Commons Chamber

Monday 27th October 2025

(began 2 hours, 49 minutes ago)

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None Portrait Q12. If he will take legislative steps to ensure that companies who previously provided indexation of pension rights accrued before April 1997 but have since lapsed, reintroduce indexation from April 2026. (906012)
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Nia Griffith Mr. Speaker.
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None Portrait Q13. What assessment he has made of trends in the level of child poverty in Cornwall. (906013)
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But Maguire.
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None Portrait Q14. What recent progress he has made on establishing the Youth Guarantee trailblazer scheme. (906014)
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Patricia Ferguson. Number 14, please, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The
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None Portrait Topical questions: Work and Pensions
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Second time lucky.
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None Portrait Urgent question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero if he will make a statement on the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry
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Right. Right. We Right. We now Right. We now come Right. We now come to Right. We now come to the Right. We now come to the Urgent Question. Sherwood Forest Andrew Bowie.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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Mr. Speaker. The North Sea will be at the heart of Britain's energy future. For decades.

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For decades. Its workers, businesses and communities have helped power our country and our world, and they country and our world, and they will do so for decades to come. The oil and gas industry has lost around a third of its entire workforce in the last decade, as oil and gas production has declined. A plan is now needed. And that is why in March, we consulted on a framework for building a world leading offshore clean energy industry in the North Sea, alongside managing existing oil and gas fields for their lifespan.

We will respond to that consultation in the coming weeks, and alongside that, we published our Clean Energy Jobs Plan, which sets out over 400,000 more good jobs to be created across the UK, including 40,000 in Scotland by the end of the decade. Facilitated thanks to record investments in clean energy and the certainty that our plans have created to see over £50 billion worth of private investment since July 2024. Now turning, Mr. Speaker, to today's news. Colleagues in the House will be aware that Petrofac Limited have for some time been working on a restructure relating to their global portfolio.

This restructuring plan failed following the unexpected termination of a contract by tenant, a Dutch transmission company, and at 7 a.m. today, holding company Petrofac Limited announced that it will be entering administration. Now, while obviously disappointing for the company, this is the product of long standing issues with their global business. Contrary to misleading reports, today, the UK arm of Petrofac has not entered administration and is continuing to operate as normal as an in-demand business with a highly skilled workforce and many successful contracts.

Indeed, only last month, Petrofac UK arm extended to significant contracts demonstrating this business has a viable future. The announcement today only covers the top level holding company, Petrofac Limited, which has no employees. The Petrofac Group has faced long standing challenges, including a high profile £77 million financial penalty imposed in 2021 following a Serious Fraud Office investigation into bribery. Now we understand that there is reason to be optimistic about a commercial resolution, including the UK arm, and the government has been and will remain in close contact with the company.

And I repeat this to the House. The UK business has not entered administration. It is successful and growing and it will

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continue to operate as normal. Andrew Bowie. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
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Andrew Bowie Portrait Andrew Bowie MP (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Conservative)
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Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. speaker, another week, yet another hammer blow to our North Sea oil and gas industry, another Sea oil and gas industry, another gut punch to energy workers, another blow to our energy security. And, Mr. Speaker, the blame whatever the Minister says today lies squarely with this Labour government today. Today the energy giant, they don't like to hear it, Mr. Speaker, but today the energy giant Petrofac has entered administration, casting doubt over the future of their 2000 employees in Scotland as their global HQ is in Aberdeen and countless more supported indirectly through the supply chain.

This is a company that, as the Minister has said, has had issues for many years. But the hostile environment created by this government in the UK continental shelf has made operating here for far too many companies nigh on impossible since the 2024 general election, there have been thousands of redundancies in our offshore energy industry. Harbour energy completed a new round of redundancies just last month with depressing regularity. Mr. speaker, we hear of more job losses in the North Sea, whether that be at Harbour Energy, Apache hunting or Petrofac.

Each job lost means uncertainty for a family, a mortgage jeopardise investment, fleeing our communities and our world class supply chains and skilled workforce pushed towards extinction. Minister, how many more of these will it take for the Secretary of State for energy to change course? These are political choices. This is a manufactured decline as a direct result, as a direct result of the hostile trading environment. The closed for business sign is hanging over the UK continental shelf from the Energy Profits Levy extension and increase to the ban on new licences to the refusal to defend the government's decision on Rosebank and Jackdaw.

The odds are stacked against the North Sea industry, damaging the business environment, threatening investment, harming our economy and undermining our energy security. These are political choices that have resulted in job losses. So can I ask the Minister what steps are being taken to support Petrofac HQ employees in Aberdeen? How many more jobs have to be lost across the industry for this government to change course? When will the thousands of jobs promised through GB energy for Aberdeen and around the United Kingdom materialise? And will he personally act and ask his boss, Secretary of State for energy, to change course? Or is he content to sacrifice Aberdeen, the North East and our energy industry on this vainglorious campaign to destroy

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our fossil fuel industry? Minister? Well. Mr. Speaker, can I say to the
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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honourable gentleman that on the issue of petrofac, I just say that he should be careful with his tone to come here and try to undermine efforts to find a buyer for the UK arm. To talk down a successful business, which I have just outlined, is a successful and growing business in the North Sea is deeply irresponsible. There have been long standing issues at this company and as a former minister, he of all people should know of these long standing issues and he will be well aware of that given his previous role.

