Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it his policy to establish an independent body to administer compensation following miscarriages of justice.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Under the statutory scheme set out in section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, the Secretary of State for Justice is responsible for considering applications for compensation in cases of miscarriages of justice in England and Wales, subject to specific criteria. Where an individual meets the criteria, an Independent Assessor has discretion in determining the amount awarded, in accordance with the statute. Given this established process, as agreed by Parliament, there are currently no plans to create an independent body to administer compensation following miscarriages of justice.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will publish a timeline for the Law Commission of England and Wales’s review of the homicide law.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Law Commission is independent of Government and responsible for the review of homicide law and sentencing for murder, including publishing their proposed timeline. The Government understands, however, that the Law Commission intends to publish a timeline for their homicide review imminently.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy for courts to prioritise cases involving grooming.

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

The listing of cases is a judicial function, and as such, prioritisation and scheduling decisions are the responsibility of judges. In practice, the judiciary generally lists cases to give priority to those with vulnerable parties and witnesses.

The Government continues work to deliver meaningful change for victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls to Parliament on 8 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation. The statement can be found here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-04-08/debates/4FDDC9A4-1AC6-4F34-8E6B-3DF6CC2C981A/TacklingChildSexualAbuse?highlight=tackling#contribution-A9A86425-75DF-4AD4-815E-46755043F5C2.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases where legal aid was obtained to appeal against requests for release of the costs of legal aid to be made public remain not concluded since 2019.

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

The requested information is not centrally held.

It is unclear what types of ‘appeal’ are being referred to. It has been interpreted to be a reference to appeals to the General Regulatory Chamber against decisions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release information relating to legal aid expenditure.

Such appeals are not within the scope of legal aid funding in accordance with Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. To the extent that legal aid for these appeals may be granted under the provision for Exceptional Case Funding they would be recorded as ‘miscellaneous’ cases on the Legal Aid Agency’s database.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to review its contract with The Big Word Interpreting Services Ltd for (a) service quality and (b) value for money; and how her Department monitors the performance of that contract.

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

The Ministry of Justice routinely reviews all its contracts to ensure service quality and value for money.

The contract with The Big Word for the provision of interpretation and translation services is subject to ongoing performance monitoring and governance. Service quality is assessed against a set of key performance indicators (KPIs), including interpreter attendance rates, fulfilment levels, and customer satisfaction.

Failure to meet KPIs is addressed via the application of service credits (a deduction to the invoiced amount calculated via a prescribed formula in the contract). Reasons for KPI failure are discussed with the supplier as part of routine contract management to ensure any barriers to performance are addressed, or a plan is put in place to mitigate.

Performance data is reviewed monthly, and The Big Word is required to provide regular management information and attend contract review meetings. Recent published data, available on GOV.UK, shows that The Big Word consistently meets the majority of contractual KPIs, with fulfilment rates above 95% in most categories.

The Ministry of Justice regularly and continually evaluates the service performance, identifying improvements that can be implemented within our existing contracts. The Department is also mindful of the need to ensure value for money for the taxpayer. We have recently introduced an increase to a two hour minimum face to face booking (from 1 hour), negotiated with our suppliers and implemented in October 2024 which has contributed to an improvement in service performance, with the most recent data, published on 25 March 2025, showing an increase in success rate to 96%.

The service is currently undergoing a re-procurement in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, and aims to ensure a competitive, high-quality, and value-for-money solution for future language service needs. As part of this re-procurement, a benchmarking exercise was conducted against other government departments to compare value for money, and a lessons learned was conducted on improvements to the quality of services.

The Department remains committed to delivering accessible justice by maintaining high standards in interpretation and translation services across the justice system.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were not notified before prisoners who perpetrated crimes against them were released early under the SDS40 scheme.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.

The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme is a service for the victims of offenders who are convicted of specified violent, sexual or terrorism offences and are sentenced to twelve months or more imprisonment. The Victim Notification Scheme provides a similar service for victims of certain stalking and harassment offences. Both Schemes allow for the Probation Service to notify eligible victims of information about an offender’s sentence.

When SDS40 was introduced, for those eligible victims who opted into the Schemes, the Probation Service provided information on the SDS40 changes, including the offender’s new release date and how to access support services. Eligible victims continue to receive key information about the offender in their case, including when the offender is recalled to custody.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the merits of a national older offender strategy to address the health needs of the ageing prison population.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Independent Sentencing Review considered issues relating to older cohorts including older prisoners as part of its remit. We have accepted in principle the vast majority of the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendations and we will work with partners and the sector as we develop our approach.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many females have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for unlawful abortion in England and Wales in each of the last ten years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions across England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

The offences that constitute unlawful abortion include procuring an illegal abortion under sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as well as child destruction under section 1 of the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. Information on the number of males and females who were proceeded against and convicted for these offences is available within the published data and can be accessed by filtering the ‘overall volumes’ dataset by sex. This data is held on a principal-offence basis and therefore reports information relating to the most serious offence that a defendant was dealt for.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many males have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for unlawful abortions in England and Wales in each of the last ten years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions across England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

The offences that constitute unlawful abortion include procuring an illegal abortion under sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as well as child destruction under section 1 of the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. Information on the number of males and females who were proceeded against and convicted for these offences is available within the published data and can be accessed by filtering the ‘overall volumes’ dataset by sex. This data is held on a principal-offence basis and therefore reports information relating to the most serious offence that a defendant was dealt for.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to introduce mandatory prison sentences for people convicted of drug driving offences in cases where no accident has occurred.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out next steps on this in due course.

While independent judges decide sentences, we are committed to making sure the courts have the sentencing powers to ensure punishments fit the severity of the crime.

Provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (the Act) increased the maximum penalty from 14 years’ imprisonment to life for the offences of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, and causing death by dangerous driving.

We continue to work alongside the Department for Transport to ensure sentencing law for driving offences is appropriate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many permanent civil servants in her Department are staff without assigned posts; and how many are placed in an equivalent (a) people action team, (b) priority movers list, (c) redeployment register, (d) talent pool and (e) skills match hub in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

At any point in time, there is likely to be a small number of individuals who have been displaced due to restructures within their business units or, for example, have returned from a loan from another department and their role no longer exists. The exact number changes on a day-to-day basis.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate her Department has made of the amount spent on providing (a) football, (b) pool, (c) table-tennis, (d) gym, (e) running, (f) yoga, (g) chess and (h) other sporting activities in prisons in the last year.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

H M Prison and Probation Service recognises the importance physical activity plays in the overall well-being of prisoners and the effect sport, exercise and movement can have on supporting other programmes designed to reduce offending behaviour.

Data on the amount spent in providing the activities specified are not held centrally, and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Legal Aid Agency paid in fees to (a) Kingsley Napley LLP, (b) Leigh Day LLP, (c) Wilson Solicitors LLP, (d) Bindmans LLP and (e) Duncan Lewis LLP in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23, (iii) 2023-24 and (iv) 2024-25.

