To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of passenger capacity on peak-time Northern services calling at Bromley Cross; and what steps her Department is taking to help ensure passengers are not prevented from boarding due to overcrowding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of passenger capacity on peak-time Northern services calling at Bromley Cross; and what steps her Department is taking to help ensure passengers are not prevented from boarding due to overcrowding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to address overcrowding and patient delays in emergency departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to address overcrowding and patient delays in emergency departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine survey data published in its Safe to Care campaign report, 7 September 2026, what steps her Department is taking to reduce hospital overcrowding and corridor care to help prevent staff...

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine survey data published in its Safe to Care campaign report, 7 September 2026, what steps her Department is taking to reduce hospital overcrowding and corridor care to help prevent staff...

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of persistent overcrowding on CrossCountry rail services on passenger safety, accessibility and journey quality; and what steps she is taking to increase capacity on heavily used CrossCountry routes serving the South West,...

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of persistent overcrowding on CrossCountry rail services on passenger safety, accessibility and journey quality; and what steps she is taking to increase capacity on heavily used CrossCountry routes serving the South West,...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss. I also express my appreciation for the outstanding speech of the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, and thank him for introducing this debate.

I propose to address only one point, already raised by the noble Lord,...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss. I also express my appreciation for the outstanding speech of the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, and thank him for introducing this debate.

I propose to address only one point, already raised by the noble Lord,...

My Lords, it is with real diffidence that I rise just three days after my introduction. But the way in which we treat those convicted of crime, and in particular what happens to them when both in custody and in the community, has been a real interest of mine for...

My Lords, it is with real diffidence that I rise just three days after my introduction. But the way in which we treat those convicted of crime, and in particular what happens to them when both in custody and in the community, has been a real interest of mine for...

My Lords, it is a very special privilege first to have listened to the speech of my noble and learned friend Lord Leveson of Liverpool and now to have the chance to add a few remarks. I wish first to convey the apologies of my noble and learned friends Lord...

My Lords, it is a very special privilege first to have listened to the speech of my noble and learned friend Lord Leveson of Liverpool and now to have the chance to add a few remarks. I wish first to convey the apologies of my noble and learned friends Lord...

My Lords, not for the first time, I am feeling a bit outclassed and overawed by the legal and judicial expertise in this place that has produced so many excellent speeches. I particularly thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for inviting us to talk about the state of prisons and...

My Lords, not for the first time, I am feeling a bit outclassed and overawed by the legal and judicial expertise in this place that has produced so many excellent speeches. I particularly thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for inviting us to talk about the state of prisons and...

I congratulate my noble friend Lord Farmer on introducing this debate and thank him for doing so with his usual calmness and analysis. Every time he speaks on this subject—and he is a renowned expert—the House listens with great care, and we did so again today.

I also welcome and congratulate...

I congratulate my noble friend Lord Farmer on introducing this debate and thank him for doing so with his usual calmness and analysis. Every time he speaks on this subject—and he is a renowned expert—the House listens with great care, and we did so again today.

I also welcome and congratulate...

My Lords, I too have very little experience in this area, but I felt I did have something worth saying from a professional point of view. My experience of prisons is not personal but, while I was on call at Hammersmith Hospital, I did go inside prisons to see sick...

My Lords, I too have very little experience in this area, but I felt I did have something worth saying from a professional point of view. My experience of prisons is not personal but, while I was on call at Hammersmith Hospital, I did go inside prisons to see sick...

It is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Winston. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for securing this important debate, and I pay tribute to all the work he does on this subject. I also welcome the noble and learned Lord, Lord Leveson, and congratulate him...

It is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Winston. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for securing this important debate, and I pay tribute to all the work he does on this subject. I also welcome the noble and learned Lord, Lord Leveson, and congratulate him...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for providing the opportunity for such a vital debate. I am delighted to see the noble and learned Lord, Lord Leveson, sitting on the Cross Benches. I thank him for his excellent and wise but very sobering maiden speech.

I speak as...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for providing the opportunity for such a vital debate. I am delighted to see the noble and learned Lord, Lord Leveson, sitting on the Cross Benches. I thank him for his excellent and wise but very sobering maiden speech.

I speak as...

Lords motion to take note of the state of the prison and probation service in England and Wales. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the state of the prison and probation service in England and Wales. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, I thank all who will contribute this afternoon. It is an impressive list, and I am looking forward to hearing some valuable contributions to what is, at the present time, a very important subject. I thank you for making time after a busy week. I particularly welcome the...

My Lords, I thank all who will contribute this afternoon. It is an impressive list, and I am looking forward to hearing some valuable contributions to what is, at the present time, a very important subject. I thank you for making time after a busy week. I particularly welcome the...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, on securing this debate and I am grateful for how he opened it. I thought he was going to be a little more critical and, in turn, I have written a counter speech. I want to speak primarily about rehabilitation, which...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, on securing this debate and I am grateful for how he opened it. I thought he was going to be a little more critical and, in turn, I have written a counter speech. I want to speak primarily about rehabilitation, which...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow the noble Lord, Lord Brooke, and I join him in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, not only on the tremendous work that he has done in this particular area but for securing the debate and his excellent opening speech. I also look...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow the noble Lord, Lord Brooke, and I join him in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, not only on the tremendous work that he has done in this particular area but for securing the debate and his excellent opening speech. I also look...

I am delighted to follow the noble Lord, Lord Foster, and his most interesting speech. This is an excellent debate on crucial issues, and I am so glad that the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, has managed to bring it forward. I also say how glad I am that the noble...

I am delighted to follow the noble Lord, Lord Foster, and his most interesting speech. This is an excellent debate on crucial issues, and I am so glad that the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, has managed to bring it forward. I also say how glad I am that the noble...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Farmer for introducing this debate and all noble Lords for their speeches today, with congratulations to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Leveson of Liverpool, on his excellent maiden speech.

The capacity of prisons across the country remains a concerning problem, with the...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Farmer for introducing this debate and all noble Lords for their speeches today, with congratulations to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Leveson of Liverpool, on his excellent maiden speech.

The capacity of prisons across the country remains a concerning problem, with the...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for securing this debate and his excellent opening speech. The noble Lord has campaigned tirelessly on prison reform as he has on family life, so he unsurprisingly stressed, with others, the importance of prisoners’ contact with their families. We have heard...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for securing this debate and his excellent opening speech. The noble Lord has campaigned tirelessly on prison reform as he has on family life, so he unsurprisingly stressed, with others, the importance of prisoners’ contact with their families. We have heard...

My Lords, I begin by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for securing this important debate and all noble Lords who have contributed this afternoon to what has been a sober but very humane debate. Noble Lords will know that not every debate about prisons has those characteristics, so I...

My Lords, I begin by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for securing this important debate and all noble Lords who have contributed this afternoon to what has been a sober but very humane debate. Noble Lords will know that not every debate about prisons has those characteristics, so I...