Speeches by Reeves.

“I thank my hon. Friend, as always, for his insightful comments. In his report, Sir Brian Leveson estimated that the reforms would speed up cases by 20%. The Deputy Prime Minister recently visited Canada, where he was informed that the change could speed up cases by as much as 50%. Any reform must go hand in hand with i…”

“I would remind the hon. Lady that 90% of cases in this country are already heard without a jury, but I do not think it can be denied that 14 years of Conservative Government left a crisis in our courts. It cannot be right that victims of rape are waiting three or sometimes four years for their cases to get to court. As…”

“In his report, Sir Brian Leveson estimated that introducing these reforms would lead to a 20% time saving. At the moment, we have a situation in which victims of rape are waiting three or sometimes four years for their cases to get to court. Investment in the system is also important, which is why we have the maximum n…”

“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 ar…”

“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 Pros…”

“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 …”

“In December, the Deputy Prime Minister set out the measures that this Government are taking to tackle the crisis in our courts. As I have stated in the House previously, jury trials will remain the cornerstone of our justice system, but reform and investment are needed to cut through the backlog, which is approaching 8…”

“Since this Government have come to office, we have been very clear that Israel has an obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the provision of aid in Gaza and that UNRWA has a critical role in delivering that response. The UK remains firmly committed to upholding international law. It is the UK Govern…”

“The suffering in Gaza is indefensible. We have been very clear that Israel has an obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the provision of aid in Gaza and that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency has a critical role. The priority is for aid routes to be fully opened, international aid to get in…”

“Can I start by thanking my hon. Friend for her service as a magistrate? Magistrates have a huge role to play in our criminal justice system. Cases in magistrates courts continue to be dealt with swiftly, despite increased demand. Magistrates hear around 1.3 million cases per year, which normally ensures that there is a…”

“I am very sorry to hear of situation of the hon. Member’s constituents. I am aware that the hon. Member has met colleagues from the Ministry of Justice, and I commend her for her dedication to championing these issues. We are considering further qualitative research on the operation of the Hague convention in cases of …”

“I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his comments on the victims’ right to review scheme, which will give victims of rape and serious sexual violence a greater voice in the justice system. Too often, victims feel let down by a system that is supposed to be there to support them. I will ensure that I speak to my coll…”

“It is utterly indefensible that the shadow Attorney General in the other place is acting as a lawyer for sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. He has recused himself from giving legal advice to the Conservative party on the issue of Ukraine and financial sanctions, sacrificing a key element of his role in or…”

“Any changes will need to go through legislation in this House in the normal way and I am sure that the Conservatives will want to scrutinise any proposals that we put forward. I am happy to take away those questions to the Ministry of Justice and ensure that the hon. Lady receives an answer.”

“I thank the hon. Lady for raising this question and for her continued work campaigning on child abduction and domestic abuse. The UK is actively engaged on this issue internationally and domestically. Where a child abduction offence has been committed, prosecutors will always consider the motivations and circumstances …”

“The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. Tackling violence against women and girls is my No. 1 priority in government, just as it was when I was in opposition. I am in awe of the bravery of the victims who have come forward. I am absolutely disgusted and sickened by the revelations that have come out in recent days…”

“This Government are determined to make the UK a hostile environment for economic crime. The CPS plays a pivotal role in deterring offenders and bringing fraudsters to justice, with consistently high conviction rates of about 86%. Last year the CPS successfully secured the first prosecution for the breach of financial s…”

“I am very sorry to hear about the experience of my hon. Friend’s constituent—my hon. Friend is a great champion for them. I am not aware of the specific details, but if she writes to me, I will raise the case with the CPS, and, again, if helpful, I will facilitate a meeting for her with her local CPS area.”

“The hon. Lady makes an extremely important point. This Government are committed to tackling violence against women and girls in every form, which is why we announced our cross-Government strategy for tackling VAWG in December. I will happily speak to colleagues across the Home Office and Ministry of Justice to ensure t…”

“We are launching a pilot in four police forces to test multi-agency approaches to managing FGM protection orders. A whole-system approach is fundamental to tackling FGM and increasing prosecutions. In the spring, the Minister for Safeguarding and I will be hosting a ministerial roundtable dedicated to FGM, bringing tog…”