We all have a responsibility here across the House to support this company at the moment, not to undermine it and to send a positive message to those workers, the suppliers and the customers that the UK arm is continuing to operate as normal. All the signs are that there is a viable long term future for this company, but not if we have comments like the honourable gentleman has put forward today undermining that business. Mr. speaker, on the wider question of the North Sea. He knows as well as anyone or he should know that under his party's in government, we lost over a third of the jobs in the North Sea.

He wants to pretend that this transition arrived in July 2024. But he was in government. He was in government when these jobs were going, and they failed time and time and time again to come up with any credible plan for how they manage the future North Sea. We will not do that. We will come up with a plan. And that is why we are building the industries of the future on hydrogen, on carbon capture, on offshore wind, on the supply chains, the very investments that he and his honourable friends on that side turn their back against.

Time and time again, they are turning their backs on the future of the energy story in the North Sea. More interested in exploiting problems than actually solving them. And time and time again, they have learned no lessons from their time in government when they left these workers without a credible plan. We will not do the same again.

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Patricia Ferguson. Mr. speaker, and I wonder if my
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Pippa Heylings Portrait Pippa Heylings MP (South Cambridgeshire, Liberal Democrat)
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Pippa Heylings the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

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worrying news. Petrofac is one of the North. Sea's largest offshore. Contractors.

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Contractors. But after years of financial difficulty, is entering administration today. Whilst I cannot. Share the honourable member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, his desire to ditch the Kincardine, his desire to ditch the Climate Change Act, I do share his concern for these 2000 jobs in Scotland and those workers who face uncertainty about their future. So the Secretary of State must act the Secretary of State must act swiftly to find a sustainable. Path forward, hopefully secure a buyer and safeguard these skilled jobs.

and safeguard these skilled jobs. And this underlines why the Liberal Democrats have called for an independent Just Transition commission, putting oil and gas workers and local communities front and centre. And it was good to see and centre. And it was good to see the much awaited publication of the government's Clean Energy Jobs Plan last week. However, we do know job last week. However, we do know job creation is not happening fast enough to keep up with job losses in the North Sea. So can the Secretary of State and the Minister Secretary of State and the Minister confirm what will be done to fill that gap in the meantime, in the

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short term, and deliver a genuinely just transition that keeps these skilled workers powering Britain's clean energy future? Minister.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, can I just say, first of all, what a contrast it is with someone responding to this concerning issue, as she rightly says in a serious way and not talking down the industry. And I think this is actually where this House should stand taller and recognise that this is a company that's doing good work, that there are workers right now, 2000 of them out in the North Sea carrying out their duties. We want to make sure that that is a viable future for the company, and we're doing everything that we can in that space.

And all the signs are that it is a growing, successful business. We should recognise that and talk it up, not talk it down. As the Conservative Party seem hell bent on doing. Can I just say on her wider point, she's right to say that, of course, the future of clean energy jobs is tens of thousands across Scotland and hundreds of thousands across the UK, but that we need to ramp those jobs up as quickly as possible and make sure that people can achieve those jobs.

We're doing what we can around looking at the skills framework in place, but also making sure that through investments, we're making great British energy. Those jobs come forward much faster and that people are supported to move from jobs in oil and gas into those jobs where we know there's a real correlation in skills in the future. We're picking this work up after a failure of the previous government to have any plan. We're moving as fast as we can, and we'll see more on that North Sea plan in the coming weeks.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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I'm in Aberdeen regularly and do meet his constituents who are working right now in renewables and carbon capture and hydrogen jobs, as well as his constituents who work in oil and gas, his constituents who benefit from investments that great British energy will make, for example, which he failed to vote for, and who also tell me that after a long period of time of having no credible plan on if he can shout, he can shout me down all he wants, he can shout me down all he wants.

He asked a question.

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But I'm just going to say to honourable member, I brought you in early because I thought it was right to your constituents and right to your constituents and you'd apply for UQ. But I do expect a little respect, even if you don't like the answer. Minister.

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like the answer. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. He asks a serious question, and I'm trying to give him an answer if he would. to give him an answer if he would. But listen for a few moments. We do take seriously the issue of job losses. Of course we do. And I do losses. Of course we do. And I do take them very seriously. But what we have to recognise is that there have been 70,000 jobs lost over the past ten years without a credible past ten years without a credible plan on the future of the North Sea, we are going to deliver that.

We are delivering new jobs in the are delivering new jobs in the energy future alongside that. But I would also just say to him, I'm somewhat confused what the SNP's somewhat confused what the SNP's policy is on this because as far as I understood it, it is exactly the same policy as this government has, which is to which is to look at the which is to which is to look at the licensing position. Now, if he is telling us now that the SNP's position has changed, then that's position has changed, then that's news to me and I suspect to the House.

