Found: Furthermore, until the court finding of domestic abuse – as introduced by the Sentencing Act 2026

Found: insufficient, they may commit the defendant to the Crown Court for sentence under s.14 of the Sentencing Act

Found: Now the Sentencing Act has passed there is still a lot of detailed work to do to implement the reforms

Found: Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2026 S.I. 2026/86 The Sentencing Act

Found: Letter from the Minister for Border Security and Asylum relating to the Sentencing Act FNO provisions

Found: Through the Sentencing Act 2026, we will implement a new, comprehensive release framework which will

Found: Reforms introduced through the Sentencing Act 2026, including a presumption to suspend short custodial

Found: Court, 13 January 22 Letter from Mike Freer MP to Sir Robert Neill MP, dated 20 March 2023: Sentencing Act

Found: Given that the Sentencing Act is now in place, we would welcome prompt clarification as to how the

Found: Through the Sentencing Act 2026, we will implement a new, comprehensive release framework which will

Found: The Sentencing Act 2020 covers hostility based on protected characteristics.

Found: Reforms introduced through the Sentencing Act 2026, including a presumption to suspend short custodial

Found: 1986, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (CDA 1998), the Football (Offences) Act 1991 and the Sentencing Act

Found: Act 1986, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (CDA 1998), the Football (Offences) Act 1991 and the Sentencing Act

Found: detention) in s.288(3)(ea) of AFA06, with the correct power - paragraph 13 of Schedule 16 to the Sentencing Act

Found: Installations (Prescribed Conditions and Excepted Matter) Regulations 2025 S.I. 2025/1207 The Sentencing Act

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of prison overcrowding on a) prison safety and b) rehabilitation outcomes.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The safety and decency of our prisons is paramount. We continually monitor prison conditions and take places on and offline depending on safety, stability, staffing levels and maintenance needs.

We recognise that overcrowding can make it harder for prisons to deliver safe, stable and rehabilitative regimes and we will not take decisions that create unacceptable risks to prison safety.

That is why we are increasing capacity at record rates, and our Sentencing Act will place the prison population on a more sustainable footing, paving the way for further reform of our prison systems so we can create better conditions and outcomes for our prisoners.

We are also improving access to rehabilitative services and purposeful activity and are increasing staff capability to support improved rehabilitation outcomes. We are strengthening safety and security by investing around £15 million in protective equipment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a specific criminal offence of assaulting a public transport worker at work.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker; everyone should feel safe and be safe whilst working. The Government values the commitment of everyone who works in the public transport sector ensuring the continued running of all the vital services which many people rely on daily.

The Government is not looking to introduce a specific criminal offence of assaulting a public transport worker as we do not believe it would result in the intended objective of reducing the number of assaults. Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022.

We are working with the transport industry to ensure that practical interventions are being taken to make workers to feel safe. This includes encouraging greater use of Body Worn Video (BWV) by rail staff and through the Bus Services Act 2025, we are mandating training for staff on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport where it is safe to do so.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of gender on (a) custodial sentence length and (b) rates of reoffending.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.

Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.

The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.

The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment he has made of custodial sentencing rates between male and female offenders for comparable offences.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.

Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.

The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.

The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure sentencing is equitable across genders.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.

Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.

The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.

The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the women’s local data resources published by the Prison Reform Trust, what steps they are taking to address the regional disparities in the use of imprisonment for women.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the courts.

This Government has set a clear goal to reduce the number of women going to prison, with more managed in the community. The Sentencing Act represents a generational shift in reforming sentencing, offender management, and community supervision. The presumption for courts to suspend short custodial sentences, along with the increased use of suspended sentences, and increased flexibility to defer a sentence for longer, is expected to reduce the number of women going to prison.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on electronic monitoring contracts in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The spend on electronic monitoring contracts in each of the last five financial years is presented in the table below:

The total number of individuals with an electronic monitoring device assigned at 31 December 2025 was 28,111. This figure comes from the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication: (Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, December 2025 - GOV.UK).

