Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to support victims of domestic abuse in (a) Fylde and (b) other rural and coastal areas.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of domestic abuse, including those in rural and coastal areas such as Fylde, can access the support they need. Through the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, we are strengthening the rights of all victims and improving their access to services, such as consulting on a new and improved Victims’ Code, or introducing a duty on local commissioners to better collaborate when commissioning victim support services.
The Ministry of Justice provides funding to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to commission local victims support services tailored to community needs, allowing PCCs in rural and coastal communities to best support victims in their area. This includes Lancashire PCC, which currently funds 15 domestic abuse organisations, five of which cover the Fylde constituency and other rural areas. These include;
Victim Support – National organisation with services across England, including Lancashire and Fylde.
Fylde Coast Women’s Aid (FCWA) – Explicitly supports victims of domestic abuse in Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde.
Empowerment – Provides a range of services across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre, including mental health, advocacy, and domestic abuse support.
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Covers the Fylde coast area, including Fylde.
Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board – Oversees health services across the region, including Fylde and other rural areas.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce court backlogs for residents in Fylde constituency.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. For this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 110,000 sitting days this year, 4,000 higher than the last Government funded. However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve.
That is why we have commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to conduct a review of efficiency that will propose once-in-a-generation reform to deliver swifter justice for victims.
In civil justice, courts and tribunals are sitting at, or close to maximum judicial capacity in every jurisdiction.
In the Fylde constituency:
Crown Jurisdiction:
We continue to operate all 13 Crown courtrooms across the Lancashire estate to maximise use of sitting days. Along with a robust case management approach Lancashire runs an Expedited Domestic Abuse trial scheme where Domestic Abuse cases are prioritised and given a trial date within 16 weeks.
Magistrates Jurisdiction:
Over the last 12 months we have successfully recruited 6 Trainee Legal Advisers which has meant we have been able to increase the number of courts held each week from 30 to 65, reducing waiting times across Lancashire.
Family Jurisdiction:
Our focus across Lancashire is to progress the family cases in as timely a way as possible whilst balancing the individual circumstances and needs of each case. The Designated Family Judge, along with HMCTS, has implemented a robust case progression initiative. Cases are reviewed and cases that are suitable for the hearing date to be brought forward are prioritised. This is achieved by utilising courtroom capacity that becomes available from other cases resolving.