Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Hayes Excerpts

Tuesday 16th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Sackman]

I welcome my hon. Friend’s experience in this area. I would be happy to meet him to discuss that important subject.

[Tom Hayes (Bournemouth East) (Lab)]

6. What steps he is taking to ensure Serco delivers prisoners on time at Bournemouth Crown and county court.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jake Richards)]

The HM Prison and Probation Service prisoner escort and custody services team ensures that Serco meets its contract obligations and takes action when it falls short. Delays at Bournemouth courts are often caused by issues across the wider criminal justice system. The contract management team continue to work closely with partners to resolve problems and improve service delivery.

[Tom Hayes]

We must ensure that courts like Bournemouth are not being kept idle at a cost of thousands of taxpayers’ pounds every day. After all, we have a backlog that we have got to clear thanks to the Conservative party. Bournemouth piloted the pathfinder model, and it wants to do more, but it is being held back by private contractors such as Serco. Will the Government reconsider their approach and consider alternative ways to deliver prisoners to court on time, thereby saving the taxpayer valuable money?

[Jake Richards]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise the shocking situation in our Crown courts and civil courts that the Government inherited from the Conservative party. We must take action. That is why my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Courts and Legal Services will be setting out a wide-ranging package that will get a grip of the backlog and ensure that our criminal justice system is fit for the future.