Oral Question·Wales Office
“What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen Wales’s place in the Union.”
Tabled: 25 August 2026Answered: 2 September 2026
Asked by
Sir Desmond Swayne
Conservative — New Forest West
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Wales
Answer from Hansard
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Heidi Alexander)
The Government have made it clear that we are fully committed to bearing down on the Crown court caseload. To relieve pressure on Ipswich Crown court in particular, the south-east region has begun sending appropriate cases to Cambridge Crown court for hearing. Nationally, we have increased the number of Crown court sitting days to 106,500, which is 500 more than agreed by the previous Lord Chancellor.