Speeches by Munt.

“We will move on to the Sentencing Act. In your 2024 annual report, you implied that for the sentencing reforms to succeed, the Government had to ensure the Probation Service was—I think the words you used were—“properly resourced”, otherwise it would not be able to provide the effective service the public and victims n…”

“Can I just check something? My understanding in my local area is that Community Payback is never done in somebody’s own community, which always struck me as slightly weird. It is something to do with not embarrassing people—I can see somebody behind you vigorously shaking their head. Is there anything in the Community …”

“My next question was about how well the Probation Service balances the role of public protection with promoting rehabilitation and resettlement. You have identified tensions within that. Why did you point out the north-east and Wales?”

“Yes, I have. We have covered everything really.”

“Good afternoon. My name is Tessa Munt. I am the Member of Parliament for Wells and Mendip Hills in Somerset. All my interests are on the register, but I would highlight the fact that I am the vice-chair for the all-party parliamentary group on penal affairs, and a director and vice-chair of WhistleblowersUK, which is a…”

“Can I briefly pick you up on something you said? You referred to the cycle of change and a tightrope. Is it the staff who are on the tightrope or the offender?”

“Martin, my question is on what the inspectorate measures. What are the criteria for probation regions in regard to rehabilitation and resettlement? How well is the Probation Service performing in relation to those criteria, and which regions are performing better than others?”

“Good afternoon. My name is Tessa Munt. I am the Member of Parliament for Wells and Mendip Hills in Somerset. All my interests are on the register, but I would highlight the fact that I am the vice-chair for the all-party parliamentary group on penal affairs, and a director and vice-chair of WhistleblowersUK, which is a…”

“In Kent, Surrey and Sussex, how much time do your probation officers spend in prison with each prisoner before they are released?”

“My constituent, an indomitable lady in her eighties, was seriously assaulted at home last year, and her assailant was jailed. He was given a sentence, and the court granted an exclusion order covering the whole area around her home, where he committed the offence. Over a month ago, he was released early, but without a …”

“I am proud to have been part of the 2010-15 Government, when Michael Moore and others took us to 0.7% spending for aid. I think my Labour-voting constituents will be utterly stunned to hear the contents of the Foreign Secretary’s statement today. I do not understand the disconnect between this Government and the Blair …”

“Would the Minister consider doing something about the cost of accommodation in university towns and cities? Where I come from in north Somerset there is no university, and at the moment people do not really have the option to go anywhere except a city, which is incredibly expensive. Would she give some consideration to…”

“I am not sure that that really answers my question. Let me set out the details of what I am asking about. One of my constituents was murdered by a foreign national, which robbed her mother of her daughter and her mother’s grandsons of their much-loved mother. Her mother is very distressed to discover that the murderer …”

“3. What discussions he has had with his counterparts in countries to which foreign national prisoners will be returned on ensuring that prisoners serve the full term of a sentence handed down by the UK courts.”

“Indeed.”

“Clause 5 requires the court to give a judgment stating the reasons for conviction or acquittal. Could you anticipate this causing any difficulties?”

“Go on. I knew you were going to. I could see that look.”

“Do you have a view on legal aid?”

“I am celebrating that you are agreeing.”

“The only observation that I would make is that I have certainly seen a number of cases where a potential appellant needs to listen to a transcript or to be able to read a transcript in order to decide whether what they thought they heard being said was indeed what was being said. You cannot possibly go equipped to crea…”