But of course, they have not published the draft energy strategy

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published the draft energy strategy that's been in draft form for two know. Polly Billington thank you, Mr.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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Yeah. Well, look, I take her first point with a pinch of salt after her second point where she said her second point where she said that this comes as a hammer blow to the community, there is no hammer blow. Those jobs have been protected and there are 2000 workers today waking up doing the same job as they were doing last week. So I take a bit of a pinch of salt with that point. She's right, of course, to say, look, I am in Aberdeen.

I don't pretend she's an Aberdeen MP of course she hears from her constituents much more than I am when I'm there. But I've made an effort to be there as often as possible to hear the concerns, but also to recognise that that is exactly why we need to move further and faster than we have done for the past 14 years of the previous government, 18 years of the Scottish Government to put a credible plan in place for the future of those jobs. That does mean investing in future jobs, but also making sure that the processes are in place so people can take advantage of those jobs much more easily.

Passporting, something which was stuck in the mud for years, is now being delivered because we helped to unlock it. Now there's a lot more to do, and we'll say that in the coming weeks when we publish our future of the North Sea Plan. But we are the ones driving forward investment that creates the jobs of the future. And I'm afraid other parties, and I did not until today, count her party as one of those are harking back to the past rather than recognising the jobs of the future.

Need to go hand in hand with good, well-paid oil and gas jobs in the short term.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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Yes, sir. I thank you for the way he's put the question. And I would firstly just say, look, energy security is just say, look, energy security is at the heart of what we're trying to do because our exposure to fossil fuels is what led to some of the most significant price spikes in all of our constituents. Bills that they are still facing today are continued exposure to the impact of Russias invasion of Ukraine, even though none of that Russian gas now reaches us is because of the international markets that drive it forward.

So the only way to take back control of our energy is by building the clean power system of the future, that the pace of that transition is absolutely right. We are driving forward momentum now to make sure that the investment comes forward, to create the jobs in the economy. Right now that's been successful, £50 billion just in the past year of private investment. My view is that we should have recognised 10 or 20 years ago under the previous Labour government and under the previous Conservative government, that a transition was under way and put in place then a credible plan for protecting those jobs, that was not done.

But we are now determined to do it so that the future transition for oil and gas workers is into good, well-paid jobs in renewables, carbon capture, hydrogen and other

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technologies, and so that we have a genuinely just and prosperous transition. Llinos Medi job. Losses in the
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None Portrait Ministerial statement: Strengthening Prisoner Release Checks
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David Lammy Portrait Rt Hon David Lammy MP, The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Tottenham, Labour)
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With With your With your permission, With your permission, I'd With your permission, I'd like With your permission, I'd like to make a statement on the release. In make a statement on the release. In an era of Haddish Kybartai from HMP an era of Haddish Kybartai from HMP Chelmsford last Friday morning, as the House will be aware, Mr. Kybartai was apprehended by the Kybartai was apprehended by the Metropolitan Police on Sunday morning in the Finsbury Park area morning in the Finsbury Park area of my constituency.

He's back where he belongs behind bars and I'd like he belongs behind bars and I'd like to thank the Metropolitan Police, Essex Police and the British Essex Police and the British Transport Police for their swift action to return him to custody and action to return him to custody and the public who helped locate Kabata after the police's appeal. I can tell the House that he will now be transported for deportation back to Ethiopia as quickly as possible. Ethiopia as quickly as possible.

However, this does not change the fact that Mr. Kabatas victims are rightly outraged about what has happened, and I'm livid on their behalf and on behalf of the public. behalf and on behalf of the public. This was a mistake that should not have happened. The victims expect better. The public expects better, and this government expects better from a critical public service, which plays a vital role in our first duty to keep the British people safe and free from harm. Madam Deputy Speaker, on Friday, the 24th of October, Mr.

Kybartai was scheduled to be transferred from HMP Chelmsford to an immigration removal centre from which he was to be deported due to what appears to have been human error. He was instead released into the community at 10:25 a.m. shortly after 12 p.m. concerns were raised about the release to the duty governor, and following checks, staff were dispatched to locate him. When it became clear that he was no longer in the vicinity of the prison, Essex Police were notified and a manhunt began.

Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service instigated an immediate investigation, and I've asked for the initial findings to be with me this week, and the House will appreciate that. In the meantime, there is a limit, obviously, on what I can say, but members will be aware that there are national security considerations within a case like this, and I will update the House in the appropriate way as soon as I can. But what I can say today is that there must and there will be accountability for what has happened.

Madam Deputy Speaker, when I was first informed of the release in error, I spoke immediately to the Deputy Governor at Chelmsford and senior HMP leaders to understand what was known and seek assurances about the immediate measures being taken. I tasked my officials working through the night and coordinated a response with the Home Office and the police, and I'd like to put on record my thanks to the Home Secretary for her engagement over the weekend. Thank you. I also chaired three operational meetings with the police, and on Sunday was able to travel to Woodgreen police station, just outside my constituency, to personally thank the police officers who caught Cabatu.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I've been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable. We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm. First, on Friday, I instructed the CEO of Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service to carry out an urgent review to look at the checks that take place when a prisoner is released, and identify immediate changes that could be made to the process in order to mitigate against the risks of release and error.

