Commons
Statutory Instrument
22 October 2025
Draft Financial Services (Overseas Recognition Regime Designations) Regulations 2025
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Financial Services (Overseas Recognition Regime Designations) Regulations 2025.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. The draft regulations before the Committee support the Government in their operation of overseas …
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
9 September 2025
4 contributions
Financial Services Reform
Our financial services growth and competitiveness strategy sets out the Government’s 10-year plan for the sector, making clear our ambition that, by 2035, the UK will be the global location of choice for financial services firms to invest, grow and sell their services throughout the UK and to the wo…
My hon. Friend raises an important issue, and it is very good to hear him championing businesses in his constituency. The Government published the small business strategy in July, which sets out how we will make the UK the best place to start and grow a business and puts SMEs at the heart of our gro…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
4 September 2025
2 contributions
International Law: Compliance
The hon. Member will appreciate that as a Law Officer I cannot talk about the specifics of legal advice to Government. However, he will be aware of paragraph 1.6 of the ministerial code that acknowledges the overarching duty on all Ministers to comply with the law. That obligation is inherent in all…
The hon. Member will appreciate that I cannot comment on any legal advice that may or may not have been given or, indeed, whether it has been sought. What I can confirm to him is twofold. First, the Government take their legal obligations extremely seriously. Secondly, the Government are very clear …
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
4 September 2025
2 contributions
Duty of Candour
I know how much work my hon. Friend has been doing to support justice for Hillsborough families and indeed to push for a Hillsborough law. As she knows, I am unable by convention to disclose whether the Law Officers are advising the Government—nor, of course, the content of any advice—but I know tha…
I thank my hon. Friend for her question. She has been a resolute and steadfast champion for the Hillsborough families, and indeed for the justice she referred to. As she knows, the Government, including the Prime Minister, have been working closely with the families, and I can confirm that the draft…
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
4 September 2025
3 contributions
Court Backlog
The Government inherited a record court backlog in the Crown court. On taking office, we took immediate action, including by funding a record high number of sitting days. The CPS is playing its part to help tackle these issues. That includes setting up a surge team, which has completed more than 12,…
I am extremely sorry to hear about Dani’s case. The previous Government closed over 260 court buildings, and the human cost of the delays as a result of the backlog is really considerable. Victims are waiting years for justice, and attrition in rape cases in particular has more than doubled in the l…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
4 September 2025
3 contributions
Economic Crime
Fraud is the most common type of crime in the UK. It hurts individuals and businesses and undermines everyone who plays by the rules—and it undermines economic confidence too. That is why the Government have underlined their commitment to tackling economic crime by providing the SFO with an £8 milli…
I am very sorry to hear about the position that my hon. Friend’s constituent has been put in. I am sorry to say that it encapsulates perfectly why fraud is so damaging. The Government are doing everything in our power to crack down on fraud and corruption and support victims of these crimes. I am mo…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
4 September 2025
5 contributions
Support for Victims of Crime
This Government are committed to restoring confidence in the criminal justice system, which means ensuring that victims of crime are properly supported through the justice process. The CPS is taking a range of measures to better support victims, including by offering pre-trial meetings to adult vict…
My hon. Friend rightly highlights the necessary and important action that this Government are taking to address the crisis in our courts. Alongside that, the CPS is using every tool at its disposal to reduce the backlog, including by trialling new initiatives to expedite domestic abuse trials and we…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
4 September 2025
2 contributions
Criminal Justice System: Technology
Better use of technology is key to reforming all our public services, including the criminal justice system, from the police and the CPS to our courts, prisons and probation services. This Government are absolutely determined to harness all the power and potential of new technology to the benefit of…
Unfortunately, my hon. Friend accurately describes the years of neglect of the justice system under the previous Government. She asks specifically about the Legal Aid Agency. The Government took immediate action to bolster the security of the agency’s systems and an injunction was put in place to pr…
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
4 September 2025
5 contributions
Grooming Gangs
The grooming and sexual exploitation of young girls in this country is nothing short of sickening, and the Government are doing everything in our power to secure justice for the victims and protect children from further harm. The Crown Prosecution Service has significantly increased prosecutions for…
As the hon. Gentleman will know, listing is a matter for the independent judiciary. However, I can tell him that certain areas have pilot schemes of weekly listing meetings across criminal justice partners to ensure—as he says—that we lessen victim attrition, which is unfortunately far too high as a…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
4 September 2025
8 contributions
People Smuggling
Anyone involved in the vile trade of people smuggling will be met with the full force of the law. This year, 67% more offences for facilitating illegal entry into the UK were prosecuted. I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that the Government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will allow…
Developing controlled and managed routes for genuine refugees is important. This is one of a host of robust, concrete and practical measures that the Government are taking to crack down on the vile activities of people smuggling gangs. I contrast our approach with that of the Conservative party, whi…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
19 June 2025
3 contributions
European Convention on Human Rights: UK Obligations
This Government are fully committed to meeting our legal obligations. The rule of law is the bedrock of our parliamentary democracy. Not only does it underpin our legal and judicial systems; it provides the basis for the global success of our legal services sector.
