Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. We work to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

David Lammy
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Justice)

Conservative
Robert Jenrick (Con - Newark)
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

Green Party
Siân Berry (Green - Brighton Pavilion)
Green Spokesperson (Justice)

Liberal Democrat
Jess Brown-Fuller (LD - Chichester)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Lord Keen of Elie (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Justice)
Kieran Mullan (Con - Bexhill and Battle)
Shadow Minister (Justice)
Ministers of State
Lord Timpson (Lab - Life peer)
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Sarah Sackman (Lab - Finchley and Golders Green)
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Alex Davies-Jones (Lab - Pontypridd)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jake Richards (Lab - Rother Valley)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Baroness Levitt (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
There are no upcoming events identified
Select Committee Docs
Friday 17th October 2025
00:01
Select Committee Inquiry
Wednesday 23rd July 2025
Access to Justice

This inquiry will examine how advice and legal services are adapting to secure access to justice across civil, criminal, and …

Written Answers
Tuesday 21st October 2025
Ministry of Justice: ICT
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have …
Secondary Legislation
Wednesday 10th September 2025
Criminal Legal Aid (Standard Crime Contract) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These Regulations amend the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013 (“the General Regulations”), the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 …
Bills
Tuesday 16th September 2025
Public Office (Accountability) Bill 2024-26
A Bill to Impose a duty on public authorities and public officials to act with candour, transparency and frankness; to …
Dept. Publications
Tuesday 21st October 2025
10:09

Ministry of Justice Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Sep. 16
Oral Questions
Jul. 09
Urgent Questions
Oct. 14
Westminster Hall
Oct. 15
Adjournment Debate
View All Ministry of Justice Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Ministry of Justice does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Introduced: 1st April 2025

A Bill to Make provision about sentencing guidelines in relation to pre-sentence reports.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 19th June 2025 and was enacted into law.

Ministry of Justice - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations amend the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013 (“the General Regulations”), the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 (“the Remuneration Regulations”), and the Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations 2013 (“the Financial Regulations”). The General Regulations and the Financial Regulations together prescribe circumstances in which an individual qualifies for criminal legal aid under Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (“the Act”). The Remuneration Regulations make provision for the funding and remuneration of services made available under sections 13, 15 and 16 of the Act.
These Rules make amendments to the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 (S.I. 1987/2024) (“the 1987 Rules”).
View All Ministry of Justice Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
Petition Open
5,080 Signatures
(273 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
8,901 Signatures
(240 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
264 Signatures
(198 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
5,516 Signatures
(185 in the last 7 days)
Petitions with most signatures
Petition Open
8,901 Signatures
(240 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
5,516 Signatures
(185 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
5,080 Signatures
(273 in the last 7 days)
Petition Debates Contributed
103,653
Petition Closed
4 May 2025
closed 5 months, 2 weeks ago

I am calling on the UK government to remove abortion from criminal law so that no pregnant person can be criminalised for procuring their own abortion.