As a result, HMPPS have taken steps to make these processes more of us. There will now be more direct senior accountability for ensuring protocols and checks are correctly applied, including a clear checklist for governors to determine that every step has been followed. The evening before any release takes place, these are the strongest release checks that have ever been in place, and they will apply to every release from custody and are effective immediately. Second, any foreign national offender being removed through the Early Removal scheme.

The scheme through which Kabati was supposed to be removed from the country, can now only be discharged when the duty governor is physically present and there will be no ERS removals from HMP Chelmsford for the rest of this week. And third, I am today announcing that there will be an independent investigation by Dame Llinos. I spoke to her yesterday, former Deputy Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police and Director general of the National Crime Agency, and she will fully establish the facts of Kabatas release and whether staff had sufficient experience, training and technology.

And she will also talk to the victims in this case to understand the effect this incident had on them. Her report will highlight points of failure and make recommendations to help prevent further releases in error, which have been rising year on year since 2021, going from nine per month on average in 2023 to 17 per month in the period spanning January to June 2024. And I'm clear that a single release in error is one too many, which is why we have launched this independent investigation.

And I can tell the House that it will have the same status as those into other prison incidents, including the awful attack on three prison officers at HMP Frankland in April of this year and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023. Under the last government. Madam Deputy Speaker releases an error are a symptom of a system that we inherited from the party opposite

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and any response. To it. Jails were full almost to

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Jails were full almost to breaking point, and the threat of total collapse in law and order. total collapse in law and order. The fact is that we were left with prisons reeling from historic prisons reeling from historic funding reductions. Madam Deputy funding reductions. Madam Deputy Speaker, a 24% real terms cut from Speaker, a 24% real terms cut from 2010 to 2015 and 30% cuts in staffing, leaving us today with staffing, leaving us today with over 50% of frontline prison officers having less than five officers having less than five years experience.

It's little wonder, then, when the system has wonder, then, when the system has been brought to its knees, that errors like this happen. We must also be honest that the previous also be honest that the previous government's approach to this crisis piecemeal, complex emergency crisis piecemeal, complex emergency releases in the hope that the system wouldn't collapse, has added to a level of complexity and to a level of complexity and pressure that makes errors more likely. This government has been likely. This government has been transparent about the difficult decisions necessary to fix the mess for good, so that prisons can keep us safe, and future governments need not find emergency solutions to free up capacity.

And this government has brought forward the sentencing bill currently making its way through this House. It will ensure we have a suitable criminal justice system which which one which can deliver punishment that works, that cuts crime and keeps the public safe. And this government is also building 14,000, 14,000 additional prison places so that we have capacity to lock up the most dangerous offenders. This is the largest prison expansion since the Victorian era. And let's be clear, there will be more people in prison at the end of this Parliament than there have ever been before.

And we've already built 2500 additional prison places in just over a year, compared to 500 added overall to the prison estate under the Tories. And we're deporting deporting more foreign criminals than the last government. We've changed the law last month to speed up the early removal scheme, something that, to be fair, the shadow justice secretary called for so that most foreign prisoners can now be deported after serving 30% of their custodial sentence rather than the previous 50%. And through the sentencing bill, we will go even further to deport foreign criminals as soon as possible after sentencing.

I can confirm that in the year to July 2025, we sent 5179 foreign national offenders back to the countries of origin, a 14% increase on the previous 12 months. This frees up desperately needed prison places and saves the taxpayer the £54,000 per year in cost to hold an individual offender. Madam Deputy Speaker, this context sets out the scale of the challenge, but I'm clear that releases in error are not simply a fact of life. The public will not accept that and neither does the government.

We'll get to the bottom of what happened in this case. We will take whatever steps necessary to tackle the spike in releases in error, so that we can uphold the first duty of every government to keep the public safe from harm. I commend this statement to the House.
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Robert Jenrick Portrait Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP (Newark, Conservative)
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I call Robert Jenrick, shadow secretary of State. Hear, hear. Well, dear. Oh dear. Where to begin? This Justice Secretary could not deport the only small boat migrant who wanted. No, who tried to be deported, having been mistakenly released. Came back to prison asking to be deported. Not once, not twice, but five times. But he was turned away. Madam Deputy Speaker, the only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK.

His officials briefing the press called it the mother of all. Yeah, they're not wrong, are they? Calamity Lammy strikes again. It's a national embarrassment. And today the justice secretary feigns anger at what's happened. He says he is livid. Kybartai was mistakenly let out, but under his plans to abolish short prison sentences that he forced through the Commons last week. Kybartai would never have even stepped foot in prison in the first place. So let's get it straight.

We had the spectacle of the Metropolitan Police scouring London to find a man. The Justice Secretary is simultaneously legislating to avoid sending to prison. What an absolute farce. So, look, I must commend the Justice Secretary's performance. It is truly BAFTA worthy. He has perfected the art of performative outrage to a T. On Wednesday. On Wednesday. Well, look, they may be laughing, but let me finish this point on Wednesday. On Wednesday, he will force every one of his MPs to vote again on the sentencing bill, which will see hundreds of sex offenders just like Kybartai avoid prison altogether.

