Speeches by Farnsworth.

“I commend the hon. Member for securing this important debate. In Amber Valley, recruitment and retention continue to be the main barriers to NHS dental access, despite £240,000 of additional funding that I have managed to secure from Derbyshire locally. Does the hon. Member agree that the Minister should set out how th…”

“On 2 October, as part of the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, I voted in favour of a resolution on the “devastating humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza. Paragraph 8 of the resolution referred to the UN Human Rights Council’s finding that genocide was taking place, which the hon. Gentl…”

“Dave, a driving instructor in Amber Valley, contacts me regularly about road safety—he is a passionate advocate. However, he is concerned about the consultation in the road safety strategy on a three-month or six-month minimum learning period. Does my hon. Friend agree with Dave that structured training and lesson time…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for speaking so powerfully about our Committee’s report. He knows that I am a huge supporter of policies that seek to maximise opportunities to rehabilitate offenders and prisoners, so I welcome the Government’s positive response to recommendation 6 on purposeful activity. We know that purposeful…”

“It is an indisputable fact that Amber Valley has the best pubs in the country. [Interruption.] It is true: they include the Moot Bar in Alfreton, Tom Said in Ripley and the Tip Inn in Loscoe, near Heanor. I welcome the Government support announced for pubs, including the £4.3 billion for businesses as covid-era busines…”

“That would be really useful; thank you.”

“Do you know what proportion of those successful appeals are as a result of the victim or witness not wanting to go through, essentially, a retrial?”

“I am not sure we are, actually, to be fair.”

“Is it not the case, though, that there are already examples within the criminal courts system of exactly the two options that we are talking about? The two magistrates and a judge, as Mr Ford said, is exactly the set-up for appeals from the magistrates court in the Crown court. Also, there are excellent, if I may say s…”

“Last year, 4,283 cases were in that situation, so only went to the Crown court because the defendant elected Crown court trial. Straightaway, the measure means that 4,283 cases fewer would have gone to the Crown court last year.”

“No, I had finished.”

“Can I clarify something? You said that you estimate 1% to 2% savings in Crown court time. Are you just talking about how much time is saved in the actual hearings in the courtroom, or are you taking into account other savings within the criminal justice system, like the work undertaken to summons jurors, to deal with j…”

“I am not sure we are, actually, to be fair.”

“But there are some.”

“Can I clarify something? Are you suggesting that victims do not withdraw because of waiting through the Crown court list, and that they all withdraw before that point because of the investigation?”

“No, no, we are talking about different things here, I think—electing from the magistrates. At the moment, in a mode of trial hearing—as I am sure you know, but just in case anyone does not—the magistrates consider representations and decide whether their sentencing powers are sufficient. If they are sufficient and equi…”

“Good afternoon. I am Linsey Farnsworth, the Member of Parliament for Amber Valley and a former Crown prosecutor for over two decades, so I am familiar with magistrates and Crown courts. My interests are as per the register, but those of relevance to today are that I am the co-chair of the APPG on legal and constitution…”

“Is there anything that is likely to get—”

“Is it not the case, though, that there are already examples within the criminal courts system of exactly the two options that we are talking about? The two magistrates and a judge, as Mr Ford said, is exactly the set-up for appeals from the magistrates court in the Crown court. Also, there are excellent, if I may say s…”

“But there are some.”