My Lords, before turning to the substance of the noble Earl’s Question, I first pay tribute to PC Andrew Harper and his family and friends, particularly his widow, Lissie, and his mother, Debbie, who have both spoken so movingly about his case in recent days. PC Harper dedicated his life...

My Lords, before turning to the substance of the noble Earl’s Question, I first pay tribute to PC Andrew Harper and his family and friends, particularly his widow, Lissie, and his mother, Debbie, who have both spoken so movingly about his case in recent days. PC Harper dedicated his life...

I thank the Minister for his response. Noble Lords on the Conservative Benches have been tabling and voting for amendments to secure exemptions from this early release scheme since November last year, amendments that were defeated by noble Lords on the Government and Liberal Democrat Benches. Why did it take...

I thank the Minister for his response. Noble Lords on the Conservative Benches have been tabling and voting for amendments to secure exemptions from this early release scheme since November last year, amendments that were defeated by noble Lords on the Government and Liberal Democrat Benches. Why did it take...

To be very clear, it is only right that the new Prime Minister has a look across the board at the Government’s policies. Nobody in your Lordships’ House will be in any doubt about the horrific murder of PC Andrew Harper. It is only right that the Prime Minister, along...

To be very clear, it is only right that the new Prime Minister has a look across the board at the Government’s policies. Nobody in your Lordships’ House will be in any doubt about the horrific murder of PC Andrew Harper. It is only right that the Prime Minister, along...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to listen to the Minister. Can I say how sorry I am that the noble Baroness, Lady Levitt, is no longer a Minister in this Government? She displayed conspicuous ability, responsiveness to noble Lords who raised points and manifest integrity. It is a...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to listen to the Minister. Can I say how sorry I am that the noble Baroness, Lady Levitt, is no longer a Minister in this Government? She displayed conspicuous ability, responsiveness to noble Lords who raised points and manifest integrity. It is a...

I thank the noble Lord for his question. I was remiss in not doing so earlier, but I join him in paying tribute to my colleague, my noble friend Lady Levitt, and, indeed, to my noble friend Lord Timpson, for all the hard work that they have done, particularly in...

I thank the noble Lord for his question. I was remiss in not doing so earlier, but I join him in paying tribute to my colleague, my noble friend Lady Levitt, and, indeed, to my noble friend Lord Timpson, for all the hard work that they have done, particularly in...

My Lords, I echo the sentiments of the noble Lord, Lord Pannick. Andy Burnham uses the northern phrase that we have to “get it”. What is the point of getting it when you lose Ministers of the quality of the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, and the noble Baroness, Lady Levitt,...

My Lords, I echo the sentiments of the noble Lord, Lord Pannick. Andy Burnham uses the northern phrase that we have to “get it”. What is the point of getting it when you lose Ministers of the quality of the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, and the noble Baroness, Lady Levitt,...

I thank the noble Lord for his question. We are all about restoring public confidence in the criminal justice system. That includes, as I said, making good the sore lack of investment that we saw in our prison system. It is important to be clear that victims are at all...

I thank the noble Lord for his question. We are all about restoring public confidence in the criminal justice system. That includes, as I said, making good the sore lack of investment that we saw in our prison system. It is important to be clear that victims are at all...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for the answers he has given so far. I think it is well recognised that housing and access to housing is one of the primary determinants of whether an individual reoffends, regardless of whether they are released early or within the course of...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for the answers he has given so far. I think it is well recognised that housing and access to housing is one of the primary determinants of whether an individual reoffends, regardless of whether they are released early or within the course of...

My noble friend is right. One of the things that the Sentencing Act did was eradicate—I might even call it a travesty—Friday release, whereby people were released from prison with nowhere to go and no chance of having anywhere to go. When people say they have beaten a drug or...

My noble friend is right. One of the things that the Sentencing Act did was eradicate—I might even call it a travesty—Friday release, whereby people were released from prison with nowhere to go and no chance of having anywhere to go. When people say they have beaten a drug or...