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

The requested information for financial years 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-24 can be found in the table below:

Information relating to closed case expenditure in legal aid funded cases is published on a quarterly basis as part of the Legal Aid Agency’s Official Statistics. Data relating to financial year 24-25 is due for publication on June 2026.

Information broken down by financial year, legal aid provider, and type of legal aid can be viewed on the Provider explorer dashboard of the Legal aid provider completions and starts statistics data visualisation tool.

Please note that Kingsley Napley LLP no longer hold a legal aid contract. The firm withdrew from its criminal legal aid contract on 15 September 2023 and its civil legal aid contract on 31 August 2024. Expenditure in subsequent years represents bills paid relating to work carried out whilst the contract was live.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many trials have been fully adjourned due to contractors failing to deliver prisoners to trial in each region in 2025.

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

We have interpreted your question to mean ineffective trials that do not start on their intended start date and need rescheduling. Trials can become ineffective for many reasons – due to the action or inaction of the parties or the courts. Delays or failures to bring prisoners to court are one such reason.

Data on trial effectiveness at the criminal courts is published by region and reason, including “14. Ineffective reason: Defendant not produced by prisoner escort custody services” (although it should be noted that this may not have been as a direct result of PECS supplier failure). This data can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e29a65d4a1b0665b8ee201/trials_tool.xlsx.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislation to protect free speech.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This Government recognises the fundamental importance of freedom of speech as a cornerstone of our democratic society. We have had free speech in this country for a very long time. It is one of our foundational principles of which we are all very proud. It is already protected by legislation, including notably the Human Rights Act 1998, which gives further domestic effect to the right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will set a timeline for the introduction of mandatory chemical suppressants for sex offenders.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

As set out by the Lord Chancellor’s oral statement on 22 May 2025, it is vital that people convicted of sexual offences are robustly managed to ensure the public are protected to the fullest degree.

We are committed to increasing the use of medication to manage problematic sexual arousal for sex offenders by expanding the existing feasibility pilot in the Southwest to two additional regions, which will see the service extend from four to 20 prisons as a first step.

The Government wants to learn from the pilots and experience in other jurisdictions, as it takes policy in this area forward.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will publish a list of offences that are eligible for automatic release after serving 40% of a prison sentence.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The previous Government left the criminal justice system in an unconscionable state, with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. On 10 September 2024, the Government therefore took the unavoidable step to move the release point for certain standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40% (‘SDS40’).

Certain offences have been excluded from the SDS40 change including sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more; specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length (including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation); as well as offences concerning national security.

The legislation which covers eligibility for SDS40 is publicly available online, for example here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/844/schedule/made; and https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/1331/article/3/made.

Once released, offenders will be subject to the same set of strict licence conditions that would apply had they been released at a 50% automatic release point and will be liable to recall to prison if they do not comply with these conditions or are judged to be a risk to public safety.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to review the case of Lucy Connolly.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Court of Appeal has considered all the evidence put before them in this case and refused the application for leave to appeal against the sentence. It would not be appropriate for any Minister of Government to comment on or intervene in such a decision of the independent judiciary, and as such the Government has no plans to review this case.

If an individual has appealed unsuccessfully and exhausted the usual routes of appeal, they are able to apply to the Criminal Case Review Commission.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of Lucy Connolly's condition in prison.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We cannot disclose personal information about an individual prisoner.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has considered compassionate measures for Lucy Connolly.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We cannot disclose personal information about an individual prisoner.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people serving sentences in closed prisons will become eligible for transfer to open prisons under the early transfer rules that came into force on 9 June 2025; and how many prisoners are eligible by (a) primary offence type and (b) sentence length.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS) is not a new scheme; it was first introduced in March 2023 under the previous Government. On 9 June 2025, the scheme was extended to allow eligible prisoners to transfer to the open estate 36 months prior to release. Due to being in the early stages of operationalising this change, our staff are still in the process of conducting risk assessments to determine eligibility.

There is limited eligibility for the scheme; all sexual, terrorist and violent offenders serving a sentence of at least four years are barred. Furthermore, prisoners are assessed against clear criteria to ensure that their move will not pose a serious risk to the public. We can immediately return any offender in the Category D estate back to closed conditions at any point if there is any evidence of an increased risk, and Governors retain the discretion to rule prisoners out of moves if there are serious concerns.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of civil legal aid providers in rural areas; and what steps she is taking to help reduce gaps in legal aid provision.

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

It is vital that those who need legal aid – some of the most vulnerable people in our society – can access it wherever they happen to live.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. The LAA monitors the numbers of providers in each procurement area and across all categories of law. It takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise and works closely with the Ministry of Justice on policy solutions concerning the supply of legal aid.

The Ministry of Justice has recently concluded a consultation on uplifts to housing & debt and immigration & asylum legal aid fees, which, once fully implemented, would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year.

The Department is also providing over £6 million of legal support grant funding up to March 2026 to deliver free legal support and advice for people with social welfare legal problems. This includes the ‘Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support’ grant, which supports the work of organisations across England and Wales to sustain and improve access to early legal support and advice, including support at court. It also includes the ‘Online Support and AdviceGrant’, which ensures the provision of online support across a range of civil, family and tribunal problems via one service (Advicenow). The Advicenow website includes information about how to get legal aid in relevant areas of law and signposts users to further information and support.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the number of individuals (1) prosecuted, and (2) convicted, under the Vagrancy Act 1824 for each police force area in England and Wales in each year from 2021 for which figures are available.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions under the Vagrancy Act 1824 at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

The attached table provide the number of prosecutions and convictions by Police Force Area from 2021 to 2024 (latest available data) for offences under the Vagrancy Act 1824.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of funding for organisations in the voluntary community sector working in the area of sexual violence.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice provides funding for victim and witness support services, including community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services, in addition to core funding for Police and Crime Commissioners to allocate at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need.

To ensure these services can continue to be delivered, I have protected dedicated Violence Against Women and Girls victims spending in the Department by maintaining 2024-25 funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support this year. This includes the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund grant for specialist sexual violence support services.

Now that the Department has its Spending Review settlement, there will be a process within the Department to allocate this budget to individual areas, including victims funding. This will require difficult and carefully considered decisions to balance priorities within the Ministry of Justice.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to review the adequacy of legal protections available to homeowners who use force in self-defence against intruders.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice currently has no plans to review or reform the law regarding householders and the use of force against intruders in self-defence.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of The Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 on faith groups.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2022, introduced by the previous Government, made permanent the temporary provisions allowing civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies to take place outdoors in the grounds of approved premises in England and Wales. These changes did not extend to permitting outdoor religious marriages in the grounds of places of worship, for those religious groups who are currently unable to conduct legal weddings outdoors. The previous Government ran a consultation which considered a range of views and potential impacts.