Sick men who destroy the lives of young girls who steal their childhoods from them. They will be free to roam your communities, to steal the childhoods of your constituents. And I'll tell you who'll be livid then. The British public will be livid, and they'll know who's to blame. Madam Deputy Speaker, the Justice Secretary says he's launched an inquiry into what's happened, but he should be able to provide some basic questions to the House. Now, with respect to the prison in question, HMP Chelmsford.

There's clearly a very significant problem. In a previous internal audit at Chelmsford, officials had had marked their own homework as good, yet inspectors rated it as of serious concern. What is the Justice secretary going to do now to address the way in which problems in our prisons are covered up routinely or wished away? On the subject of the inquiry itself, you won't be surprised to hear I am. How shall I put it, sceptical about this government's ability to conduct inquiries with any competence.

Why is it limiting itself to this particular security farce, and not the other glaring errors, like the doubling of drone sightings above prisons, the soaring assaults on prison officers, or the rampant extremism we're now seeing in our jails? Shocking as this accidental release is, it is not a one off blunder. It has come to be the norm under this government, as the number of prisoners mistakenly let out early has more than doubled. So can the Justice Secretary tell the House how many of the 262 prisoners let out mistakenly in the year to March, were violent or sexual offenders? And how many are still at large? There are now record numbers of foreign nationals clogging up our prisons more than under the last government.

How many of those 262 prisoners accidentally released are migrants like Kaibutsu, who were awaiting deportation? Madam Deputy Speaker, can the Justice Secretary give the House his cast iron assurance that this man will be deported from our country by the end of the week, as he promised on the news on Sunday? And if he fails, will he take responsibility and resign? And lastly, on Tuesday. On Tuesday, the Justice Secretary blocked my amendment to release the migrant crime data. Does he now finally acknowledge that there is a link between the small boats and crime in this country? And will he call the small boat out for what they are, a national security emergency? Madam Deputy Speaker, this man should never have been in our country in the first place.

That's the truth. He should have been detained. He should have been deported. Instead, he was put up in a hotel in Epping and allowed to prey on schoolgirls. Now we learn that some Labour officials privately concede that they were wrong to scrap the Rwanda plan. Be in no doubt. From start to finish, the Kybartai fiasco was a creation entirely of Labour's own making. So I say to the Justice Secretary, there's no point coming to the House today professing to be livid at the consequences of your own policies.

The British people, they can see straight through you.
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David Lammy Portrait Rt Hon David Lammy MP, The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Tottenham, Labour)
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Madam Deputy Speaker, this is a serious issue and that's why that's why there will be a full independent investigation. The shadow justice secretary. I'll give him this. He's smooth. But as my mother would have said, if he was chocolate, he'd lick himself. He should hang his head in shame. The crisis in our prisons that we're faced today is because of 14 years of failure under his government, as they were packing their bags. And he knows this to leave office.

Temporary release failures were under his watch. They presided over 1717 mistaken releases of per month. This didn't happen overnight. It was not inevitable. It was the choices that his party made through 14 years of chaos. They said that they were the government of security and safety. They oversaw rising violent crime and crumbling courts and crumbling prisons. Again and again, they promised 20,000 extra prison places, and they managed an extra 500, 500. In 14 years. They promised to remove more foreign national offenders from prisons.

They failed. They promised investment and expansion in the prison system, but budgets stalled. They promised investment in the police. But again, we saw the police cut by 20,000. They promised increases in access to justice. We did not see that. We saw almost a collapse of legal aid. Violence went up in our prisons, self-harm went up in our prisons, drug abuse went up in our prisons, and prison officer numbers were cut under his watch. And he comes here and has the brass neck, has the brass neck to give the impression that this started just 14 months ago.

Let me just pause there. Let me just pause there. William Fernandez was released in error in March 2021. He was a sexual predator. He raped a 16 year old and sexually assaulted another young woman after he was let out by prison in 2021. Was there an independent investigation? No, not from their side. Rayanne Newby released an error in March 2023. Again, a man who was mistaken released from a category B. Was there an independent investigation under his watch? No there wasn't.

Laura Wallace again released an error in December 2021. Was there any independent investigation? None at all. And he comes here with the brass neck. I've asked Linneaus to look to Owens to look at this. I've asked her if she can do it in eight months. Of course. We'll come back to the house. When? That in eight weeks. Sorry. When that is done. And all of what he has said. What happened? What happened? Looking over this period of time is subject to that review.

And then he says that the sentencing review. Well, actually let more foreign nationals out. He's wrong. We've actually brought down the threshold so that you can now be deported with just a suspended sentence. He knows that. Read clause 42 of the bill and he will understand it properly.