View All Ministry of Justice Petitions

Departmental Select Committee

Justice Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Justice Committee
Andy Slaughter Portrait
Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Justice Committee Member since 11th September 2024
Mike Tapp Portrait
Mike Tapp (Labour - Dover and Deal)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Neil Shastri-Hurst Portrait
Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Sarah Russell Portrait
Sarah Russell (Labour - Congleton)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Warinder Juss Portrait
Warinder Juss (Labour - Wolverhampton West)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Ashley Fox Portrait
Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Linsey Farnsworth Portrait
Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Pam Cox Portrait
Pam Cox (Labour - Colchester)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Tessa Munt Portrait
Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Justice Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Josh Babarinde Portrait
Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Justice Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Matt Bishop Portrait
Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Justice Committee Member since 17th March 2025
Justice Committee: Upcoming Events
Justice Committee - Private Meeting
22 Oct 2025, 10 a.m.
View calendar - Save to Calendar
Justice Committee: Previous Inquiries
Constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies The work of the Lord Chancellor Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on prison, probation and court systems Ageing prison population Joint Enterprise: Follow-Up Mesothelioma claims The work of the Lord Chief Justice The work of the Youth Justice Board Manorial rights The work of the Administrative Justice Forum Women offenders: follow-up session The work of the Secretary of State: one-off Work of the Court of Protection The work of the Judicial Appointments Commission The work of the Parole Board Impact of changes to civil legal aid under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 Prisons: planning and policies Scrutiny Hearing: Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints Older Prisoners: follow-up MOJ Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14 and related matters Criminal Cases Review Commission Follow up session on crime reduction policies and Transforming Rehabilitation Pre-appointment of new HM Chief Inspector of CPS Robbery Offences Guideline: Consultation Work of the Justice Committee during the 2010-2015 Parliament Health and safety offences, corporate manslaughter and food safety and hygiene offences guidelines consultation The work of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Work of HM Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service The work of the Attorney General Ministry of Justice report and accounts 2014-15 and related matters Work of Secretary of State for Justice Courts and tribunals fees and charges inquiry Young adult offenders inquiry Restorative justice inquiry Role of the magistracy inquiry Prison safety one-off evidence session Pre-appointment scrutiny Youth Justice Women Offenders Crown Dependencies: developments since 2010 Older prisoners Crime reduction policies: a co-ordinated approach? Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 EU Data Protection Framework Proposals Role of the Probation Service Court closures and other issues within the Minister's remit Operation of the Family Courts Access to Justice Draft Sentencing Guideline: Drug Offences and Burglary The Annual Report of the Sentencing Council Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council Ministry of Justice measures in the JHA block opt-out Prison reform inquiry Legal Services Regulation Criminal justice inspectorates and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Radicalisation in prisons and other prison matters Pre-appointment scrutiny of the Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission Law of homicide Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16 The Work of the Secretary of State Work of the Serious Fraud Office Children and young people in custody Disclosure of youth criminal records inquiry Implications of Brexit for the justice system inquiry Work of the Crown Prosecution Service HM Inspectorate of Prisons' relationship with the Ministry of Justice The Lord Chief Justice's report for 2015 Prison reform The work of the Law Commission The work of the sentencing council The Lord Chief Justice's report for 2017 inquiry The work of the Ministry of Justice Work of the Parole Board Young adults in the criminal justice system; and youth custodial estate Pre-legislative scrutiny: draft personal injury discount rate legislation inquiry Transforming Rehabilitation inquiry Prison Population 2022: planning for the future inquiry Employment tribunal fees Work of the Crown Prosecution Service Work of the Serious Fraud Office Work of the Victims' Commissioner Implications of Brexit for the Crown Dependencies inquiry Lord Chief Justice's report 2016 Government consultation on soft tissue injury claims Courts and tribunals fees follow-up Transforming Rehabilitation inquiry Pre-appointment hearing: Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints Personal injury: whiplash and the small claims limits inquiry Work of the Prison Service inquiry The work of the Lord Chancellor inquiry Work of the Victims' Commissioner inquiry Ageing prison population - inquiry Children and young people in custody - inquiry Prison governance inquiry HM Chief Inspector of Probation inquiry The work of the Solicitor General inquiry Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 inquiry Progress in the implementation of the Lammy Review's recommendations inquiry Pre-appointment hearing for HM Chief Inspector of Probation inquiry Court and Tribunal Reforms inquiry Work of the Attorney General inquiry Bailiffs: Enforcement of debt inquiry Serious Fraud Office inquiry Director of Public Prosecutions, Crown Prosecution Service - evidence session The Lord Chief Justice's Report for 2018 inquiry The role of the magistracy – follow up inquiry HMP Birmingham inquiry The implications of Brexit for the justice system: follow-up inquiry Pre-commencement hearing: Chair of the Parole Board inquiry Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 inquiry Pre-appointment hearing: Prisons and Probation Ombudsman inquiry The work of the Law Commission Criminal legal aid Disclosure of evidence in criminal cases inquiry Small claims limit for personal injury inquiry The transparency of Parole Board decisions and involvement of victims in the process HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on HMP Liverpool Private prosecutions: safeguards The Coroner Service The future of the Probation Service Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Victims Bill Public opinion and understanding of sentencing The prison operational workforce Whiplash Reform and the Official Injury Claim service Future prison population and estate capacity The use of pre-recorded cross-examination under Section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 Work of the County Court Regulation of the legal professions The Coroner Service: follow-up Probate Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending Tackling drugs in prisons: supply, demand and treatment Access to Justice Ageing prison population Bailiffs: Enforcement of debt Children and young people in custody Court and Tribunal Reforms Criminal legal aid Work of the Crown Prosecution Service Director of Public Prosecutions Employment tribunal fees HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on HMP Liverpool HMP Birmingham The implications of Brexit for the justice system: follow-up Prison governance HM Chief Inspector of Probation Progress in the implementation of the Lammy Review's recommendations Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 The Lord Chief Justice's Report for 2018 Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 Work of the Parole Board Pre-appointment hearing for HM Chief Inspector of Probation Pre-commencement hearing: Chair of the Parole Board Prison Population 2022: planning for the future The role of the magistracy – follow up Serious Fraud Office Transforming Rehabilitation Transparency of Parole Board decisions Work of the Victims' Commissioner Work of the Attorney General The work of the Law Commission The work of the Ministry of Justice The work of the Solicitor General Work of the Serious Fraud Office Young adults in the criminal justice system The work of the Lord Chancellor Work of the Prison Service The Lord Chief Justice's report for 2017 inquiry