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-december-2025

The cost per tag information is commercially sensitive. The Ministry of Justice believes that releasing information on device costs would prejudice, or likely prejudice Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring’s (the provider of the monitoring equipment) commercial interests.

The latest assessment of average running costs per offender per year is £3,130 – related to direct EM costs only. That figure includes contracted out and internal costs but does not include the average cost of a probation or police officer supervising an individual with EM.

Tagging is a critical tool for punishing and monitoring offenders outside of prison which is why we are already tagging more offenders than ever before and will increase numbers further through the Sentencing Act.

For information relating to the additional supervision costs of managing an individual with EM please refer to the following answer: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost is per electronic monitoring tag; and what the running costs are of those tags.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The spend on electronic monitoring contracts in each of the last five financial years is presented in the table below:

The total number of individuals with an electronic monitoring device assigned at 31 December 2025 was 28,111. This figure comes from the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication: (Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, December 2025 - GOV.UK).

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-december-2025

The cost per tag information is commercially sensitive. The Ministry of Justice believes that releasing information on device costs would prejudice, or likely prejudice Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring’s (the provider of the monitoring equipment) commercial interests.

The latest assessment of average running costs per offender per year is £3,130 – related to direct EM costs only. That figure includes contracted out and internal costs but does not include the average cost of a probation or police officer supervising an individual with EM.

Tagging is a critical tool for punishing and monitoring offenders outside of prison which is why we are already tagging more offenders than ever before and will increase numbers further through the Sentencing Act.

For information relating to the additional supervision costs of managing an individual with EM please refer to the following answer: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many electronic monitoring tags are in use.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The spend on electronic monitoring contracts in each of the last five financial years is presented in the table below:

The total number of individuals with an electronic monitoring device assigned at 31 December 2025 was 28,111. This figure comes from the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication: (Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, December 2025 - GOV.UK).

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-december-2025

The cost per tag information is commercially sensitive. The Ministry of Justice believes that releasing information on device costs would prejudice, or likely prejudice Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring’s (the provider of the monitoring equipment) commercial interests.

The latest assessment of average running costs per offender per year is £3,130 – related to direct EM costs only. That figure includes contracted out and internal costs but does not include the average cost of a probation or police officer supervising an individual with EM.

Tagging is a critical tool for punishing and monitoring offenders outside of prison which is why we are already tagging more offenders than ever before and will increase numbers further through the Sentencing Act.

For information relating to the additional supervision costs of managing an individual with EM please refer to the following answer: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission a study into the impact and consequences of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, as recommended in the Independent Sentencing Review 2025, published on 22 May 2025.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) published its findings on 22 May 2025, and the previous Lord Chancellor welcomed the recommendations and accepted the majority of them in principle. The Sentencing Act takes forward many of the ISR recommendations and it received royal assent on 22 January, and the first tranche of measures will come into effect on 22 March. We are continuing to consider how we take forward the ISR's recommendations that do not require legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of courts using Community Orders under the Sentencing Framework on re-offending rates in the last two years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The reoffending rates for adults with an index disposal of a community order was 36.4% in 2022/23 and 38.0% in 2023/24. The data can be found in the latest proven reoffending statistics release, in the annual tables here, in table C1a.

Studies have found that short custodial sentences of less than 12 months were associated with higher reoffending rates (approximately 4 percentage points higher) than when court orders of any length had been given (which includes both community orders and suspended sentence orders).

However, it is essential that community punishment works. The Sentencing Act 2026 includes a range of measures to make community punishment tougher. These include banning offenders from attending pubs, bars and clubs, as well as public events such as sports and concerts. The courts will also be able to prohibit an offender from driving as a punishment regardless of the offence they have committed. We have also introduced new tough restriction zones which will restrict offenders to a specific geographical area. These will be electronically monitored and are intended to serve not just as a punishment, but as an important tool to protect victims.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of prison recalls following implementation of the Sentencing Act 2026.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Further work is underway to understand how best we can support practitioners in safely managing risk in the community. This will inform future options to ensure recall continues to be used proportionately, to support both public protection and rehabilitation.