The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law highlighted a number of issues within the current legal framework, including inconsistencies affecting faith groups. Given the points raised by the Law Commission, it is right that we take the time to consider these issues. We will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make purposely delaying calling emergency services during a medical emergency a crime.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has no current plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make it a crime to delay calling emergency services during a medical emergency.

Although no general duty applies to members of the public to act in such circumstances in England and Wales, a duty of care may apply where it can be established under statute, contract or where a relationship of proximity exists between the parties, for example such as a child or vulnerable older person.

Where a duty of care is found to exist, and there has been a serious breach of that duty, particularly where a lack of care led to the death of the victim, a person may be liable to criminal prosecution under the law of gross negligence manslaughter.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has reviewed the effectiveness of legislation relating to joint enterprise.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Joint enterprise is a complex area of law which is not set out in statute but evolves through case law. It is an important principle ensuring that those who act with others to commit crimes are held to account.

The Government is aware of concerns about the use of joint enterprise, and understands its importance, particularly in terms of the consequences that can result from convictions. The Crown Prosecution Service is collecting data on joint enterprise homicide/attempted homicide cases and will publish a report later this year. In addition, the Law Commission review of criminal appeals is considering the “out of time” appeals process which is an issue of relevance to historic joint enterprise cases decided before the 2016 case of Jogee.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of prisoner phone call charges included in current contracts for HMP Wandsworth on prisoners..

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government is aware of the importance of allowing prisoners to maintain contact with family and other positive relationships, and the positive influence this can have on their wellbeing and rehabilitation. Provision of in-cell telephony is one of several ways that we enable that contact to take place and we aim to make this affordable for prisoners.

We have negotiated a 20% reduction in call costs to all UK landline and UK mobile numbers which came into effect from 1 April 2025, which will make communication more affordable.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will provide a breakdown of the number of foreign national offenders supervised by the Probation Service by nationality.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The latest published data on the nationality of offenders supervised by the Probation Service as at 31st December 2024 can be found at Table 6_9_Caseload_Nationality in the attached link: probation-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Since 5 July 2024, more FNOs have been returned than in the same period 12 months prior.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of converting decommissioned prison facilities to (a) schools, (b) hospitals, (c) housing and (d) other public uses.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We are committed to exploring all options for prison build and the expansion and maintenance of the prison estate. Where facilities are not currently suitable or in use as part of the prison estate, we aim to work collaboratively with other Departments to establish a viable next step for the sites.

At this time, we have two decommissioned prison sites, HMP Camp Hill and HMP Blantyre House. A decision has not yet been made on the future of these sites.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to bring forward (a) legislative and (b) policy proposals to help support the children of prisoners.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government recognises that having a parent in prison is considered an adverse childhood experience and can have a significant impact on a child’s life chances. We have therefore committed to ensuring that children impacted by parental imprisonment are identified and offered the support they need to address this.

We are working closely with the Department for Education to drive action on this important agenda. Ministers from both the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education recently hosted a roundtable bringing together sector experts. Officials from both Departments have attended focus groups to hear directly from those with lived experience of parental imprisonment, so that their voices can shape and inform the policy proposals we will bring forward.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to her Department's consultation on reforming Local Justice Areas, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of her Department's adherence to the statutory duty to provide a Welsh language impact assessment.

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

The Ministry of Justice produced a Welsh language impact assessment during consultation (published on 16 April 2025, shortly after the consultation’s launch), and has committed to publishing a further assessment alongside the finalised proposals, once these are determined.

The existing assessment is available at section 10 of the Equalities Statement: LJA Consultation Equalities Statement.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many criminal cases have been designated as being aggravated by a terrorism connection under section 1 of the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 where the alleged offence was not one of those listed in Schedule 2 to the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008.

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

The Government does not hold central data on how many criminal cases are designated as being aggravated by a terrorism connection.

When deciding what sentence to impose, the courts take into account the circumstances of the offence and any aggravating and mitigating factors, in line with any relevant guidelines from the independent Sentencing Council. This will include consideration of cases aggravated by a terrorism connection and whether an increase in the sentence length is required.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people who are eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 50 per cent of their sentence were convicted of (a) actual bodily harm and (b) grievous bodily harm.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Many offenders who commit these types of offences are subject to two-thirds release provisions, and others are subject to 50% depending on their specific circumstances and sentencing outcomes. Establishing who is released at exactly 50% would require examination of individual records and therefore comes at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people who are eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 50 per cent of their sentence were convicted of rape.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Many offenders who commit these types of offences are subject to two-thirds release provisions, and others are subject to 50% depending on their specific circumstances and sentencing outcomes. Establishing who is released at exactly 50% would require examination of individual records and therefore comes at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 52265 on Repossession Orders: Private Rented Housing, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill on court waiting times for private rented sector repossession claims.

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

As with any piece of legislation, the Government works across Departments to assess the impact. We continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to assess and agree the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill on the justice system. We regularly publish statistics on Court and tribunal waiting times and this will continue as this Bill is implemented.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether records relating to marriage in England and Wales are to be made available for immediate access to the public.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.

The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.

The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.

The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent considerations other than administrative requirements have been taken into account in the retention of the 28-day notice period for weddings.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.

The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.

The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.

The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the Law Commission's recommendations in their report Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 18 July 2022.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.

The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.

The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.

The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will review the decision made in 2014 to increase from 14 to 28 days the notice period for weddings.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.

The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.

The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.

The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the incidence of polygamy in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.

The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.

The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.

The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to support young people after being released from prison to prevent reoffending.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Children returning to the community after serving time in custody receive personal and structural support from youth custody establishments and Youth Offending Teams to help them reintegrate, including assistance with housing and education, training, or employment.

Where appropriate, Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) is used to support this transition. A new ROTL policy is being piloted at five sites, allowing eligible children to be considered and risk assessed for ROTL after five months or halfway through their sentence—whichever comes first—enabling earlier access to ROTL opportunities such as visits to potential community accommodation, education, or job placements.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate her Department has made of the comparative annual cost per head of (a) incarceration and (b) military service for non-violent offenders.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We have no current plans to introduce military service as an alternative to custody. Therefore, no comparative cost analysis has been undertaken.

Research indicates that sentences with a military focus do not reduce re-offending. The evidence shows that it is the intervention to address offending behaviour which makes a difference, not the military regime and physical toughness.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing structured military service as an alternative sentence for non-violent offenders serving sentences of less than 25 years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We have no current plans to introduce military service as an alternative to custody. Therefore, no comparative cost analysis has been undertaken.

Research indicates that sentences with a military focus do not reduce re-offending. The evidence shows that it is the intervention to address offending behaviour which makes a difference, not the military regime and physical toughness.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating the use of (a) scanners and (b) enhanced security screening upon entry to secure prisons for all prison officers.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) maintains a zero-tolerance approach to smuggling contraband into prisons, including weapons, drugs and mobile phones, which can fuel violence and create instability.

Airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, comprising of metal detectors and X-ray baggage scanners, is used in 52 highest-risk prison sites (both private and public sector), including all of the High Security prisons in the Long Term High Security Estate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 51904 on Prisoners: Gender Recognition, how many of the prisoners with a Gender Recognition Certificate are housed in the correct prison facility for their biological sex.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The latest published data (a snapshot from 31 March 2024) shows that there were 10 prisoners known to have a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). The full data report can be viewed here: HMPPS Offender Equalities Report 2023/24 - GOV.UK.

Because the number of prisoners who hold a GRC is so low, we are unable to provide further information beyond the total figure (including other personal characteristics and location) as this risks disclosing which individuals hold a GRC, which is an offence under Section 22 of the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 51904 on Prisoners: Gender Recognition, how many of the prisoners with a Gender Recognition Certificate are biological (a) males and (b) females.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The latest published data (a snapshot from 31 March 2024) shows that there were 10 prisoners known to have a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). The full data report can be viewed here: HMPPS Offender Equalities Report 2023/24 - GOV.UK.

Because the number of prisoners who hold a GRC is so low, we are unable to provide further information beyond the total figure (including other personal characteristics and location) as this risks disclosing which individuals hold a GRC, which is an offence under Section 22 of the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many unoccupied places there were in prison wings for transgender prisoners only on 5 June 2025.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The separate unit for transgender prisoners, E Wing at HMP Downview, has 16 cells. There are currently seven prisoners being held in the unit.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many intellectual property licences the Ministry of Justice holds under contracts or terms of reference for (1) grants, (2) pre-procurement or proof of concept work, and (3) procurement; how many of those have sub-licensing rights; how many of those have resulted in sub-licensing; and how many of those sub-licences are for patents, and for which countries.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of signing the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance under the UN.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government considers that the current domestic framework and legislation already prevents arbitrary arrests, prohibits torture and degrading treatment, and holds the Security and Intelligence Agencies to account. We therefore currently have no plans to sign or ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

We strongly condemn any instances of enforced disappearance internationally. We urge states to fully investigate any allegations, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been prosecuted for driving with excessively noisy exhausts in the last ten years.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences including motoring offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

However, the data do not identify cases as a result of illegally tinted windows, excessively bright lights, or excessively noisy exhausts.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been prosecuted for driving with illegal tinted windows in the last ten years.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences including motoring offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

However, the data do not identify cases as a result of illegally tinted windows, excessively bright lights, or excessively noisy exhausts.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been prosecuted for driving with excessively bright lights in the last ten years.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences including motoring offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

However, the data do not identify cases as a result of illegally tinted windows, excessively bright lights, or excessively noisy exhausts.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many permanent civil servants in her Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years.

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

The Department’s HR system shows the total number of permanent Civil Servants leaving the Ministry of Justice recorded as ‘Dismissal – Unsatisfactory Work Performance’, as 18 in the financial year 2022-2023, 27 in year 2023-2024, and 31 in year 2024-2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will amend section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to ensure victims of rape and sexual violence do not have their past disclosures used as evidence to drop their case.

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

This Government is committed to improving public confidence in the criminal justice system, so that victims feel the system is fair and justice will be done.

The Law Commission is currently concluding its comprehensive review into the use of evidence in sexual offence prosecutions, including the use of evidence relating to victims’ past disclosures. They are reviewing the law, practice, guidance and procedure in sexual offence cases and will make recommendations for reform, so that practitioners throughout the criminal justice system do not unfairly rely on myths and misconceptions when reviewing evidence and making decisions.

We wish to carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations on this and on other related measures, to ensure that our approach takes on board their in-depth consideration, and to avoid making piecemeal legislative change.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will provide a breakdown of offences by the nationality of the serving inmate.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government and does not include a breakdown of offences by nationality of prisoners. However, we are monitoring the data that we collect and publish on the prison population and will keep this under review.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Since 5 July 2024, more FNOs have been returned than in the same period 12 months prior.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether contracts agreed with the Prison Education Service will include provision for inflationary increases to budgets for each prison in each year.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The overall budget for the Prisoner Education Service is subject to the Ministry of Justice’s internal annual budget allocations process to set internal budgets following the Spending Review period, so it is not possible to comment on budgets at prison level for future years at present.

The indexation provisions in the circa. 70 service contracts within the Prisoner Education Service vary between the services to ensure they are proportionate and relevant to the services being delivered. The most significant contracts by value Core Education and Careers Information, Advice & Guidance currently include provision for an annual indexation of contract prices. The two indices that are used to calculate inflationary increases are as follows:

1) Average Weekly Earnings index for staff costs, and

2) Consumer Price Index for all non-staff costs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has plans to lower the prison officer retirement age.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Prison officers are members of the Civil Service Pension scheme (CSPS), and the normal pension age (at which unreduced benefits can be taken) is linked to their state pension age.

We recognise the unique and challenging role that prison officers play in protecting the public and reducing reoffending. The Lord Chancellor has requested advice from officials on the pension age of prison officers, and we will continue to engage with trade unions as this is considered.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Sikhs are employed in her Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice records Sikh or Sikhism, as a religion or belief and not as an ethnicity.

Please refer to Civil Service Statistics 2024 Table A3 where statistics on religion or belief by department as at 31 March 2024 are published: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2024. This includes statistics on those recorded as ‘Sikh’.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has plans to raise the starting salary for prison officers.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Pay for Prison Officers is informed by independent recommendations made by the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) through the annual pay review process.

On 22 May, the Government accepted all 13 of the independent recommendations put forward by the PSPRB for 2025/26. This year’s award represents an increase of at least 4% for all operational prison staff, delivering another real-terms pay rise on top of the one provided last summer.  This will bring the starting salary for an entry-level Prison Officer (on the national rate, 39 hours with unsocial hours) from £34,494 to £35,875 and will be effective 1 April 2025 when implemented.

We announced the 2025/26 award more than two months earlier than last year, keeping our promise to give prison staff more certainty about the pounds in their pockets.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign-born prisoners are currently serving sentences for knife crime offences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Statistics of this nature do not currently form part of our published statistics. Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government. However, we are monitoring the data that we collect and publish on the prison population and will keep this under review.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. The Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Since 5 July 2024, more FNOs have been returned than in the same period 12 months prior.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to introduce mandatory prison sentences for carrying bladed articles.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government is committed to tackling knife crime as a priority. We are clear that those who carry knives unlawfully must face serious consequences, and that sentencing must reflect the harm these offences cause to victims and communities.