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

15th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by staff in his Department between (i) 5 July 2024 and 4th July 2025 and (ii) since 5th July 2025.

Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, 807 devices were reported as lost or stolen, totalling 0.47% of the estate. Since 5 July 2025, 219 devices (0.13% of the estate) have been reported as lost or stolen.

Strong safeguards are in place to protect Ministry of Justice data and we continually review our processes.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the Freedom of Information request dated 13 August 2025 submitted by the Hon. Member for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge.

The Ministry of Justice answered this request for information on 17 October 2025.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.

Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.

Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers.

People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career, contributing to the Opportunity Mission and to the wider economy.

Over the past year, the Ministry of Justice has delivered targeted recruitment initiatives to support underrepresented groups through our Life Chance Pathways. These schemes are:

  • Going Forward into Employment scheme and the Probation Employment Pathway, which provide opportunities for prison leavers and individuals with convictions;

  • Going Forward into Employment Care Leavers pathway, designed for care-experienced individuals; and

  • Advance into Justice programme, which supports service leavers and veterans.

These pathways provide tailored support and fair access to employment opportunities across the Department for individuals who face barriers to work.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice participates in the Civil Service Care Leaver Internship Scheme (‘Launch’), a cross-Government initiative led by the Department for Education. This scheme provides 18-month Administrative Officer (AO) or Executive Officer (EO) internships to help young care-experienced individuals gain valuable work experience and progress into employment.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted for (a) knowing or suspecting and (b) having reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that another person is engaging in money laundering and failing to make a disclosure as soon as practicable to the bank’s nominated officer in each of the last 15 years.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on those convicted of “knowing or suspecting” or “having reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that another person is engaging in money laundering and failing to make a disclosure as soon as practicable”.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of convictions each year for offences as listed in the Offence Group Classification - this includes those related to money laundering.  This information is available in the "Outcomes by offence" tool which is available here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK". This link also contains the Offence Group Classification.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of repealing the Human Rights Act 1998 on the efficiency of deportations.

The Human Rights Act is an important part of our constitutional arrangements and fundamental to human rights protections in the UK. It will remain part of our law.

As set out in our Immigration White Paper, we will legislate to reform our approach to the application of Article 8 ECHR in the immigration system, and we are also reviewing the application of Article 3 in immigration and extradition cases. This will ensure the correct balance is struck between individual rights and the wider public interest in controlling migration.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether it is his policy that offenders to be deported under Clause 32 in the Sentencing Bill would be required to serve any custodial sentence in their home country.

