Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislation to protect free speech.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This Government recognises the fundamental importance of freedom of speech as a cornerstone of our democratic society. We have had free speech in this country for a very long time. It is one of our foundational principles of which we are all very proud. It is already protected by legislation, including notably the Human Rights Act 1998, which gives further domestic effect to the right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of Lucy Connolly's condition in prison.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We cannot disclose personal information about an individual prisoner.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has considered compassionate measures for Lucy Connolly.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We cannot disclose personal information about an individual prisoner.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to review the case of Lucy Connolly.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Court of Appeal has considered all the evidence put before them in this case and refused the application for leave to appeal against the sentence. It would not be appropriate for any Minister of Government to comment on or intervene in such a decision of the independent judiciary, and as such the Government has no plans to review this case.
If an individual has appealed unsuccessfully and exhausted the usual routes of appeal, they are able to apply to the Criminal Case Review Commission.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to meet with Sebastien Lai.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary met with Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai's son, and his international legal team, on 7 November 2024. I met with Sebastien and Doughty Street Chambers on 28 April. The government is clear that Jimmy Lai's case is a priority and I raised it with the Hong Kong Government last month.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of international measures to secure the release of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Jimmy Lai's case is a priority for this government. The Prime Minister raised Mr Lai's case with President Xi on 18 November 2024 at the G20 Summit in Brazil. The Foreign Secretary raised it with China's Foreign Minister in April. During my visit to Hong Kong last month, I called for Mr Lai's release during my meeting with Hong Kong's Chief Secretary.
The UK continues to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Mr Lai. Diplomats from our Consulate-General in Hong Kong have attended his court proceedings throughout, and we continue to press for consular access.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Chinese counterpart on the detention of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Jimmy Lai's case is a priority for this government. The Prime Minister raised Mr Lai's case with President Xi on 18 November 2024 at the G20 Summit in Brazil. The Foreign Secretary raised it with China's Foreign Minister in April. During my visit to Hong Kong last month, I called for Mr Lai's release during my meeting with Hong Kong's Chief Secretary.
The UK continues to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Mr Lai. Diplomats from our Consulate-General in Hong Kong have attended his court proceedings throughout, and we continue to press for consular access.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to secure the release of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Jimmy Lai's case is a priority for this government. The Prime Minister raised Mr Lai's case with President Xi on 18 November 2024 at the G20 Summit in Brazil. The Foreign Secretary raised it with China's Foreign Minister in April. During my visit to Hong Kong last month, I called for Mr Lai's release during my meeting with Hong Kong's Chief Secretary.
The UK continues to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Mr Lai. Diplomats from our Consulate-General in Hong Kong have attended his court proceedings throughout, and we continue to press for consular access.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of shorter prison sentences for prisoners convicted of violent offences on reoffending rates.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Independent Sentencing Review recommends a reduction in short prison sentences.
There is a compelling case for doing so: in the most recent data, nearly 60% of those receiving a 12-month sentence reoffended within a year. It is important, however, to note that the review recommends a reduction in short sentences, not abolition. It is right that judges retain the discretion to hand them down in exceptional circumstances, which David Gauke suggested could be in situations of domestic abuse.
We have also been clear that anyone who breaches protective orders linked to violence against women and girls, such as stalking and domestic abuse protection orders, will be excluded from this presumption.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reducing prison sentences for domestic abusers on reoffending rates of assault.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Independent Sentencing Review recommends a reduction in short prison sentences.
There is a compelling case for doing so: in the most recent data, nearly 60% of those receiving a 12-month sentence reoffended within a year. It is important, however, to note that the review recommends a reduction in short sentences, not abolition. It is right that judges retain the discretion to hand them down in exceptional circumstances, which David Gauke suggested could be in situations of domestic abuse.
We have also been clear that anyone who breaches protective orders linked to violence against women and girls, such as stalking and domestic abuse protection orders, will be excluded from this presumption.