Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of organised crime in North East Hertfordshire constituency.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The cost of organised crime is pervasive, whether this is impacting our economy or exploiting the vulnerable. This week the government has launched a crackdown on shops on our high streets, as part of Operation Machinize. These shops are fronts for serious organised crime, money laundering and illegal working, risking the future of the British High Street.
Law enforcement work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to dismantle criminal networks across the UK including in Hertfordshire, and relentlessly pursue those who use dirty money for personal gain.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people smugglers.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
People smuggling is a deplorable transnational crime, and anyone involved in this dangerous trade will face the full force of the law. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is nearing Royal Assent and will give law enforcement agencies the toughest powers yet to take down criminal smuggling gangs
The Bill will introduce new offences to help tackle offending, such as criminalising the creation of material advertising unlawful immigration services online, the endangerment offence, and the power to seize electronic devices. It will also implement interim Serious Crime Prevention Orders to disrupt and deter organised crime, including people smuggling.
Due to the cross-border nature of these crimes, international collaboration remains essential to disrupt criminal supply chains and networks. This Government is working hard to fix the borders crisis, which is why we agreed a landmark deal with France, where we have returned migrants, as well as increasing international cooperation with Germany and other countries. In line with this, the CPS has increased cooperation with international partners to improve information sharing and evidence gathering for prosecutions.
Asked by: Lorraine Beavers (Labour - Blackpool North and Fleetwood)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme can deliver justice for the victims of some of the most serious crimes, including murder and rape.
During 2024, my office dealt with requests to review 831 sentences. So far during 2025, we have already exceeded that figure, receiving 846 requests. Of those, 102 cases have been considered by the Court of Appeal, and in 59% of those cases the sentence has been increased.
The ULS scheme continues to be effective by allowing the public to have a voice in the sentencing of offenders, and helping victims of the most abhorrent crimes to receive justice.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to reports that a former client of the Attorney General, Mahdi Al Harati, is bringing legal proceeding against them, what steps they have taken to avoid any conflicts of interest arising in this case.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
It is an important legal principle, as confirmed by the Bar Council, that “barristers do not choose their clients, nor do they associate themselves with their clients’ opinions or behaviour by virtue of representing them”.
Law Officers, by their experience and professional nature have an extensive legal background and may have previously been involved in a wide number of past cases. That is why there is a robust system for considering and managing any conflicts that may arise, in line with the professional obligations of lawyers.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has an established and rigorous process for identifying and dealing with conflicts, and potential conflicts, that arise from the Law Officers’ past practice. That check will necessarily include consideration of matters in which a Law Officer was instructed before taking up their current role. That process sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict.
This rigorous process for identifying and managing conflicts sits alongside the system relating to ministerial interests, overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Both the Director General of the AGO and the Independent Adviser were provided with the Attorney General’s list of conflicts following his appointment.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many prosecutions for hate crime on the basis of (a) race, (b) religion, (c) disability, (d) sexual orientation and (e) transgender identity have been brought since 2023.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This Government is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes these cases robustly.
The below table shows the number of defendants prosecuted by the CPS since 2023 for hate crime offences based on (a) race, (b) religion, (c) disability, (d) sexual orientation and (e) transgender identity.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (January - June) | |
| Racist flagged hate crime prosecutions | 9,245 | 10,436 | 5,493 |
| Religious flagged hate crime prosecutions | 420 | 646 | 303 |
| Disability flagged hate crime prosecutions | 270 | 320 | 158 |
| Homophobic flagged hate crime prosecutions | 2,676 | 3,118 | 1,723 |
| Transphobic flagged hate crime prosecutions | 126 | 137 | 87 |
Date source: CPS Case Management Information System |
The total number of hate crime flagged defendants prosecuted by the CPS was 12,737 in 2023, 14,657 in 2024, and 7,764 during the period from January to June 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many prosecutions for hate crime offences have been brought since 2023.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This Government is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes these cases robustly.
