across Government and with law enforcement, civil society, survivors, businesses and international partners to prevent exploitation, protect victims and pursue those responsible for such awful crimes. The Crown Prosecution Service plays a central role in tackling modern slavery and human trafficking. It works closely with law enforcement and international partners and will prosecute any cases referred to them wherever the legal test is met.
Sonia Kumar
Paige, my constituent, a 24-year-old survivor of human trafficking, was betrayed not only by her abusers but by the very systems that were meant to protect her. When she reached crisis point and attempted to take her life, she was denied continuous medical and healthcare support, while her advocate was excluded from multi-agency meetings. Will the Solicitor General set out what steps are being taken to increase prosecutions for human trafficking and ensure that victims such as Paige receive consistent therapeutic and legal support, from initial disclosure through to the aftercare that follows court proceedings?
The Solicitor General
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important issue. I am very sorry to hear about the experiences of her constituent Paige. Modern slavery cases are complex. The CPS will always ensure that its prosecutors share best practice and insights to improve outcomes for victims and, as I said previously, the Government are committed to spending £550 million to support those victims. In May 2025, the CPS established a modern slavery national scrutiny panel, chaired by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, to examine its performance in modern slavery and human trafficking cases. Insights from the process are shared with the CPS network to strengthen decision making, case building and support for vulnerable victims.
Oral Answers to Questions
Sonia Kumar Excerpts(2 months, 3 weeks ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Dame Angela Eagle
Again, we understand the pressures that farmers are under. We want to work on creating a productive, profitable and sustainable farming sector, and we will do so.
Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)
Emma Hardy
My hon. Friend is an incredible champion for her constituency. I have heard that people visiting the area can pick up fossils and see what an ecological wonder it is. It looks incredibly beautiful. We know that access to water is important to boosting wellbeing and mental health. I look forward to hearing more about those plans as they develop.
Glass Packaging: Extended Producer Responsibility
Sonia Kumar Excerpts(8 months, 3 weeks ago)
Westminster HallRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
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Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the impact of extended producer responsibility for packaging on glass packaging producers.
It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. In the UK, the glass manufacturing sector supports more than 120,000 jobs, adding £2.2 billion to the economy each year. I am immensely proud to have Beatson Clark in my constituency, which has been manufacturing glass in Rotherham for more than 270 years. It is a key local employer, and the only remaining independent UK-owned glass container manufacturer. It is also the only company in the UK that still produces amber pharmaceutical glass. After adding in the supply chain, more than 2,000 people are dependent on Beatson Clark for their livelihood.
As we move to a fully circular economy, glass is the perfect packaging material. It is infinitely recyclable, does not lose quality over time and does not release harmful microplastics into products, including the human body or the environment at large. It is easily and widely recyclable, with no degradation as part of the recycling process. Bottle banks were first introduced in the UK in the 1970s. Glass that was collected then is most likely still in circulation today.
Glass manufacture is energy-intensive, but with electric and hybrid furnaces and readily available technology there is no reason why glass cannot be a net zero product in the not too distant future, especially with Government support with infrastructure and electricity costs, as per the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations. Yet, because of the Government’s dogged decision to press ahead with extended producer responsibility, initiated by the previous Administration, we instead face the decimation of our domestic glass industry.
Job losses and the closure of sites are literally just around the corner. That is not the industry overreacting. British Glass has already received warnings from more than one beer and cider manufacturer that there is no future for glass in this country due to the EPR policy. EPR follows hot on the heels of a challenging few years for UK glass manufacturing. The energy crisis, increased costs and a reduction in trade tariffs from 6% to 0% since leaving the EU have made cheaper imported glass so much more attractive.
Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)
Holden’s Bottling company in my constituency has written to me with concerns about EPR, saying it makes the company simply uncompetitive. Does my hon. Friend agree that if EPR fees were calculated on volume not weight, it would incentivise using more sustainable materials such as glass over plastic?
Sarah Champion
I support my hon. Friend 100%. It is crazy that we are not doing that by volume, because glass is heavier. We are forcing people to move to lighter products, particularly plastic.