We are also looking at our approach to recall across the prison estate, including how the 56-day recall period can be used more purposefully in custody, alongside gathering learning from regional initiatives to safely reduce recalls and strengthen pre-release and release-day support. This work will support our cross-government commitment to halve the proportion of offenders on probation who become homeless on their first night out of prison; and shape future options for a more consistent, end-to-end, and evidence-based approach to recall across the estate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve probation services.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

A package of measures has been announced to continue rebuilding the Probation Service, reflecting the Government’s commitment to strengthening probation services and improving public protection. By the final year of the spending review period, funding for probation and community services will increase by up to £700 million, an increase of around 45%.

Recruitment and training of staff remain high priorities, to ensure we have a sufficient workforce to safely supervise and manage people in the community. And we are recruiting more probation officers. The Probation Service exceeded our 2024-25 trainee target of 1,000, successfully onboarding 1,057 trainees and we have committed to onboarding a further 1,300 trainees in 2025/26.

Through the Our Future Probation Service (OFPS) Programme we will address the imbalance between capacity and workload, by reducing probation workloads by 25% by April 2027. We will achieve this by streamlining processes, reducing administrative tasks, and ensuring staff time is focused where it can have the greatest impact.

We are developing better digital tools to reduce the administrative burden at multiple stages of the probation journey, allowing probation practitioners to focus on public protection and rehabilitation. For example, we have developed Justice Transcribe, an AI-powered tool that takes meeting audio and turns into an accurate summary. This is done in minutes, and it cuts the time spent on writing up notes by more than 70%. Practitioners have reported reduced stress, increased confidence and more time to focus on people on probation, public safety and decision-making rather than administration.

Probation will prioritise supervision in the critical period after release – when offenders are most likely to reoffend – and focus resources on those who pose the highest risk. The Sentencing Act 2026 introduces several measures to streamline processes and enable probation to focus their efforts where they matter most to protect the public. The Government is also investing in expanded monitoring and introducing new restrictive licence conditions to further strengthen probation’s ability to monitor and manage serious offenders in the community.

Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) are specialist interventions delivered in partnership with private, voluntary and community organisations to support individuals under probation supervision, or on license following release from custody. They address key rehabilitative needs that, if unmet, increase the risk of reoffending and are designed to complement and improve access to mainstream services such as housing, healthcare, and local authority support. New contracts will go live in summer 2027 (Men) and Autumn 2028 (Women) which will further enhance the service offering including person-centred, strengths-based services with enhanced community links to connect offenders to new opportunities and social networks; enhanced custodial delivery; and greater focus on outcomes including distance-travelled.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take legislative steps through the Sentencing Bill to toughen fines and sentences for people convicted of the assault of retail workers.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Sentencing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 22 January 2026 and is therefore not open to further amendment. However, the Government is taking additional steps to strengthen protections for retail workers through the Crime and Policing Bill. It is unacceptable that violence and abuse towards retail workers continues to rise. That is why, through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. This bespoke offence will send a clear signal to perpetrators that assaults on retail workers are unacceptable and won’t go unpunished.

The Crime and Policing Bill also ensures that all shop theft is treated with the seriousness it deserves by repealing section 22A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, so low value shop theft (of £200 or less) is no longer treated separately as a summary-only offence, but can instead be prosecuted as general theft, which carries a higher maximum penalty. Together, these measures further reinforce the Government’s commitment to tackling violence, abuse and criminality affecting retail staff.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help improve safety for the LGBT+ community.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to ensuring that LGBT+ people are safe, supported and able to live their lives free from discrimination, prejudice and hate.

As set out in our manifesto, we are expanding the aggravated offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 so that crimes motivated by hostility towards a person’s sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability attract tougher penalties, in line with existing aggravated offences for race and religion.

As my Hon. friend Dame Diana Johnson confirmed at Commons Report Stage on 18 June, the Government will implement this through an amendment in the Lords to the Crime and Policing Bill.