The Sentencing Bill will amend the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) to allow eligible Foreign National Offenders (FNO) serving determinate sentences to be removed from prison for the purposes of immediate deportation any time after sentencing. FNOs removed under ERS are not subject to further imprisonment after they are removed from the UK but are barred from ever returning to the UK. If they return unlawfully, they will be liable to serve the rest of their sentence from the point they were deported.

Those serving life and other indeterminate sentences are not eligible for removal under ERS. Offenders serving a terrorism or terrorism-connected offence are also excluded from removal. ERS can be refused by HMPPS in certain circumstances for example if there is serious evidence an offender is planning a further crime.

Prisoner Transfer Agreements, where prisoners continue to serve their sentence in their home countries, will still be used in certain circumstances where we have an agreement in place and there is cooperation with the receiving country. Enhancing our prisoner transfer capability with partner countries remains important to the Ministry of Justice.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the number of RASSO trained judges and advocates in the West Mercia region.

We commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to propose bold and ambitious measures to deliver swifter justice for victims, including for victims of sexual violence, in his Independent Review of Criminal Courts. This Review will make recommendations to ensure there is sufficient capacity within the courts to address the record Crown Court caseload, which this Government inherited, across all case types - including rape and other sexual offences. Work on Part 2 of the report, which is looking at how the criminal courts can operate as efficiently as possible, is underway. We expect it to be finalised this year.

Statutory responsibility for judicial training in the courts is held by the Lady Chief Justice. This responsibility is fulfilled by the Judicial College. All judges authorised to hear serious sexual offence (SSO) cases must complete the relevant induction training course before starting to sit and regular continuation training every three years. Presiding judges undertake an annual assessment of the business need for authorised SSO ticketed judges within their respective circuits and new approvals are decided by the senior judiciary.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Advocate Panel is a time limited list of quality assured advocates to undertake criminal prosecution advocacy for CPS. Positive changes made by the CPS to the application process in May 2024 have seen rape and serious sexual offence (RASSO) advocate Panel membership increase by 51%. This includes a 38% increase in advocates prosecuting on the Midlands Circuit. These advocates have received CPS accredited RASSO training within the last 3 years and can demonstrate the experience and ability to undertake RASSO cases.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will outline the (a) type and (b) length of sentences being served by foreign national offenders in prisons in England and Wales.

Details of sentences being served by foreign national offenders are published as part of the Ministry of Justice’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly. The information requested can be found at Table 1_A_24 in the Annual Prison Population tables at the following link: prison-population-30-June-2025.ods.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign national offenders are serving life sentences.

Details of sentences being served by foreign national offenders are published as part of the Ministry of Justice’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly. The information requested can be found at Table 1_A_24 in the Annual Prison Population tables at the following link: prison-population-30-June-2025.ods.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance he has issued to sexual assault survivors on the utility of self-swab rape kits in the criminal justice process.

Victims of sexual violence are encouraged to attend a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), where trained professionals can provide holistic care and collect forensic evidence in line with established standards. SARCs operate within the framework of the criminal justice system and are equipped to support victims in preserving evidence and accessing justice.

The Ministry of Justice is aware that self-swab kits are being marketed to the public as a means of collecting DNA following sexual violence. These kits are in no way associated with any government department or criminal justice agency, and there is no government guidance about their usage.

We are aware of concerns raised about the promotion of self-swab kits, including those outlined in position statements by the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine and Rape Crisis England & Wales. Support is available for victims of rape through SARCs and the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line.

We remain committed to tackling sexual violence and achieving the best outcomes for victims, in line with our goal to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
15th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that reforms to judicial review do not adversely impact access to justice for local communities challenging Government decisions on infrastructure projects.

The ability to challenge the lawfulness of Government decisions and those of other public bodies is fundamental to the rule of law. The Government remains committed to this principle.

