Speeches by Munt.

“Okay, thank you. Can I talk a little bit about the delays and backlogs that are happening? There are repeated adjournments, which clearly compound victims’ trauma and distress. How do prosecutors support victims in those circumstances? You have talked about your letters. I do not want to go over the things you have alr…”

“Have you any observations about how things might be improved in future after a major disaster like that? Obviously, these things are complex; I understand that—we all would. But you have no observations that might manage to truncate that process before we get to the point where charging decisions are made.”

“13. What steps he is taking to make all court transcripts free for victims.”

“I am particularly keen that this matter is progressed at speed, because the fees for victims who want to get their transcripts are eye-watering. My constituent is a victim of domestic violence and her barrister needs transcripts of her hearing in the family court now to appeal against procedural irregularities and erro…”

“Yes. This is at the other end of the time question. I am aware that you have recused yourself from all charging decisions relating to Grenfell Tower. I am not asking about that but I want to raise a particular situation. In May, the Met police said it would submit its remaining evidence to the CPS on the potential crim…”

“Hello, Stephen. My name is Tessa Munt. I am the MP for Wells and Mendip Hills, which is in Somerset. Everything is on the register, but I will just highlight the fact that I am a director of WhistleblowersUK, which is a not-for-profit organisation, and the vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on penal affair…”

“My constituent Dean Collier chairs Priddy folk festival, a local volunteer-run community event that for 34 years has brought really good music to the village and raised money for the village facilities. For 20 years, campers and festival-goers used metered water in a tap on the village green. Bristol Water remove that …”

“Food security is national security, and I am glad that the Government recognised that earlier this year. It is critical national infrastructure. As the Government pursue their building of 1.5 million homes, with which I absolutely agree, can we make sure that the Minister’s Department talks to other Departments across …”

“I have no doubt about that. We need four Government Back Benchers?”

“The application we want to make relates to the national planning policy framework, which, as you know, controls housing and development on the green belt. It is going to affect building on greenfield and brownfield sites, and around stations and—this is one of my passions—around helipads, which are needed for air ambul…”

“Oh dear, I am very sorry about that. It is my oversight.”

“That is all right. Thank you very much. The last thing that I want to ask you about is the calls there have been for the Serious Fraud Office to be merged with the National Crime Agency. What are your thoughts on keeping them separate or merging them?”

“I am sorry about that. Okay, thank you.”

“That is a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed for your time, all of you. Esther McVey and Graham Stringer made representations.”

“So we should imply that there were requests.”

“Thank you.”

“So that might include ships that are registered in states outside, for want of a better term, the Gulf region.”

“Okay, thank you. Can I just check: does the legal basis extend to action to protect commercial shipping as well as military vessels?”

“Thank you.”

“I want to ask about action against Iran. The Government published their legal position on the legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian attacks in the Gulf region. That legal position draws a distinction between offensive and defensive action. How do you differentiate between those two types of action and is t…”