Speeches by Cox.

“Trial by jury is a cornerstone of our justice system. Being held to account in court by our fellow citizens is one of the embodiments of the principle of justice by the people, for the people. Like all aspects of our justice system, jury trial has a history, and has changed over time in response to changing social need…”

“Will the hon. Member give way?”

“I wonder what the hon. Member thinks about the history of jury trials, which shows that the right to trial by jury has not been an inalienable ancient right, but has been flexed over time.”

“I was thinking of them as a national network, and they cover many of those areas.”

“We will close by talking about cyber-attacks. What were the impacts of that recent cyber-attack on those who were recipients of legal aid services, many of whom were vulnerable? What lessons are being learned and applied?”

“Can the public have confidence in the LAA and its cyber-security now?”

“I have a very quick practical question about the university network. I know that the University of Essex, where I used to work, has a law centre. Do you know what proportion of universities with a law department have a law centre?”

“We might argue about that.”

“Thank you. I want to take you back to the idea of a national strategy around legal aid. Some of the foundational legislation that set up our current system was passed in the wake of the second world war, alongside the setting up of the NHS and other services, so it fitted very much in that way of thinking at that time.…”

“Good afternoon. I am Pam Cox, the Member of Parliament for Colchester. My interests are as declared on the register. I will just add that I am the chair of the APPG on penal affairs.”

“I am always proud to be in this Chamber, but I am particularly proud to be here today as the Government bang a final nail in the coffin of Conservative austerity. I really welcome what I hope will be significant additional investment in my constituency of Colchester, because that investment will do so much to improve l…”

“Sir Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, has just published quite a hard-hitting report on the health of people in prison and on probation. There are three high-level recommendations. One is about the need to prioritise preventive healthcare for chronic conditions in prison; another is about the sharing of health d…”

“Thank you very much.”

“I ask partly because a recent inspection of HMP Liverpool revealed significant anxiety among prison staff affected by the skilled worker visa changes. How are you and your colleagues managing morale among those who hold skilled worker visas at this challenging time?”

“I will wrap in another question around staffing and probation, as it follows on quite nicely. The Sentencing Bill places a welcome fresh emphasis on community justice. That will, of course, place additional demands on probation services. The Probation Service currently has a vacancy rate of 22% nationally, rising to 33…”

“Thank you very much. Do your discussions with the Home Secretary and the Home Office concern an exemption for prison officer roles, or other matters?”

“Lord Chancellor, this Committee has been very concerned over the past year to ensure that both the Prison Service and the Probation Service have a robust and well-supported workforce, and we have just been alluding to the challenges in that respect. We have been monitoring capacity challenges in both sectors, so I woul…”

“Good afternoon. I am Pam Cox, the Member of Parliament for Colchester. My interests are as declared on the register. I chair the APPG on penal affairs.”

“T7. Colchester is home to many serving personnel, veterans and their families. Will the Minister set out how our new veterans strategy and Valour will better support those who have served in our armed forces in my area and beyond? Also, would a member of the ministerial team love to visit Colchester in the year that we…”

“On European security, I give my strong support to the position taken by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary in relation to the recent Ukraine peace proposals. Does the Minister agree that there can be no deal affecting Ukraine without Ukraine, and that any deal that rewards Putin’s aggression cannot proceed?”