In recognition of the seriousness of offences related to knives, the courts already have robust powers to deal with knife-related offences. The maximum sentence for possession of a bladed article or threatening with an offensive weapon is 4 years’ imprisonment. The law also provides for minimum custodial sentences for repeat knife possession and for threatening with a weapon. Adults convicted of a second or subsequent possession offence face a minimum of six months in custody, while those aged 16 or 17 face a four-month Detention and Training Order. Where someone is actually harmed by a knife or offensive weapon, there are a range of offences that the offender may be charged with, such as causing grievous bodily harm. These can result in lengthy sentences, up to life imprisonment.

Minimum and mandatory sentences are also rare in England and Wales. This is because it is, rightly, the function of the independent judiciary to decide the sentence in each case subject to the maximum that Parliament has provided and any relevant Sentencing Guidelines published by the Sentencing Council.

The existing framework provides the right balance between ensuring robust penalties for knife crime, and allowing courts to tailor sentences to the individual case.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many courts and tribunals have been closed since 2015.

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

Since 2015, 90 courts and 4 tribunals have been permanently closed. All of these closures took place under the previous Government.

The figures do not include integrations, where workload remained in the local area by transferring to another building in close proximity, or courts that are temporarily closed.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will review the Guide to Judicial Conduct.

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

The Lord Chancellor and Lady Chief Justice have a joint responsibility for judicial discipline. However, to preserve judicial independence, the statutory responsibility for the guidance of the judiciary, including for setting the conduct standards for the judiciary, is held by the Lady Chief Justice, Senior President of Tribunals and Chief Coroner, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, and Coroners and Justice Act 2009 respectively.

The Lord Chancellor has no role in this respect, and it is not constitutionally appropriate for the Government to review the judiciary’s guidance.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to review the system for bereavement damages.

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

The Government is working to deliver a major series of reforms to the civil justice system and while the issue of bereavement damages is being kept under review, there are no immediate plans to undertake a formal review of this issue.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen the (a) legal rights and (b) financial protections of (i) survivors of domestic abuse and (ii) cohabiting partners; and when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals for reform in this area.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The financial difficulties that cohabitants, including survivors of domestic abuse, can face when their cohabiting relationships come to an end is a matter of concern. That is why the Government committed in its manifesto to strengthening the rights and protections for women in cohabiting couples. We will launch a public consultation later this year to build public consensus on what form those cohabitation protections should take.

The Government is also carefully considering the findings of the Law Commission’s scoping report on financial provision on divorce, including in relation to issues raised about domestic abuse. The Government will provide a response to this report in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in prison convicted under joint enterprise law have autism.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice does not collect centrally information on whether a person in prison has autism, or whether their conviction related to joint enterprise.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff network events took place in her Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff rather than the Department. The majority of staff time spent on network activities is voluntary and unpaid.

We are aware of seven events organised by networks in May 2025:

• Parenting in the Fast Lane: Managing work, life, and everything in between. Parents Network panel event.

• Meet the new MoJ Armed Forces Network and commemorate VE Day.

• My journey to Islam: A panel event hosted by the MoJ Muslim Network where colleagues explore their experience of joining Islam.

• Meet your staff networks: lunchtime marketplace event in Petty France.

• Parent’s Network and Safe Space Forum session on understanding the impact of domestic abuse.

• Frontline Staff Network Knowledge Sharing event: Tips for presenting data.

• Let’s Talk Menopause: Supporting the Workplace in Menopause (SWIM) Network Event for Managers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether prisoners undertake (a) litter collection and (b) graffiti removal.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Prisoners currently can access community service work through Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) during the custodial element within their sentence.

The Prison Rules in England and Wales provide that a prisoner may be granted leave from prison for short periods on temporary licence. ROTL is an important rehabilitation tool which allows prisoners to participate in activities in the community which have been identified as serving a particular purpose in meeting their individual resettlement objectives. Suitable, risk assessed prisoners may be allowed out during the day to, for example, attend college, attend an interview, maintain/re-establish links with their family or undertake community work, such as litter clearance or graffiti removal. This helps them develop responsibility and gain valuable skills.

The decision to allow temporary release is taken by the prison governor, on behalf of the Secretary of State, who must always balance the needs of the prisoner and the purpose of the ROTL applied for, against the need to maintain public safety and the public’s confidence in the criminal justice system. Each decision is taken on a case-by-case basis to safeguard the public. Any breaches can result in additional time in custody.

In addition, Unpaid Work is the punitive community requirement set by the court. In 2023, around half of those on community sentences had such a requirement, with around 5 million hours delivered each year. This can include carrying out work such as litter clearance and graffiti removal.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to release inmates who have served a third of their sentence in order to tackle overcrowding.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government was left an unconscionable inheritance with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.

The previous Government added less than 500 net places, whilst the previous Labour Government added net 28,000. As set out in the December 2024 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, we are committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places and aim to do so by 2031; we have already delivered c.2500 of these since taking office. Our build programme consists of the construction of four new prisons, including the recently delivered HMP Millsike, as well as the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate. The Lord Chancellor announced in her speech of 14 May a further investment of £4.7 billion over the spending review period to deliver these places, including breaking ground at a new prison site near HMP Gartree later this year. We are also committed to undertaking critical maintenance work, and acquiring more land should further prisons be required.

On 22 May, the Lord Chancellor set out the Government’s in-principle response to the Independent Sentencing Review’s findings and recommendations, which will ensure prisons never run out of space again and dangerous offenders can be kept off the streets. One key change announced will be a new ‘earned progression model’ that will see prisoners earn their way to release through good behaviour or face longer in jail. Under this model, an offender will not necessarily leave prison at an automatic point. Instead, their release date will be determined by their behaviour. If they follow prison rules, they will earn earlier release. If they do not, they can be locked up for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53712 on Prisons: Construction, how many Category A prison places she plans to be built as part of the Prison Capacity Strategy.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government will get the prison places built that the previous Government failed to deliver or fund. We are delivering 14,000 additional prison places and aim to do so by 2031, as set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy. This consists of the construction of four new prisons, including the recently delivered HMP Millsike, as well as the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate and temporary accommodation. These places are all within the Category B, Category C, and Category D estates, where the greatest level of demand is projected.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what documents provide the record of proceedings of an employment tribunal hearing for cases heard before the Presidential Practice Direction of November 2023.

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

Prior to November 2023, the record of proceedings typically consisted of the Employment Judge’s handwritten or typed notes taken during the hearing.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent statutory regulator for High Court enforcement officers.

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

Whilst most High Court enforcement agencies have already signed up to the Enforcement Conduct Board’s independent voluntary accreditation scheme, the Government believes that it is necessary to take action so that all High Court Enforcement Officers, enforcement agents and agencies are regulated to the same standards and overseen by the same body when using the Taking Control of Goods procedure to enforce debts. A public consultation was launched on 9 June 2025 to explore how best to achieve this. Responses to the consultation will inform legislation to be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on legal aid in the last 12 months.

