Speeches by Davies-Jones.

“It is. The Minister for Safeguarding and I met with the previous Economic Secretary to the Treasury on this, looking at how we look at cohabitation rights reform as well, which the Member will know was in our manifesto, looking at how we can boost cohabitation rights looking forward. That is something that we are consi…”

“It is important to recognise the work of the end-to-end Rape Review from the previous Government. It is brilliant work in terms of recognising the issue of rape cases. Operation Soteria, as was outlined by the previous witness in their session, did some great things in bringing to the forefront the police response in h…”

“I would say that the worst thing of all that we could do for victims and survivors would be running out of prison places. It would be having a criminal justice system that is not sustainable and fit for purpose. The Committee will know that this Government inherited an entire criminal justice system in crisis, prisons …”

“Transparency in sentencing is something that came out of the sentencing review quite loudly and it is something that I have heard from victims and survivors. I have had the privilege—privilege or deep sadness—to meet with far too many victims and survivors in this role. They have told me directly that they believe that…”

“I welcome that question, Sir Ashley. There was a victims’ representative on the sentencing review panel looking at this specifically. I personally met with many victims and survivors directly to discuss the sentencing Bill and the review in detail. I meet regularly with the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, …”

“I think that victims want a criminal justice system that they can believe in. Ultimately, that means ensuring that there is always a prison place available for a perpetrator of violence. If we do not look at a different way of looking at sentencing, that is just not sustainable. As I have said, we also need to build mo…”

“You would have to ask them directly.”

“You would have to ask them directly.”

“All the impact assessments have been done as part of the sentencing Bill and will have been published as part of the Bill disclosure. I am sure that the Member will be able to ask the Sentencing Minister about this at Second Reading next week.”

“As I have already stated, the first and foremost principle of this Government is to ensure that there will always be a prison place available for those who need it, to keep the public safe. We recognise that prison is necessary. It can be a punishment, it can be a source of rehabilitation, and it is necessary that the …”

“That is the goal, absolutely, in terms of reducing the levels of crime overall, reducing the numbers of victims and to boost confidence across the criminal justice system. As I have said, one of the biggest aims is that we make better citizens and not better criminals. It is about how we break that cycle of offending t…”

“I touched on it in my previous answer on looking at targeting the issues of offending, how we can change behaviour, how we can change as a society. That is on us all to work with, whether that is education, better healthcare, better support in the community, all this on reducing the levels of violence against women and…”

“I will frustrate you, Chair, and the Committee by saying that I am not at liberty to disclose any further information. Hopefully, the Committee will be aware of the remarks that I made in the Westminster Hall debate last week on the need to ensure that this is a families-first approach towards the legislation and the B…”

“It will be when the families and the campaigners and the Government are content that it meets the test of being a fit and proper Hillsborough law.”

“Yes. I am thrilled that the Committee has endorsed Cindy Butts to be the first ever independent public advocate. She truly is an incredible, remarkable woman who I believe will serve the public and the country very well in the role. We will be formally, hopefully, appointing her imminently, is the answer. Now that we h…”

“We have indeed.”

“I will certainly take that away, Chair. I am as puzzled as you as to why you were not involved in that appointment process. Hopefully, you will feel that the candidate who we have chosen is the right fit, but I will definitely take that away as to why you were not involved in that to look at how we standardise that app…”

“Yes, I have had positive meetings with Dame Vera in her new role looking at this. It is very important, given the nature of this review, that she does this wholly independently. I want a no-holds-barred, warts-and-all review of the CCRC, as did the previous Lord Chancellor, and I am sure that this Lord Chancellor will …”

“We are a member of the ECHR, we will continue to be a member of the ECHR, and that applies here in our country. We will be consulting on a new victims code in due course to make sure that it is fit for purpose in the modern era. As you have said, it has been quite a while since that was updated. I particularly have an …”

“I am indeed, at present. I have not heard anything different yet, Sir Ashley.”