As to the steps that the Law Officers are taking, I am afraid that I have to refer to the Law Officers’ convention. With regard to the hon. Member’s wider point and the Supreme Court’s ruling in the For Women Scotland case, the Government have been very clear that we will continue to support single-…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
19 June 2025
3 contributions
People Smugglers: Prosecution
The Government are taking the serious, robust and tough action needed to secure our borders. That is why we are giving the police counter-terror powers to deal with people-smuggling gangs. We have backed that with a funding boost to the CPS to enhance its capacity to prosecute cases involving these …
My hon. Friend is absolutely right: it is vital that police and prosecutors work together to bring people smugglers to justice, and that our criminal justice system sends a clear message that people smuggling will be met with hefty jail terms. I am pleased to tell him that an offender who played a l…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
19 June 2025
3 contributions
Non-violent Drug-related Offences: Prosecution
In its recent report, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs highlighted the Government’s safer streets mission as a key vehicle to address the connection between drug use and criminality. The Government’s flagship Crime and Policing Bill will expand police powers to conduct more drug tests on …
It is absolutely right that we ensure that those who fall into drug addiction are able to access adequate support, services and routes to rehabilitation. As my right hon. Friend the Minister for Policing said to the Scottish Affairs Committee recently, the Government do not have plans to amend the l…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
19 June 2025
5 contributions
Immigration: Government Legal Advice
The hon. Member will be aware that the Law Officers’ convention prevents me from disclosing whether advice has been sought from the Law Officers, whether advice has been given and, indeed, the content of any advice.
As I said, the Law Officers’ convention prevents me from disclosing whether Lord Hermer advised on this issue or indeed any other. It does not, however, prevent me from saying that I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman wants to talk about illegal migration, given the abject mess the Conservatives l…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
19 June 2025
3 contributions
Hostile State Activity: Prosecution
This Government will always make the country’s national security our No. 1 priority. That is why we take any attempted activity conducted by hostile states on British soil extremely seriously. The CPS’s special counter-terrorism division works closely with police at the investigation stage to build …
My hon. Friend rightly mentions Jonathan Hall KC’s recommendations. As the Home Secretary announced, we are committed to taking forward the suite of recommendations made in Jonathan Hall’s review to tackle state threats, including the creation of a new proscription-like power.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
19 June 2025
5 contributions
Violence against Women and Girls: Prosecution
This Government were elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. Despite the challenges we inherited, we have recently secured a record funding settlement for the Crown Prosecution Service, which will allow it to hire more prosecutors and play its part in r…
My hon. Friend raises a very important issue. I know from meeting rape charities, and indeed from meeting CPS units right across the country, how long waits for justice harm victims and sometimes mean that they drop out of cases altogether. The Government and the CPS are taking action to reduce dela…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 June 2025
Prosecutions for Violence against Women and Girls: West Midlands
It is a privilege to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I start by commending my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton West (Warinder Juss) for securing this important debate, and indeed for contextualising its seriousness in our minds with his informative and very insightful opening remarks…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2025
2 contributions
Serious Fraud Office
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (David Pinto-Duschinsky) on securing this important debate on fraud and economic crime and the work of the Serious Fraud Office in combating those threats. The debate has been thoughtful …
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight that key point, and I can confirm that the SFO is keeping a close eye on it in the context of its other international partnerships.
Hon. Members rightly highlighted disclosure, which is another key area in which the SFO is driving forward change. Mana…
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
8 May 2025
2 contributions
Stalking
Just last month, National Stalking Awareness Week served as a sobering reminder of just how crucial it is that perpetrators of stalking are dealt with robustly. This Government are absolutely determined to protect victims of stalking, which is why we are taking action by extending stalking protectio…
The hon. Member raises an important issue, and I am glad that I largely managed to pre-empt his question with my first answer. Stalking cases are on the rise. We are seeing more referrals to the police and, indeed, more convictions. This Government are taking strong action on stalking, because we re…
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
8 May 2025
2 contributions
Road Traffic Act 1988
I am aware of the tragic case to which my hon. Friend refers, and which he has been campaigning on. I would like to take the opportunity to extend my deepest condolences to the family of Harry Parker. Every single death on our roads is completely unacceptable, and increasing the safety of our roads …
It is fundamental that our roads are safe for all who use them, and that those who break our road safety laws are brought to justice. That is why we are committed to delivering a new road safety strategy, and the next steps will be set out in due course. The Government keep motoring offences under r…
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
8 May 2025
6 contributions
Serious Fraud Office: Tackling Economic Crime
This Government are determined to crack down on the scourge of economic crime, and the Serious Fraud Office does crucial work to tackle complex fraud, bribery and corruption. Under its new director, the SFO has opened nine new overt investigations and charged 16 defendants. Just last week, I saw the…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right; the vast majority of businesses do play by the rules, and fraud is so damaging precisely because it undermines everyone who plays fairly. That is why this Government are so determined to tackle it. I welcome the SFO’s recently revised guidance, which aims to drive…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
8 May 2025
2 contributions
Prosecution of Rural Crime
The Government’s safer streets mission is not just about town and city centres; it applies equally to our market squares and rural village greens. Rural crime can have devastating consequences for communities. This Government are committed to cracking down on crime and disorder in rural areas, with …
The hon. Member raises an important issue. We know that rural and farming communities face acute and bespoke threats from criminals, including highly organised crime groups that are exploiting our rural communities. He has referred to livestock theft, but those communities also face fly-tipping and …
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
8 May 2025
4 contributions
Crown Court: Reducing the Backlog
Today we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It has been 80 years since the allied victory in Europe that brought an end to the second world war. I pay tribute to the extraordinary courage, sacrifice and determination of our veterans and all who made that victory possible. Their legacy lives on in …
My hon. Friend is right to highlight the vital role that magistrates play in our criminal justice system. As we seek to reduce the intolerable court backlog that we inherited from the previous Government, I have absolutely no doubt that magistrates will continue to have a crucial role. It is essenti…
+2 more contributions in this session