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

Information about legal aid expenditure is published on a quarterly basis. The requested information can be accessed via this link. See tables 1.1 (Criminal Legal Aid) and 1.2 (Civil Legal Aid). These figures represent the closed case expenditure i.e. the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed within the specified period.

The published data covers up to financial year 2023-24.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will introduce a minimum 5-year mandatory sentence for adults convicted of carrying a knife.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling knife crime is a priority and this Government is determined to do all it can to break the deadly cycle of violence that devastates the lives of individuals, families, and communities. It is important that those who commit violent crimes receive appropriate, proportionate and robust sentences.

Minimum sentences are rare in England and Wales. It is the function of the independent courts to decide the sentence in each case subject to the maximum that Parliament has provided and any relevant Sentencing Guidelines published by the Sentencing Council. We have a robust legal framework in place to respond to knife crimes with the maximum penalty for carrying a knife or threatening with an offensive weapon being 4 years imprisonment.

In recognition of the seriousness of offences related to knives, the law already provides for minimum custodial sentences for repeat knife possession and offences that involve threatening with a weapon. Adults face a minimum of 6 months of imprisonment whilst young people aged 16 or 17 face a four-month Detention and Training Order. Where someone is actually harmed by a knife or offensive weapon, there are a range of offences that the offender may be charged with, such as causing grievous bodily harm. These can result in lengthy sentences, up to life imprisonment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has considered the merits of expanding the functions of the Public Guardian to include responsibility for appropriate discharge of mental capacity assessments.

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

The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, which provides a framework for making decisions on behalf of adults who are unable to do so for themselves. The statutory Code of Practice issued under the Act provides guidance to practitioners on the conduct of capacity assessments in keeping with the principles of the MCA.

The Public Guardian is the statutory office holder created by the Act whose core functions relate primarily to registering lasting powers of attorney and supervising court appointed deputies. We have no current plans to expand these functions.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate she has made of the number of County Court Judgments entered by default as a result of claimants using incorrect addresses for service of court documents.

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

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Prison Education Service contracts have been agreed; for what reason there was a delay in signing the contracts; and what her planned timetable is for signing the contracts.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Prisoner Education Service comprises of six different nationally contracted services, including Core Education and Careers Information and Guidance as the two most significant ones by total contract value. To provide some context, there are circa 70 contracts within the Prisoner Education Services at various stages of being launched.

To date, the 11 new national Careers Information, Advice and Guidance contracts were successfully launched on 1 April 2025. Additionally, new services, enabling distance learning for Further and Higher Education and prison library services, delivered by Local Authorities and Social Enterprises, also commenced on 1 April 2025.

Moreover, contracts have been formally executed for the new digital, web-based screening and assessment tools and for Common Awarding Organisations. Both services shall commence on 1 October 2025.

The successful suppliers for Core Education contract will be announced in due course and all details associated with these contracts remain ‘In Commercial Confidence’ until further notice. The Ministry of Justice is satisfied with the timely progress made to date on the Prisoner Education Service as a whole.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of self-inflicted deaths of prisoners in HMP Wandsworth.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners.

HMP Wandsworth entered the HMPPS cluster death support process in 2023, and a task force chaired by the Prison Group Director for London has been overseeing the implementation of an action plan to address the issues arising from self-inflicted deaths. Ligature-resistant cells have been provided to Wandsworth as part of this process, among other actions including strengthening the local safety team and increasing the number of Samaritans trained Listeners who provide emotional support to fellow prisoners.

Each death is the subject of an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) and a Coroner's inquest, and action is being taken to address the findings and recommendations from these investigations to help improve safety outcomes at Wandsworth.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps is her Department taking to fund voluntary community sector organisations to support people leaving prison as part of her Sentencing Review.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

I recognise the valuable role of the thousands of voluntary organisations that work in partnership with probation to provide vital support to people serving their sentence in prison, in the community and people returning to the community after prison.

The Government has welcomed the findings and recommendations of the Rt Hon David Gauke’s Independent Sentencing Review. This includes specific recommendations on increasing the role of the third sector in supporting offenders in the community. My Department is exploring the best approach to implementing these recommendations as part of the wider programme of reform that we are taking forward to implement the Sentencing Review. We will look to work with the Third Sector on these recommendations.

These reforms are backed by significant investment of up to £700 million in the Probation Service by the final year of the Spending Review. We are currently finalising the allocations process to set internal budgets for the spending period, including how this probation settlement will be spent.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the rate of re-offending (a) in Preston and (b) nationally; what steps she is taking to reduce this rate in Preston.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The overall proven reoffending rate for Preston was 34.5% for the July 22 - June 23 cohort (the latest reoffending data available by geography). By comparison, for the same cohort, the overall proven reoffending rate for England and Wales was 26.7%.

The Government is committed to tackling the causes of reoffending by giving people the tools to move away from crime. That's why we're investing in a wide range of interventions to directly support a prisoner’s rehabilitation journey, including employment, accommodation and substance misuse services.

We have, for example, recently launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time will bring businesses together with probation services and the Department for Work and Pensions to support offenders in prison and the community. Preston is covered by the Cumbria & Lancashire Employment Council.

We are also delivering a transitional accommodation service (CAS3) to provide prison leavers who are under probation supervision and at risk of homelessness with up to 12 weeks of accommodation on release, and have recruited Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators to strengthen the links between substance misuse and health services in prisons and the community to support access to treatment. Both CAS3 and the Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators are in place across all 12 probation regions in England and Wales, with Preston falling under the North West probation region.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the Nottingham Inquiry.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Terms of Reference of the Nottingham Inquiry were published on 22 May and like all public inquiries it must avoid unnecessary costs to public funds.

The Inquiry is responsible for presenting a preliminary budget within a reasonable timeframe to the sponsor department for approval. As the sponsor department, the Ministry of Justice will ensure that public funds are properly planned and accounted for. The Lord Chancellor will publish the full costs of the Inquiry in the usual way.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52848 on Offenders: Foreign Nationals, for what reason that data is not collected by nationality.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government. However, we continue to monitor the data that we collect and publish and will keep this under review.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of HM Prison and Probation Service in Leicestershire.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We publish performance ratings regularly of the prison and probation service Leicestershire, which can be found at the following links: Prison Performance Ratings: 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK and Community Performance Annual, update to March 2024 - GOV.UK.

This Government inherited prisons on the point of collapse and is taking action to ensure we never again run out of prison places.

The previous Government left the probation service under real strain with current caseloads far too high. We are hiring 1,300 trainee probation officers by March 2026 in addition to the 1,050 already appointed last year. We are also investing in new technology to lift the administrative burden on probation officers so they can focus on what they do best – managing and rehabilitating offenders.

Probation funding will increase by up to £700 million by the final year of the spending review – a 45% increase in the next three years. We will deliver thousands more tags, more staff, and more accommodation to ensure that offenders are tracked and monitored closely in the community.