Through the Sentencing Act 2020, courts already apply enhanced sentencing where there is evidence of hostility based on sexual orientation or transgender identity. The expansion of aggravated offences will further reinforce the seriousness with which these crimes are treated, ensuring perpetrators face longer sentences and communities are better protected.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment has she made of the adequacy of penalties for those who have committed crimes related to wildlife.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Wildlife crime is unacceptable and significant sanctions are already available for judges to hand down to those convicted of such crimes. Anyone who commits an offence under existing legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 could face up to a six-month custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine. Sentencing of those convicted of wildlife crimes remains a matter for judges, and these decisions are rightly taken independently of the Government.

In addition, while the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 protects animals that are commonly domesticated, it can extend to wildlife as it prohibits causing unnecessary suffering to wild animals under human control, for example when they are held in a hand or caught live in a trap. Under this Act the maximum sentence for animal cruelty is five years, which is equal to the highest penalty in the world for such crimes. In the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy published in December 2025, a commitment was made to review and look to strengthen penalties for cruelty against wildlife more generally so that a disparity is addressed and they are consistent with the higher levels of sentencing available for animal welfare offences against pets, livestock and wild animals when under human control.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Government action to avert summer prison disaster, published on 29 January 2026, what steps he has taken to help ensure that changes to sentencing do not adversely impact (a) public safety and (b) offender rehabilitation.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The greatest risk to public safely is the risk of not being able to lock up dangerous offenders. Without the Sentencing Act, which received Royal Assent on 22 January, the country would have completely run out of prison places as early as June this year. This Government’s decisive action has safeguarded the police, courts, and wider criminal justice system, and avoided a potentially catastrophic breakdown of law and order.

Public protection is our main priority, and many offenders will still go to prison, some for a very long time. Where offenders are on licence, in the community, we are imposing more intensive supervision, including ramped up tagging. We are also introducing new restriction zones for the most serious offenders, locking them down to a specific area.

We are prioritising rehabilitation of offenders: evidence shows that short prison sentences exacerbate issues with employment, housing, and maintaining family ties, without allowing sufficient time for offenders to access effective rehabilitative services. Whereas suspended sentence orders give offenders a chance to stay in work, keep stable housing, and access support, all of which help reduce repeat offending and support rehabilitation.

To support rehabilitation and managing offenders in the community, this Government is rebuilding the probation service, increasing investment by up to £700 million by 2028/29, a 45% increase.

We are creating a tougher, smarter system that protects the public and supports rehabilitation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department's amendment of Section 288(2) of the Sentencing Code will take effect.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Sentencing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 22 January 2026. This measure commences automatically 2 months after Royal Assent, on 22 March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed change to standard recall length, from the current 28 days to 56 days, on pregnant women and mothers of dependent children.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Recall is a last resort for cases where risk in the community becomes unmanageable.

The Department published an Equalities Impact Statement alongside the Sentencing Act, which can be found here: Sentencing Bill equalities statement.

It was assessed that the Act’s recall measures will not disproportionately impact those with protected characteristics.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has conducted research into the potential impacts on long-term rehabilitation of Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Section 67 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 requires the Secretary of State to prepare and publish an annual report about the steps taken to support the rehabilitation of IPP and Detention for Public Protection (DPP) offenders and their progress towards release from prison or licence termination and lay the report before Parliament.

Although there has not been research conducted in this area the Government published its latest IPP Annual Report on 17 July 2025, which included a commitment for HMPPS Psychology Services to complete a review of the Never Released IPP cohort. The review aims to ensure the current barriers to IPP progression are considered and services reviewed relating to these findings to support IPP progression. We will report on the outcome of this review in our next Annual Report, which is due to be published this summer.

The 2025 Annual Report also contained a refreshed version of the IPP Action Plan, which includes measurable targets to ensure transparency and accountability.

Through the IPP Action Plan we have significantly improved support for those serving the IPP sentence, with greater access to rehabilitation and mental health support.

Changes we have made in the Sentencing Act 2026 will provide IPP offenders with an earlier opportunity for licence termination, whilst allowing suitable time for support and rehabilitation in the community and ensuring victims and the public are best protected from harm.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will consider the potential merits of retrospectively abolishing Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

It is right that the Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence was abolished. Public protection will always be the top priority and abolishing the IPP sentence retrospectively would result in prisoners being released whom the independent Parole Board has determined are too dangerous. This would pose an unacceptable risk of harm to victims and the public.

