00:00On the 23rd of December 24, my constituent Aaron Jones was killed in a hit and run whilst walking his
00:07dog.
00:08The perpetrator was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
00:12Two weeks ago, his widow Lisa received a letter from the Ministry of Justice informing her of sentence changes under
00:19the Sentencing Act of 2026.
00:22But she'll have to wait until the end of August to know whether the man who took her husband's life
00:27will be released earlier than expected.
00:30Does the Leader of the House agree that this uncertainty only brings further distress to victims' families?
00:37Will he grant a debate in government time to ensure that the Act is implemented with the required sensitivity and
00:44the safety and well-being of survivors at its forefront?
00:49Mr Speaker, I understand the sensitivity of this and the distress that not only the death of Mr Jones but
00:55also what has happened since must bring to the family.
00:58These are difficult decisions but I understand the point about assurances as far as it can be given to families.
01:05I hope that the Ministry of Justice has heard this and I will raise it directly with them.
01:10If the Honourable Lady seeks in a German debate to hear from a Minister how else this can be strengthened,
01:15I think that would be appropriate.
01:16But let's be clear, this needs to be a part of every process, not just individual cases.
01:22It needs to be a cultural shift in how we deal with these matters.
01:25It just didn't matter.
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