The below table shows the number of defendants prosecuted by the CPS since 2023 for hate crime offences based on (a) race, (b) religion, (c) disability, (d) sexual orientation and (e) transgender identity.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (January - June) | |
| Racist flagged hate crime prosecutions | 9,245 | 10,436 | 5,493 |
| Religious flagged hate crime prosecutions | 420 | 646 | 303 |
| Disability flagged hate crime prosecutions | 270 | 320 | 158 |
| Homophobic flagged hate crime prosecutions | 2,676 | 3,118 | 1,723 |
| Transphobic flagged hate crime prosecutions | 126 | 137 | 87 |
Date source: CPS Case Management Information System |
The total number of hate crime flagged defendants prosecuted by the CPS was 12,737 in 2023, 14,657 in 2024, and 7,764 during the period from January to June 2025.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2025 to Question 68480 on Government Legal Service, if she will publish that guidance.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government Legal Department (GLD) received a request in July 2025 made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the guidance listed in the Answer to Question 68480. The GLD’s response to that request, which includes extracts of some of the guidance requested, is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f9fca6e200d653d8b636eb/FOI_25_159_Response_07-10-25_Redacted.pdf. The appendices to the response are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gld-policy-foi-releases.
The Attorney General’s Guidance on Legal Risk, published in November 2024, is publicly available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-attorney-generals-guidance-on-legal-risk.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how much her Department has spent on social media advertising by (a) influencer and (b) organisation in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The department has spent £0 on social media advertising in the last 5 financial years. All spend in these areas are subject to standard value for money assessments.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52361, whether her Department has had further discussions with the CPS on (a) the pilot scheme for Operation Soteria in CPS North East and (b) its rollout across the country.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This Government is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) plays a critical role in achieving this.
Operation Soteria, which concluded in November 2023, was an ambitious joint policing-CPS programme aimed at transforming the investigation and prosecution of adult rape cases.
Operation Soteria informed the launch of the CPS’ National Operating Model for Adult Rape Prosecution (NOM) in July 2023. It sets out a consistent national approach to adult rape prosecutions, built around a suspect-focused, victim-centred, and context-led approach to case building. It includes new processes and guidance materials, bespoke training, and the recruitment of additional prosecutors and operational staff. Every component of the NOM has now been rolled out nationally to the CPS’ specialist Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Units.
Since the NOM’s launch, there have been significant increases in the volume of police referrals, suspects charged, and court receipts for adult rape cases. For example, between Q1 2023/24 (the last quarter before the launch of NOM) and Q1 2025/26 (the CPS' most recent published data), the number of completed prosecutions for adult rape flagged cases has increased by 37%.
However, the CPS recognises the need to maintain momentum and is currently implementing a new Rape Action Plan to ensure every decision in rape cases is robust, every prosecutor is supported, and every victim can have confidence in the justice process.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52361 on Gender Based Violence: Prosecutions, whether her Department has had further discussions on the application of the Crown Prosecution Service Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan to rural areas.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Domestic abuse causes severe and lasting harm to victims. Bringing perpetrators of these crimes to justice, whether committed in our cities, towns or rural areas, is a core priority for this Government and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
In collaboration with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the CPS launched the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan (DA JJP) to improve the collective response to the investigation and prosecution of domestic abuse cases across England and Wales.
The DA JJP has strengthened joint working with policing – building stronger cases from the outset and increasing access to justice for victims nationally and locally. The work is already showing positive results – referrals volumes from Northumbria Police have increased by nearly 18.4% since the plan was launched, demonstrating that significant progress has been made.
Recognising different local needs, the plan provides strategic direction rather than prescribing local activity. CPS Areas and police forces have worked together to tailor the plan to address local priorities and community needs – including those in rural areas.
A key outcome of the DA JJP is building expertise across both the CPS and policing. To support this, there is a joint knowledge sharing event on ‘Domestic Abuse in Rural Areas’ planned for the new year. This coordinated approach is key to breaking cycles of abuse, securing prosecutions, and ensuring that victims are heard, protected, and supported throughout the justice process.