We are determined to support those serving IPP sentences, but not in a way that undermines public protection. This is why the Government made changes in the Sentencing Act 2026 to provide IPP offenders with an earlier opportunity for licence termination, whilst allowing suitable time for support and rehabilitation in the community and ensuring victims and the public are best protected from harm

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Free access to sentencing remarks for all victims, published on 19 January 2026, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of including free access for victims to judges' remarks on cases that result in acquittal.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on (a) the amounts victims of crime have paid to obtain sentencing remarks, (b) the number of victims who have withdrawn their request, or (c) the reasons for any withdrawal.

Currently, bereaved families of homicide victims and victims of rape and other sexual offences are eligible to apply for a free transcript of the relevant sentencing remarks. This provision is being expanded to all victims where the case in question was sentenced in the Crown Court, through the Sentencing Act. Sentencing remarks were selected for this provision as they provide a clear summary of the case and explain how the trial outcome was reached. Extending free provision to cases resulting in an acquittal is not possible as there would be no equivalent to sentencing remarks to transcribe and provide.

We continue to work closely with the judiciary and criminal justice partners to ensure victims are provided with clear, accessible information at every stage of the process, including where a defendant is acquitted. This includes through existing channels such as Witness Care Units, who hold a responsibility under Right 9 of the Victims Code to update victims on the outcome of the case or trial including, where available, a brief summary of reasons for the decision.

Expansion of free provision to summary remarks in the magistrates’ courts is not currently under consideration. As trial and sentencing proceedings in the magistrates’ courts are not currently recorded, transcripts cannot be provided either through payment or free of charge. This is being kept under review as the system moves towards the recording of magistrates’ proceedings.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled ‘Free access to sentencing remarks for all victims’ published on 19 January 2026, whether his Department has any plans to extend free access for victims to judge's remarks to cases heard in magistrates courts.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on (a) the amounts victims of crime have paid to obtain sentencing remarks, (b) the number of victims who have withdrawn their request, or (c) the reasons for any withdrawal.

Currently, bereaved families of homicide victims and victims of rape and other sexual offences are eligible to apply for a free transcript of the relevant sentencing remarks. This provision is being expanded to all victims where the case in question was sentenced in the Crown Court, through the Sentencing Act. Sentencing remarks were selected for this provision as they provide a clear summary of the case and explain how the trial outcome was reached. Extending free provision to cases resulting in an acquittal is not possible as there would be no equivalent to sentencing remarks to transcribe and provide.

We continue to work closely with the judiciary and criminal justice partners to ensure victims are provided with clear, accessible information at every stage of the process, including where a defendant is acquitted. This includes through existing channels such as Witness Care Units, who hold a responsibility under Right 9 of the Victims Code to update victims on the outcome of the case or trial including, where available, a brief summary of reasons for the decision.

Expansion of free provision to summary remarks in the magistrates’ courts is not currently under consideration. As trial and sentencing proceedings in the magistrates’ courts are not currently recorded, transcripts cannot be provided either through payment or free of charge. This is being kept under review as the system moves towards the recording of magistrates’ proceedings.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of victims of crime who withdrew their request for a copy of a judge's sentencing remarks due to the cost since 2020.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on (a) the amounts victims of crime have paid to obtain sentencing remarks, (b) the number of victims who have withdrawn their request, or (c) the reasons for any withdrawal.

Currently, bereaved families of homicide victims and victims of rape and other sexual offences are eligible to apply for a free transcript of the relevant sentencing remarks. This provision is being expanded to all victims where the case in question was sentenced in the Crown Court, through the Sentencing Act. Sentencing remarks were selected for this provision as they provide a clear summary of the case and explain how the trial outcome was reached. Extending free provision to cases resulting in an acquittal is not possible as there would be no equivalent to sentencing remarks to transcribe and provide.