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Chair of the Select Committee, Andy Slaughter. Thank you very much, Madam
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Jess Brown-Fuller Portrait Jess Brown-Fuller MP (Chichester, Liberal Democrat)
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We in the Liberal Democrats are relieved that karate has been recaptured after what must have been a terrifying few days for his victims and echo the Justice Secretary's remarks thanking Essex Police, the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police. But, Madam Deputy Speaker, his recapture doesn't excuse the serious mistakes that caused this to happen in the first place. It's totally unacceptable that the safety of the public was ever put at risk. HMP Chelmsford is a remand prison, one that regularly deals with prisoners coming and going, and therefore should be entirely capable of handling situations like this.

Yet we know from His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons that there are deep seated inadequacies at Chelmsford, including inexperienced staff and a lack of adequate training, especially identified in pre-release documents. At the same time, we have seen worrying trends nationally in mistaken prisoner releases, with 262 prisoners released by accident in the year 2025, up from 115 the year prior. So we in the Liberal Democrats do recognise that the government inherited a mess when it comes to prisons, but they should have taken serious steps to address the shortfalls and staffing issues in prisons, which are now clearly putting the public at risk.

So I would like to ask the Secretary of State what steps his government is taking to address work, culture and training issues in our prisons, especially those like HMP Chelmsford, where concerns have already been raised in the past. I welcome the Secretary of State's announcement of an independent investigation following repeated calls by my hon. Friend, the member for Chelmsford, whose constituents were put at risk. But can he confirm what consequences those found at fault will face and pending the outcome of the investigation? Does he agree that anyone responsible should face the sack? Does he believe that the new safeguards that he is putting in place will prevent this from ever happening again? And finally, for victims who will have spent the weekend incredibly distressed, what support was provided to those victims and their families over the weekend when they were aware of the perpetrator being at large? And will that support continue?

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On Mr. Well, I'm very grateful to the
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David Lammy Portrait Rt Hon David Lammy MP, The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Tottenham, Labour)
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Well, I'm very grateful to the honourable lady for the tone of her remarks, and she's absolutely she's remarks, and she's absolutely she's she's she's absolutely right that it was entirely unacceptable. And understandably, the victims of those crimes would have been very, very anxious in their families over the course of the weekend. And the public at large would have, would have asked, particularly women and children. She is right. However, that there are issues because we now have 50% of staff in our prisons who are effectively new on the job as a result of what we inherited, and it is important that we give them the appropriate support and training over this period.

She knows, because I've said it from this dispatch box, that it's our intention to grow the number of prison places and to build new prisons, 14,000 places by 2031. And in that context, it's important that we grow the number of officers as well and support them. She knows, too, the importance of probation in this context, and the 700 million that we've allocated to support our probation service at this time is really important. She will recognise that in a system that releases 57,000 prisoners every year, that many of those prisoners are released appropriately under licence.

Some of those prisoners are reporting to probation. They're reporting to home. They're reporting for tags, and many of them are proportion that's gone up, are reporting for early removal. And it's for all of those reasons, it's important that Lynn Owers gets

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the bottom of what happened in this circumstance. Matt Bishop. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
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Mark Pritchard Portrait Rt Hon Mark Pritchard MP (The Wrekin, Conservative)
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To the Justice. Secretary it. Is wearing a bit thin, referring to the last government's record.

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This government has been in power for over. 12 months, so. It just isn't going to. Wash with. The British public. Can I.

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The British public. Can I. Also say to. The Justice Secretary, I think he does his calm better than he he does his calm better than he does his. He mentions. To my hon. Friend, the member for North Dorset. I think he. Paraphrased his own statement, but his statement clearly says that he did share exact words. Over the weekend I chaired not one, but three operational meetings with the police and members across this House on all sides of the House will know we can attend strategy meetings, but we never interfere with operational matters.

So I think the the House and members of the public and indeed police officers around this country deserve more clarity on that. And finally, Madam Speaker, if I may, it says in a statement page two members will also be aware that there are national security considerations with a case like this. What are those? National security considerations? It's a bit confusing. First time I've heard this is an open court criminal conviction. So what are the national security implications? And finally, just so he knows, I haven't gone too tough on him today.

Can I commend his decision to

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appoint Dame Lynne Owens, a first class public servant? Yeah. Secretary of state.
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Kim Johnson Portrait Kim Johnson MP (Liverpool Riverside, Labour)
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Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I have a point of order on the same person for a different point. I rise on a point of order to raise a matter of both parliamentary courtesy and political accountability. I have been informed that the member for Runcorn and Helsby last week held a political meeting in my Liverpool Riverside constituency without any prior notification to me. I have informed the member that I would be raising this as a point of order, and while there is no formal rule preventing members from visiting other constituencies, it is a fundamental convention of this House that MPs respect the local representation of their colleagues and notify them before seeking to engage with their constituents.

They know they are not welcome. Coming into my constituency, staring hate and division, to ignore this convention of the House is discourteous to do so. In a city like mine, with a very long and proud history of diversity, is politically provocative. I call on the House to recognise that such actions undermine the norms of mutual respect between members, and disregard the rights of constituents to be represented by their elected MP. The people of Liverpool Riverside do not welcome this opportunistic political activity.