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords, as the daughter of a police officer who was the subject of an attempted murder attack by the IRA when I was a child, and as the wife of a retired police officer, I was absolutely appalled and dismayed when I heard the news that the killers of...

My Lords, as the daughter of a police officer who was the subject of an attempted murder attack by the IRA when I was a child, and as the wife of a retired police officer, I was absolutely appalled and dismayed when I heard the news that the killers of...

I pay tribute to the noble Baroness and the testimony that we have heard just now. We understand how difficult this is. I want to be very clear that more than 18,000 offenders will be unaffected by these reforms. We will, obviously, as part of these reforms, communicate openly with...

I pay tribute to the noble Baroness and the testimony that we have heard just now. We understand how difficult this is. I want to be very clear that more than 18,000 offenders will be unaffected by these reforms. We will, obviously, as part of these reforms, communicate openly with...

My Lords, the Minister was entirely right to refer to the noble Baroness, Lady Levitt, and the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, particularly in the context of this Question. On 1 July, I reminded the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, that

“there are 3,650 women in prison in England and Wales”

and that about...

My Lords, the Minister was entirely right to refer to the noble Baroness, Lady Levitt, and the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, particularly in the context of this Question. On 1 July, I reminded the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, that

“there are 3,650 women in prison in England and Wales”

and that about...

I say to the noble and learned Lord that this is about ensuring that we have confidence in the whole of our criminal justice system, including the courts and the prison estate, but also the probation system. I have no doubt that, when the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor...

I say to the noble and learned Lord that this is about ensuring that we have confidence in the whole of our criminal justice system, including the courts and the prison estate, but also the probation system. I have no doubt that, when the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor...

My Lords, the early release scheme came from earned progression, the concept behind David Gauke’s proposals. Progression, of course, includes rehabilitation. The Minister has already mentioned the Probation Service. The noble Lord, Lord Timpson, was clear that there had to be time taken to expand the Probation Service, as you...

My Lords, the early release scheme came from earned progression, the concept behind David Gauke’s proposals. Progression, of course, includes rehabilitation. The Minister has already mentioned the Probation Service. The noble Lord, Lord Timpson, was clear that there had to be time taken to expand the Probation Service, as you...

The noble Baroness is correct, and I know that is why my noble friend Lord Timpson spent so much time focusing on probation, as well as the prison estate. That is why we are investing a record amount of £700 million in probation and associated activities. For instance, we are...

The noble Baroness is correct, and I know that is why my noble friend Lord Timpson spent so much time focusing on probation, as well as the prison estate. That is why we are investing a record amount of £700 million in probation and associated activities. For instance, we are...

My Lords, I join the Minister and support everything he said in relation to the family of PC Andrew Harper. I note what he said in response to my noble friend Lord Effingham. The Minister is keen to relate everything to the past, but this is about the future. I...

My Lords, I join the Minister and support everything he said in relation to the family of PC Andrew Harper. I note what he said in response to my noble friend Lord Effingham. The Minister is keen to relate everything to the past, but this is about the future. I...

To answer that last point first, this Government, like the previous Government and like every Member of your Lordships’ House, certainly consider the murder of police officers, or anybody involved in protecting us—such as those in the emergency services who would run to danger when we might run

away from...

To answer that last point first, this Government, like the previous Government and like every Member of your Lordships’ House, certainly consider the murder of police officers, or anybody involved in protecting us—such as those in the emergency services who would run to danger when we might run

away from...

Lords private notice question on, given reports that PC Andrew Harper's killers may be eligible for early release, what assessment they have made of the prisoner early release scheme and; when will they set out whether any changes to the scheme will be implemented before the first tranche of releases in September.

Lords private notice question on, given reports that PC Andrew Harper's killers may be eligible for early release, what assessment they have made of the prisoner early release scheme and; when will they set out whether any changes to the scheme will be implemented before the first tranche of releases...