Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Ian C. Lucas Excerpts
Tuesday 31st January 2012

(12 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jonathan Djanogly Portrait Mr Djanogly
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Unfortunately, the trade unions did not provide their lawyers’ success fee details, or their referral fee income details, to the consultation. However, given that they have received more than £550,000 in donations from personal injury lawyers, it seems that the unions’ lawyers are not entirely disinterested in the outcome of our attempt to rein in the compensation culture.

Ian C. Lucas Portrait Ian Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)
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How is it that an individual on remand for murder can hang himself while in custody? Will the Secretary of State hold an urgent inquiry?

Crispin Blunt Portrait Mr Blunt
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Of course, in all these cases there are immediate operational inquiries, and then there are proper coroners’ inquiries. In all such cases, there will then be an inquiry by the prisons and probation ombudsman. These matters are taken extremely seriously. The number of self-inflicted deaths in custody has been falling, but there have been a number of tragic cases recently. Of course, we will look at all this extremely seriously.