We continue to work closely with the judiciary and criminal justice partners to ensure victims are provided with clear, accessible information at every stage of the process, including where a defendant is acquitted. This includes through existing channels such as Witness Care Units, who hold a responsibility under Right 9 of the Victims Code to update victims on the outcome of the case or trial including, where available, a brief summary of reasons for the decision.

Expansion of free provision to summary remarks in the magistrates’ courts is not currently under consideration. As trial and sentencing proceedings in the magistrates’ courts are not currently recorded, transcripts cannot be provided either through payment or free of charge. This is being kept under review as the system moves towards the recording of magistrates’ proceedings.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of crime paid (a) £40 and (b) more than £40 to access sentencing remarks since 2020.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on (a) the amounts victims of crime have paid to obtain sentencing remarks, (b) the number of victims who have withdrawn their request, or (c) the reasons for any withdrawal.

Currently, bereaved families of homicide victims and victims of rape and other sexual offences are eligible to apply for a free transcript of the relevant sentencing remarks. This provision is being expanded to all victims where the case in question was sentenced in the Crown Court, through the Sentencing Act. Sentencing remarks were selected for this provision as they provide a clear summary of the case and explain how the trial outcome was reached. Extending free provision to cases resulting in an acquittal is not possible as there would be no equivalent to sentencing remarks to transcribe and provide.

We continue to work closely with the judiciary and criminal justice partners to ensure victims are provided with clear, accessible information at every stage of the process, including where a defendant is acquitted. This includes through existing channels such as Witness Care Units, who hold a responsibility under Right 9 of the Victims Code to update victims on the outcome of the case or trial including, where available, a brief summary of reasons for the decision.

Expansion of free provision to summary remarks in the magistrates’ courts is not currently under consideration. As trial and sentencing proceedings in the magistrates’ courts are not currently recorded, transcripts cannot be provided either through payment or free of charge. This is being kept under review as the system moves towards the recording of magistrates’ proceedings.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Rail Delivery Group, Network Rail and British Transport Police on the potential merits of a standalone offence of assaulting a public transport worker.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. Public transport workers and the wider public should be assured that where offenders commit acts of violence they will be arrested and brought before the courts. The railway has its own dedicated police force in the British Transport Police (BTP), to protect rail staff and passengers.

Officials from my Department engage regularly with Rail Delivery Group, Network Rail and BTP, and have highlighted that public transport workers already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022. We do not consider that a standalone offence is necessary, or will have the desired outcome of reducing assaults.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal protections against assaults at work for public transport workers.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. Public transport workers and the wider public should be assured that where offenders commit acts of violence they will be arrested and brought before the courts. The British Transport Police have a specific remit to protect all rail staff and passengers.

Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022. We therefore do not believe that any further legal protections are necessary or would reduce assaults.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a standalone offence of assaulting a public transport worker.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. Public transport workers and the wider public should be assured that where offenders commit acts of violence they will be arrested and brought before the courts. The British Transport Police have a specific remit to protect all rail staff and passengers.

Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022. We therefore do not believe that creating a specific offence would have the intended purpose of reducing assaults.

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Found: regulations”. (2)S.I. 2005/3361, amended by section 410 and paragraph 343 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Found: Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11). (25)S.I. 2011/1830, as amended by paragraph 446 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Found: of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019(9) (knife crime prevention order), (vii)section 331 of the Sentencing Act

Found: “appropriate Minister” as including the Secretary of State. (2)2018 c. 13, as amended by the Sentencing Act

We call on the Government to review the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act to introduce stricter mandatory minimum sentences for animal cruelty and abandonment. We also request the creation of a national database of offenders to prevent them from acquiring animals in the future.

Found: We call on the Government to review the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act to introduce stricter mandatory

Found: Sentencing Act 2026 (c. 2)

Found: We are entering a crucial period as the implementation of the Sentencing Act reforms begins.

