Speeches by Davies-Jones.

“I welcome that really important question from the hon. Gentleman, and he is right to address this issue. A core part of our violence against women and girls strategy is tackling the online proliferation of harmful narratives that are being pushed on our young men and boys. Last week, the Deputy Prime Minister and I hos…”

“I thank the hon. Lady for raising the issue regarding the Chinook disaster. I recently had the privilege of meeting the bereaved families of the Chinook disaster, and I want to pay tribute to them and their tenacious campaigning to uncover the truth of what happened to their loved ones. I am deeply pleased that the Pri…”

“I thank all Members who have contributed to the debate for their continued support for what is, as they have said, a fundamentally important landmark Bill. It is for the 97, but also for all of victims of all the tragedies who have had to suffer and endure continued pain and trauma as a result of state cover-ups and th…”

“I could not agree more with the hon. Gentleman. He is fundamentally correct that the Bill is about much more than just the duty of candour. This is about rebuilding the trust between the public and the state. It is about ensuring that there is accountability, transparency, openness and parity, and that the state rememb…”

“I beg to move, That if, at the conclusion of this Session of Parliament, proceedings on the Public Office (Accountability) Bill have not been completed, they shall be resumed in the next Session. This motion is purely procedural, to allow the Bill to be carried over to the next Session and for the remaining stages to t…”

“I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s intervention. He will know that my family have also faced tragedy and bereavement at the hands of the IRA. My cousin was killed on Horse Guards Parade serving this country by a serving member of the IRA, and that issue has plagued my family for decades and still hurts to this very day. I …”

“With the leave of the House, I will close this really important and special debate. It moves us another step closer to this Bill becoming a much-needed law for all victims, and I sincerely thank all hon. Members who have spoken, particularly my hon. Friends the Members for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (Lorraine Beaver…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. This Bill goes beyond party politics; this is a Bill, as I have said, for victims. It has been a sincere pleasure to work across political divides to get this right for victims, who are rightly at the heart of the Bill. I have always stated that I will work with anyone from …”

“The negative procedure strikes the right balance. It ensures that regulations are laid before Parliament; that they are subject to scrutiny, including from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee; and that they may be challenged, debated and annulled where concerns arise. It gives Parliament a clear mechanism to i…”

“I will be attending.”

“Lords amendment 4C would make any regulations to set the rates at which private prosecutors can recover costs from central funds subject to the affirmative, rather than negative, procedure. I fully recognise the desire for parliamentary scrutiny, and the Government are committed to ensuring that any use of this power i…”

“I appreciate that clarification. The hon. Gentleman is correct, but Lords amendment 5C does much more than that, through listening to victims campaigners such as Tracey Hanson and Katie Brett directly. The measure is a direct tribute to them, because for them the status quo was neither fair nor acceptable. I would also…”

“I want to thank peers in the other place for their careful consideration of clause 12. We understand that these amendments seek transparency and scrutiny of any regulations that set the rates at which private prosecutors can recover costs from central funds. However, the Government are unable to accept the amendments o…”

“At this stage, Parliament is conferring an enabling power. We do not yet know how complex or detailed the eventual structure of the rates will be. In these circumstances, it would be disproportionate to mandate a process that risks lengthy debate, using up valuable parliamentary time over technical or numerical detail,…”

“Lords amendment 4B would require the Ministry of Justice to publish an impact assessment before making any regulations. The Government fully recognise the importance of transparency. However, we do not consider that this amendment is appropriately framed in its drafting for the established process. Nevertheless, we rec…”

“To Tracey and Katie, we again thank you for your engagement throughout this process. Tracey, many of the changes we see today have been achieved in no small part because of your tireless campaigning in memory of Josh. I also thank the Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Brinton and the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Bla…”

“Secondly, we will also introduce a statutory duty to notify victims of the existence of the unduly lenient sentence scheme. The victims code will ensure that those most impacted by the crime know their right to ask the Attorney General to consider referring a sentence review. Together, these two amendments deliver what…”

“Katie, I hope you will not mind me saying that I believe both your sister and your mother would be immensely proud of the determination and compassion that you have shown. You have had a big influence in ensuring that these measures exist, and I know that you will ensure that we deliver on them. I extend my thanks to m…”

“I am grateful once again to have the opportunity to speak on the Victims and Courts Bill. As I have said previously in this House, this is fundamentally a Bill for victims. Throughout the Bill’s passage, we have heard the experiences and views of victims and bereaved families and we have listened. I know for that fact …”

“I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s comments. I was not inadvertently misleading the House; if he looks at the details of Lords amendment 5C, he will see that that is not what it does. The amendment does not simply extend the time limit—it does much more—and it does not extend the time limit for everyone. As I will explain …”