Part of Justice – in the House of Commons at on 17 March 2026.
Alex Davies-Jones
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
I thank my hon. Friend for that important question. I hope that I can also respond to the comments made by the Father of the House in the previous question; I, too, want to pay tribute to my hon. Friend Charlotte Nichols for her brave testimony in the debate last week. It is exactly those experiences that this Government are improving by introducing Operation Soteria in our courtrooms, expanding the use of specialist measures, introducing independent legal advisers and consulting on a new victims code. When we came into office we said that we would reform the criminal justice system to put victims back at the heart of it, and that is exactly what this Government are doing.
The title Father of the House is given to the MP with the longest unbroken service in the House of Commons.
The most important duty of the Father of the House is to preside over the election of a new speaker should that office be vacant at the beginning of a Parliament.
A minister is never considered the Father of the House, even if that minister is more senior than any other MP.