The Probation Service in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland was recently inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP). The report of the inspection can be found at the following link: An inspection of probation services in: Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PDU.

Following the inspection, a revised Quality Improvement Plan has been drawn up, which takes account of HMIP’s recommendations. A development day has also been organised, with a focus on quality and management oversight, to ensure that all staff receive the training they need to carry out their demanding roles.

Found: The Ministry of Justice in its Electronic Monitoring Strategy has defined electronic monitoring in England

Found: First, we have Linsey Farnsworth on behalf of the Justice Committee, for a debate on Ministry of Justice

Found: Correspondence from Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice re, Govt. response to

Found: activity that we want to undertake; whether that is from the recurring funding we are getting from the MOJ

Found: make to the Bill, these include amendments that have been agreed with Historic England , the Ministry of Justice

Found: the ONS58; the quality of Criminal Court Statistics for England and Wales produced by the Ministry of Justice

Found: statisticians, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, the Home Office, and the Ministry of Justice

Found: It really is an important issue that this is not just something for the Home Office or the Ministry of Justice

Found: Then, for one year, the MoJ funded a wonderful psychologist, Dr Lucy Morris, who worked as the neurodiversity

Found: Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice

Found: Office 8 S.I. 2025/502 8 The Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 Appendix 2: Memorandum from the Ministry of Justice

Found: can cut across the Foreign Office, the Department for Business and Trade, the Treasury, the Ministry of Justice

Found: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Knife Crime (2019, “There is no protection on the streets, none” 25 MoJ

Found: While the clause does not provide a working definition of “ electronic monitoring”, 20 the Ministry of Justice

Found: T +4420 3334 3555 F +44870 761 7753 E https://contact-moj.service.justice.gov.uk/ www.gov.uk/moj

Found: contracts to Clearsprings for asylum accommodation when the company had previously lost a Ministry of Justice

Found: Foreign Office and other Government Departments, such as the Department for Energy and the Ministry of Justice

Found: Foreign Office and other Government Departments, such as the Department for Energy and the Ministry of Justice

Found: The Ministry of Justice said that one of them would get it, perhaps ignoring the fact that the parliamentary

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on establishing Young Futures Hubs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Officials and Ministers from seven government departments (Department for Education, Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Department for Health and Social Care) have been working together, using evidence of what works, to start to shape Young Futures Hubs.

To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, the government will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. This will inform the longer term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs and where they may be located. The government will set out more details on timelines and locations in due course.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape and they will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing. The government is developing a National Youth Strategy to set out a new long term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions is she having with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on (a) the consultation on a new National Youth Strategy and (b) the implications of the strategy for Young Futures Hubs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Officials and Ministers from seven government departments (Department for Education, Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Department for Health and Social Care) have been working together, using evidence of what works, to start to shape Young Futures Hubs.

To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, the government will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. This will inform the longer term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs and where they may be located. The government will set out more details on timelines and locations in due course.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape and they will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing. The government is developing a National Youth Strategy to set out a new long term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to identify early adopter areas for Young Future Hubs; and what her planned timetable is for launching these.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Officials and Ministers from seven government departments (Department for Education, Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Department for Health and Social Care) have been working together, using evidence of what works, to start to shape Young Futures Hubs.

To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, the government will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. This will inform the longer term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs and where they may be located. The government will set out more details on timelines and locations in due course.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape and they will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing. The government is developing a National Youth Strategy to set out a new long term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she is having with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the role of Young Futures Hubs in the prevention of serious youth violence.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Officials and Ministers from seven government departments (Department for Education, Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Department for Health and Social Care) have been working together, using evidence of what works, to start to shape Young Futures Hubs.

To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, the government will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. This will inform the longer term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs and where they may be located. The government will set out more details on timelines and locations in due course.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape and they will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing. The government is developing a National Youth Strategy to set out a new long term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of further integrating artificial intelligence into the civil service, following the recent Government-led trial of artificial intelligence software.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

As referenced in the GDS Digital Government Blueprint, AI Opportunities Action Plan, and more recently, the Spending Review, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the civil service is a core priority of this government, with the goal of delivering a lean and agile state, where expenditure is focussed towards services on which the public rely.

The model for delivering AI into the civil service includes both central focus from GDS, and also dispersed expertise within departments who understand the complex landscape of public service delivery. Tools are also being trialled across GDS, as well as within departments such as MHCLG, Home Office, HMRC, DHSC and MoJ. Many of these trials are underpinned by technology and tools created by the government's incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will establish a statutory mechanism to (a) identify and (b) support children with a parent in prison.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department knows growing up with a parent in prison can have a devastating impact on a child’s life chances. The government has a key mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, which is why we have committed to identifying children affected by parental imprisonment and ensuring they get the support they need to thrive.

The department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to deliver the government’s manifesto commitment. MoJ is leading on the work to better identify children affected by parental imprisonment. The department is working alongside the MoJ to determine how best to effectively identify and support this cohort.

We are clear that our approach to identification must be a sensitive one and link to a consistent nationwide support offer, so that children affected by this issue receive swift, appropriate support that meets their individual needs.

We are engaging with a range of stakeholders and experts to support the development of our proposals and delivery plans.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, column 103, how he plans to monitor the effectiveness of the health and justice strategy advisory group.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, and the group’s membership is still in the process of being confirmed.

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group has not yet started its work. The National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning, and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group, and its first meeting is expected to take place in early July.

The Chair will provide a quarterly report on progress and impact to ministers in both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care, with the first report expected in the Autumn.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, column 103, who the (a) chair and (b) members of the health and justice strategic advisory group are.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, and the group’s membership is still in the process of being confirmed.

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group has not yet started its work. The National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning, and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group, and its first meeting is expected to take place in early July.

The Chair will provide a quarterly report on progress and impact to ministers in both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care, with the first report expected in the Autumn.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, column 103, how many times the health and justice strategy advisory group has met.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The first formal meeting of the mental health and justice strategic advisory group is planned to take place on 1 July 2025. The group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, who will report regularly to Ministers and be responsible for agreeing a joint work plan to support implementation of the statutory time limit for transfers between prisons and hospitals, identifying solutions to common barriers to timely transfers and holding partners to account.

An initial planning meeting was held on 30 April 2025 and the chair, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, column 103, what work the health and justice strategic advisory group has undertaken.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The first formal meeting of the mental health and justice strategic advisory group is planned to take place on 1 July 2025. The group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, who will report regularly to Ministers and be responsible for agreeing a joint work plan to support implementation of the statutory time limit for transfers between prisons and hospitals, identifying solutions to common barriers to timely transfers and holding partners to account.

An initial planning meeting was held on 30 April 2025 and the chair, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, column 103, what the remit of the health and justice strategic advisory group is.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The first formal meeting of the mental health and justice strategic advisory group is planned to take place on 1 July 2025. The group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, who will report regularly to Ministers and be responsible for agreeing a joint work plan to support implementation of the statutory time limit for transfers between prisons and hospitals, identifying solutions to common barriers to timely transfers and holding partners to account.

