Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Thangam Debbonaire Excerpts
Tuesday 9th July 2019

(4 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Paul Maynard Portrait Paul Maynard
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As I said at the start of Question Time, it is wrong that people in a state of bereavement are having to wait so long for these matters to be addressed. In May the average waiting time was eight weeks, and it has now decreased to six or seven weeks. I intend to keep working with Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service to keep that downward trend and bring waiting times back to the traditional two to three weeks.

Thangam Debbonaire Portrait Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)
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The Prisons Minister has been good enough to keep me informed of developments at HMP Bristol in Horfield and of the urgent notification status. Will he agree to visit the prison with me, hopefully in the next couple of months, so that he can see for himself the challenges there are and how we can support the prison and the next governor to provide a safe regime?

Robert Buckland Portrait Robert Buckland
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I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her continuing interest in HMP Bristol. The response to the urgent notification will be issued this week, and I will indeed visit the prison with her in the coming months to ensure that the necessary progress is achieved.