Does the speaker, Deputy Speaker, agree with me that this matter requires urgent attention? And can she reaffirm? Can the Deputy leader of the House reaffirm the principle that parliamentary conventions and respect for local

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representation must be upheld by all members? I thank the honourable member
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None Portrait Royal Assent
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Victims and courts.
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Alex Davies-Jones Portrait Alex Davies-Jones MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Pontypridd, Labour)
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Clause 13. Minister. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is truly an honour to open this debate and to bring the Victims and debate and to bring the Victims and Courts Bill before the House. This bill is about people, victims who have suffered unimaginable trauma, their families and ensuring that they receive justice. It is about restoring faith in our justice system that can often feel cold and confusing, and this delivers on this government's driving mission for safer streets, making sure victims are supported, that offenders are held to account, and that justice is delivered swiftly and fairly.

The deep rooted issues in our criminal justice system need no repeating here. The House knows that this is a system that requires large scale reform after years of neglect. There is a long road ahead, but this bill takes an important step forward. Here at its core, our victims experiences. This government is bringing forward real, tangible measures to ensure that victims voices are heard, that their needs are recognised and that their rights are respected. This will strengthen our courts improving efficiency and fairness across the system.

Madam Deputy Speaker, these are much needed changes and I am deeply grateful to honourable and Right Honourable members on all sides of this House for their time, their insight and considering them, and indeed to all of the organisations, advocates and survivors who have shared their experiences and helped us shape this legislation. I am sure the House will therefore join me in paying tribute to the families of Jan Mustafa, Olivia Pratt-korbel, Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa and I would like to welcome to this place Aisha Hussain, Cheryl Cobell and Antonia Ellison.

They are in the public gallery today. I would also like to thank Sabina Islam Farinaz, the justice for victims group, which includes Susan and Jeremy Everard, Glenn and Becky Younis, Katie Brett, Paula Hudgell, Aisha Hussain, the Bethan family all for their courage and strength in campaigning amongst immense grief for their loved ones. Three government amendments at Report Stage have further strengthened this bill, delivering clearer, stronger protection for victims. And I will turn to these briefly now and again.

Thank you all to everyone who has worked so constructively with me and officials in the Ministry of Justice to discuss the issues and concerns. New clause 14 and amendments 12 to 21 restrict the exercise of parental responsibility for perpetrators of rape, where their crime has resulted in the birth of a child. This amendment will, of course, protect children, but it will also help shield the victim from their perpetrator interfering in their lives. Because those who commit this horrific crime should clearly never be able to use parental rights to control or torment their victim.

I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to a woman I am proud to call my colleague, and even prouder to call my friend. Many in this House will already have deep admiration for the member for Bolsover, and I want to place on record that this change is hers. It is for her, her children and those just like them up and down the country that she has dedicated her life to fighting tirelessly for. Yeah.

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I thank the Minister for giving way. I want to add my personal admiration to the member for admiration to the member for Bolsover, who has been a fantastic champion for this particular new clause. She, her predecessor in this house, was called the Beast of Bolsover. I think she's the brave Bolsover because every time she

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Bolsover because every time she speaks in this house she's incredibly brave and I want to pay tribute to her here. Here. I echo those sentiments

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Here. I echo those sentiments entirely. It has genuinely been my privilege to hear her story and to privilege to hear her story and to work with her to ensure that this measure works, to stop rapists taking an active role in a child's taking an active role in a child's life. When that child was conceived as a result of rape, I cannot imagine the enormous complexity imagine the enormous complexity that mothers such as her face in this situation, and I am in awe of this situation, and I am in awe of her bravery and that of so many others.

This measure will ensure that rapists cannot take active that rapists cannot take active steps in a child's life where that child has been conceived as a result of the crime that they have been convicted for, and in order to been convicted for, and in order to protect as many children as possible. Our measure features a two track process where the Crown two track process where the Crown Court is satisfied that the child was conceived of rape. It must make a prohibited steps order restricting the offender's parental responsibility unless it is not in the interests of justice to do so.

We recognise that rape can occur within an abusive relationship, and this may make it difficult to prove at a criminal trial that it actually led to the child's conception where this is the case. But the court considers the rape may have led to the conception of the child. It will refer the matter to the family court via the local authority. This two track process sends a clear message that we will protect all children born of rape, no matter the circumstances. The government recognises the clear risk that serious child sex offenders pose to their children, and that is why we have brought forward amendment ten, which will expand clause three of the bill.

It means that when someone is sentenced to four or more years for serious child sexual abuse against any child, the courts will automatically restrict their parental responsibility. The process will remain the same at the point an offender is sentenced, the Crown Court will be required to make a prohibited steps order, restricting the offender's exercise of parental responsibility for all the children for whom they hold. For an offender to be in scope of this measure, they will have to have demonstrated that they are unable to protect children and consider their welfare.

That is why our measure includes all serious child sexual abuse offences against all child. And unlike the previous government's plans in the Criminal Justice Bill, this is not just limited to the offence of child rape. What is more, unlike the previous government, this government will actually deliver it. We are taking this important step today to protect even more children by preventing these individuals from taking active steps in their children's lives. We have recognised the strength of feeling on this issue and I am grateful to my to my friends, the members especially.