Found: The Sentencing Act 2026 establishes a package of amendments to the Bail Act 1976 to help reduce the prison

Found: which come into force from 26 March, will bring Immigration Rules in line with reforms in the Sentencing Act

Found: Through the Sentencing Act, we have already taken a major first step: Once implemented, it will mean

Found: Published today (29 January), new projections show that without the Government’s Sentencing Act – which

Found: Sentencing Act ensuring punishment cuts crime gets Royal Assent

Found: act 1978 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 criminal justice act 1988 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 sentencing act

Found: protection of children act 1978 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 criminal justice act 1988 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 sentencing act

Found: England and WalesTable 7Offender outcomes for repeat possession offences under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act

Found: note that it is not possible to replicate published figures on cases under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act

Found: Minimum custodial sentences The Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 introduced minimum

Found: refusal in line with the changes to the duty to deport Foreign National Offenders included in the Sentencing Act

Found: refusal in line with the changes to the duty to deport Foreign National Offenders included in the Sentencing Act

Found: refusal in line with the changes to the duty to deport Foreign National Offenders included in the Sentencing Act

Found: refusal in line with the changes to the duty to deport Foreign National Offenders included in the Sentencing Act

Found: triable either-way offence were varied between 6 and 12 months (using the varying power in the Sentencing Act

Found: Through the Sentencing Act 2026, we have already taken a major step forward - for the first time in

Found: either-way offences are governed by the general limit set under paragraph 14A of Schedule 23 to the Sentencing Act

Found: The Sentencing Act 2026 also includes a measure to enable earlier removal of Foreign National Offenders

Found: This requirement was widened through the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act (CTSA) 2021, which expanded

Found: Government commissioned the Independent Sentencing Review into prison overcrowding, with the Sentencing Act

Found: Through the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act (CTSA) 2021, the 2007 Act was amended to enable chief

Found: Government does not deem a community resolution appropriate for a knife possession offence. 13 Sentencing Act

Found: For the purposes of section 44A(5) of the Police, Crime and Sentencing Act 2022, the specified counselling

Found: We are entering a crucial period as the implementation of the Sentencing Act reforms begins.

Found: Crown Court: Representation Order Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 Part 1A of Schedule

Found: Published today (29 January), new projections show that without the Government’s Sentencing Act – which

Found: Government commissioned the Independent Sentencing Review into prison overcrowding, with the Sentencing Act

Found: a result of the Spending Review (SR), Independent Review of Sentencing (IRS) and subsequent Sentencing Act

Found: These include anyone convicted of murder and any violent offences as set out in the Sentencing Act 2020

Found: Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11). (24)S.I. 2011/1830, amended by paragraph 446 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Found: Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11). (24)S.I. 2011/1830, amended by paragraph 446 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Found: Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11). (25)S.I. 2011/1830, as amended by paragraph 446 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Found: (2)(a) of the Sentencing Code (breach of criminal behaviour order); Section 354(4)(a) of the Sentencing Act

Found: intimate photograph or film shared temporarily : An amendment which amends section 154A of the Sentencing Act

Found: parliamentary debate, with the Official Opposition tabling amendments during the passage of the now Sentencing Act

Found: Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17) 12 The Sentencing Code is amended as follows. (1) (2) In Part 1 of Schedule

Found: further consequential amendment to the confiscation provisions in Schedule 1 8 arising from the Sentencing Act

Found: Government does not deem a community resolution appropriate for a knife possession offence. 13 Sentencing Act

Found: When the estimated impact of the Sentencing Act 2026 measures are factored in, our central projection

Found: The Sentencing Act 2026 also includes a measure to enable earlier removal of Foreign National Offenders

Found: a custodial sentence within the meaning of 20 section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: a custodial sentence within the meaning of 20 section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: served a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: a custodial sentence within the meaning of 20 section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: a custodial sentence within the meaning of 20 section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: serving a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: serving a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: serving a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: serving a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: the “applicable limit” set out in section 224(1A) (b) of the Sentencing Code, contained in the Sentencing Act

Found: reserved for only the most serious wrongdoing. 11.2 The Sentencing Code in P arts 2 to 13 of the Sentencing Act

Found: Do not include children detained under Sections 90 to 92 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: the time being speci fied by order under section 107(1)(e) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: the time being speci fied by order under section 107(1)(e) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act