An initial planning meeting was held on 30 April 2025 and the chair, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the feasibility of integrating non-violent offenders into non-combat military support roles as part of a structured rehabilitation programme.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Defence is dedicated to recruiting, retaining and developing the best talent, drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background, to reflect the society we serve. We inherited a long running recruitment crisis from the last government.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the Armed Forces can consider applications from candidates with spent and unspent convictions for non-serious offences on a case-by-case basis. The entry policy regarding convictions is regularly reviewed and amended to ensure that it is fully aligned with updated legislation. However, there will always be a number of serious convictions that preclude entry.

The Defence purpose is to protect the people of the United Kingdom, prevent conflict, and be ready to fight our enemies. The demanding nature of defence today is such that we require highly trained, professional personnel in our Armed Forces, fully committed to giving their best in defending our country and its allies. Recruits are all volunteers, and the Government has no current plans to introduce any form of mandated service.

It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to review the principles of justice and deliver the Criminal Justice System. Should the MOJ seek Ministry of Defence (MOD) support for alternative forms of justice and rehabilitation, the MOD will investigate potential options. Within the Strategic Defence Review such initiatives will have merit for consideration as Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds. However, the protection of operational outputs will always be a Defence priority.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on cross-departmental strategies on (a) the size of the armed forces and (b) the rehabilitation of offenders.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Defence is dedicated to recruiting, retaining and developing the best talent, drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background, to reflect the society we serve. We inherited a long running recruitment crisis from the last government.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the Armed Forces can consider applications from candidates with spent and unspent convictions for non-serious offences on a case-by-case basis. The entry policy regarding convictions is regularly reviewed and amended to ensure that it is fully aligned with updated legislation. However, there will always be a number of serious convictions that preclude entry.

The Defence purpose is to protect the people of the United Kingdom, prevent conflict, and be ready to fight our enemies. The demanding nature of defence today is such that we require highly trained, professional personnel in our Armed Forces, fully committed to giving their best in defending our country and its allies. Recruits are all volunteers, and the Government has no current plans to introduce any form of mandated service.

It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to review the principles of justice and deliver the Criminal Justice System. Should the MOJ seek Ministry of Defence (MOD) support for alternative forms of justice and rehabilitation, the MOD will investigate potential options. Within the Strategic Defence Review such initiatives will have merit for consideration as Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds. However, the protection of operational outputs will always be a Defence priority.

Found: This memorandum has been prepared by the Home Office , Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence, and

Found: Policing Bill EXPLANATORY NOTES Explanatory notes to the Bill, prepared by the Home Office, Ministry of Justice

Found: • These Explanatory Notes have been drafted by the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence

Found: make to the Bill, these include amendments that have been agreed with Historic England , the Ministry of Justice

Found: Lottery Heritage Fund ; and o fficials at relevant Government departments, particularly the Ministry of Justice

Found: Resourcing - the reforms’ success depends on ensuring that the NHS, Ministry of Justice and local authorities

Found: relevant appeals process takes an average of 50 weeks.23 The Government has suggested that the Ministry of Justice

Found: For example, in 2017 the Ministry of Justice identified that it had set some court and tribunal fees

Found: For example, in 2017 the Ministry of Justice identified that it had set some court and tribunal fees

Found: (MoJ): bringing organisations together to deliver seamless end-to-end services Problem: The

Women affected by the Criminal Justice System APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

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Women affected by the Criminal Justice System APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Bail information Services (BIS) The Bail Information Service is run by the Ministry of Justice and

Women and Work APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Stonewall Bi Role Model of the Year and Recruitment Support at the Ministry of Justice , Hafsa Qureshi

United Nations Global Goals APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Proportion of prison population that are on remand: 2009 to 2018 Source: MoJ, Prison population statistics

Found: The Ministry of Justice is also consulting on the regulation of the debt enforcement sector (private

Found: almost doubled between 2021-22 and 2023-24.207 4.61 The Ministry of Justice, Department for

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Found: Treasury Helen Creeke, The National Archives Henry Midgley, Durham University Henry Young, Ministry of Justice

Found: Treasury Helen Creeke, The National Archives Henry Midgley, Durham University Henry Young, Ministry of Justice

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Found: Data on releases only go up to December 2024, as these are the latest data published in the MoJ Offender

Found: Data on releases only go up to December 2024, as these are the latest data published in the MoJ Offender

Found: It will use secondary data sources from the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice and CAFCASS

Found: were carried out with other CE and SPG groups leading up to the operation, for example with Ministry of Justice

Found: were carried out with other CE and SPG groups leading up to the operation, for example with Ministry of Justice

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Found: Wallace, until the end of 2024, was Head of the Civil, Family, Court and Tribunals team for GLD’s Ministry of Justice

Found: From: Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service Published 14 July 2022 Last updated

Found: suitable for referral under this power solely consist of non-disclosable evidence, then a Ministry of Justice

Found: From: Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service Published 4 April 2019 Last updated

Found: Scottish Enterprise • MPs • Local Authority Small Business leads • London Corporation • Ministry of Justice

Found: Scottish Enterprise • MPs • Local Authority Small Business leads • London Corporation • Ministry of Justice

Found: Scottish Enterprise • MPs • Local Authority Small Business leads • London Corporation • Ministry of Justice

Found: Scottish Enterprise • MPs • Local Authority Small Business leads • London Corporation • Ministry of Justice

Found: ✅✅Youth justice core grant fundingSupport Ministry of Justice ministers and officials to develop proposals

Found: . �� �� Youth justice core grant funding Support Ministry of Justice ministers and officials

Found: Data capture: government and its relevant departments (specifically DHSC, MoJ, DfE and DWP) need to

Found: European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR): Third Supplementary Memorandum by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice

Found: European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR): Third Supplementary Memorandum by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice

Found: European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR): Third Supplementary Memorandum by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice

Found: European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR): Third Supplementary Memorandum by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice

Found: funding that would cover the cost of the activity, including funding offered through The Ministry of Justice

Found: (PBAT) will receive notification of a claimant entering prison directly from the Ministry of Justice

Found: Probation Service A data sharing agreement between DWP and the Ministry of Justice allows specific

Found: (Ministry of Justice 2021) These differences are important to acknowledge, as different methodologies

Found: Whereas in Ministry of Justice data in England and Wales, a proven reoffence is defined as “any offence

Found: regulations provide otherwise) (subsection (7)), or b. in any other case, a licence from the Ministry of Justice

Found: £175k due to the correction of previous errors by HMT; • Transfers in of £3,738k from the Ministry of Justice

Found: It is sponsored by the Ministry of Justice and has several statutory functions, which include advising