As already mentioned, my honourable friend the member for Bolsover, but also to my honourable friend, the member for Lowestoft, the member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd and Baroness Harman. In the other place, they have been unwavering in their advocacy for the protection of children. Safeguarding children is of the utmost importance to this government and this amendment ensures that we are doing just that here.

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She just mentioned some. Pioneering women. In. This place. Who've campaigned on this very.

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Who've campaigned on this very. Issue for a number. Of years, but today's. Amendment stands. On. The shoulders of. The. Brave victims.

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Brave victims. And survivors. Who've spoken out over so long as well. This corrects a. Historic injustice. Whereby convicted sex.

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Whereby convicted sex. Offenders and paedophiles. Are children. Are protected. From them. But before.

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But before. Now their own children are not. And this. Government is now. Taking steps. To make sure. Children who.

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Children who. own. And their. Parents are. Protected from these. Vile sex offenders.

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My right Honourable friend is right. This bill is a testament to the victims and survivors, those brave victims and survivors who brave victims and survivors who have spoken out about this injustice. And it is this government that is correcting that. My right hon. Friend also talks My right hon. Friend also talks about standing on the shoulders of brave, brilliant women in this place who have come before us and place who have come before us and are still here, and it is quite apt now that I would also like to pay tribute to her, because a new clause 13 concerning the misuse of non-disclosure agreements, known as NDAs, is a testament to her NDAs, is a testament to her brilliant campaigning on this work.

The government is very clear that NDAs must not be used to silence NDAs must not be used to silence victims or witnesses of crime. Victims must be free to tell their truth, to seek help and to warn others. New clause 13 will void NDAs to the extent that they seek to prevent a victim or a witness from speaking about criminal conduct to anyone and for any purpose. It will also protect disclosures about how the other party responded to the conduct or allegation, so that victims are not prevented from sharing that full context of their experience.

This measure builds on the Employment Rights Bill, which addresses the use of NDAs in cases of workplace harassment and discrimination. The measure will bind the Crown, but it will not apply to a very narrow cohort of specified agreements for national security reasons. It includes regulation making powers to define accepted NDAs, where both parties genuinely wish to retain confidentiality, and to ensure that certain disclosures will always be permitted once commenced. This measure will replace section 17 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which allows limited disclosures to certain bodies.

Together with the Employment Rights Bill, we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that NDAs cannot be misused to silence victims or obstruct justice. And now, Madam Deputy Speaker, I'd like to briefly address a number of other concerns that have been raised and tabled as amendments. I will not pre-empt what will be said today in the debate, and I will give honourable and right honourable members the time to make their cases. However, I again thank those on all sides of the House for engaging with me and setting out their concerns.

Turning to the amendment tabled by my honourable friend from Bristol East, which seeks to place a statutory duty on the Crown Court and HMCTS to determine whether an offender has parental responsibility for a child following sentencing. The amendment is very well intentioned, but it does risk creating practical difficulties in determining whether a person holds parental responsibility, has dependent children or children living in their household, may require interpretation of family court orders, birth records, or informal caregiving arrangements. These are matters for the Family Court.

Imposing such a duty on the Crown Court risks delaying sentencing. This government made a manifesto commitment to identify and provide support for children affected by parental imprisonment, and the Ministry of Justice and Department for education are committed to working together to determine the best way forward to do this and deliver on that commitment, to make sure that every child gets the support that they need. The Right Honourable Member for Newark and the Honourable member for Chichester have tabled amendments to remove the four year custodial threshold that applies to clause three and to expand the number of cases where clause three will apply.

I want to be clear this measure is not simply about when parental responsibility should be restricted. It is about when that restriction should happen automatically. We need to be mindful that this is a very novel measure. Removing the threshold would add a very large number of cases to what is an untested approach. More cases will also mean more applications to the Family court, and it is important that we do not overwhelm the court and create delays, which will put the vulnerable children already in the system at further risk.

We want to be sure that there are no adverse consequences for those children and their families already in the family court, and that is why we have struck to keep this measure narrow, so we can understand exactly how it is working in practice and what those impacts are. As I said at second reading and through the passage of this bill committee, this is just the beginning. As part of implementing these measures, we will seek to understand how they operate in practice and ensure that they are clear routes through the Family Court for parental responsibility of any perpetrator who does not fall into this measure to be restricted.

The Right Honourable Member for Newark has also tabled amendments on the Unduly Lenient Sentencing Scheme. Parliament intended the ULS scheme to be an exceptional power, and I recognise the importance of finality and sentencing to avoid ongoing uncertainty for victims, those convicted and society more broadly about the sentence to be served. However, I do recognise the exceptionally difficult circumstances for victims and their families in making a referral to the Attorney General within the 28 day limit. The Law Commission is carrying out a review of criminal appeals and held a public consultation which sought views from a range of different individuals and reforms to the ULS scheme.

It did include extending the time limit and offences in scope. The government will, of course, carefully consider the
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