Under the changes being taken forward in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) judicial reviews, only claimants whose cases are deemed ‘totally without merit’ at the oral permission stage in the High Court will be prevented from appealing to the Court of Appeal. In other cases, the claimant can appeal the refusal of permission.

The Government is also working with the judiciary to take forward a number of other procedural changes to speed up the process for NSIP judicial reviews, such as target timescales, to ensure such cases are dealt with promptly. This can benefit all parties, including claimants.

These reforms are about ensuring cases move through the courts more quickly and efficiently, not about limiting the ability for the public to challenge decisions.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to bring the financial threshold for electing for trial by jury for theft in line with that for charges of criminal damage.

In Part I of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, published July 9, Sir Brian Leveson recommends reclassifying certain triable either-way offences, including theft offences. We will set out our response to this and other aspects of his report in due course.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department plans to take to improve the employment tribunal process.

We recognise that there remain significant challenges for the performance of the Employment Tribunals. We are working with the judiciary and across Government with

His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), Acas and the Department of Business and Trade on actions to improve performance in the Employment Tribunals.

HMCTS continues to invest in improving Employment Tribunal processes through the recruitment of additional judges, deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. A ‘Virtual Region’ of judges has delivered over 1,500 extra sitting days. We are encouraging the uptake of mediation to help individuals resolve their employment issues at the earliest opportunity.

Following recruitment, in 2024 we had 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and further recruitment for up to 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee paid employment judges were appointed in 2024 and recruitment will commence for another 50 in early 2026. As a result, the Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March a sitting day allocation for the Employment Tribunals of 33,900 in 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.

The Government is clear that everyone should have access to Employment Tribunals, to challenge unfair behaviour at work. We recently reiterated this commitment, by announcing that bringing forward a case to an Employment Tribunal will remain free, to ensure that everyone can stand up for their rights at work, no matter their means.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73118 on Social Security and Child Support Tribunal: ICT, whether her Department has undertaken retrospective sampling of closed cases to assess for undetected outcome-affecting errors arising from the IT failure.

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has expanded its checks using new digital tools to analyse the full period affected – covering around 700,000 cases – to determine whether any were impacted and to what extent. Based on the first phase of this additional assurance work, which reviewed a sample of 455 potentially affected cases, one has been found to be missing a document where the judge has confirmed it could have affected the case outcome. The parties involved have been contacted directly and offered the opportunity to request that the decision be set aside and the case reheard. As the assurance work continues, HMCTS will contact any additional parties whose case outcomes may have been affected.

The CEO of HMCTS will write to the Justice Select Committee once the assurance process concludes, setting out the total number of affected cases, parties contacted, and outcome of any follow-up action.

The Department remains committed to transparency and to safeguarding the integrity of judicial decision-making. Since the response provided on 22 September 2025, the Ministry of Justice has been conducting an internal assessment of the HMCTS Core Case Data issue.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73120 on HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Data Protection, how many people whose cases may have been affected have (a) been identified and (b) been notified and (c) have yet to be contacted.

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has expanded its checks using new digital tools to analyse the full period affected – covering around 700,000 cases – to determine whether any were impacted and to what extent. Based on the first phase of this additional assurance work, which reviewed a sample of 455 potentially affected cases, one has been found to be missing a document where the judge has confirmed it could have affected the case outcome. The parties involved have been contacted directly and offered the opportunity to request that the decision be set aside and the case reheard. As the assurance work continues, HMCTS will contact any additional parties whose case outcomes may have been affected.

The CEO of HMCTS will write to the Justice Select Committee once the assurance process concludes, setting out the total number of affected cases, parties contacted, and outcome of any follow-up action.

The Department remains committed to transparency and to safeguarding the integrity of judicial decision-making. Since the response provided on 22 September 2025, the Ministry of Justice has been conducting an internal assessment of the HMCTS Core Case Data issue.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73115 on HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Data Protection, whether her Department will commission an independent review to verify that there has been no impact on case outcomes to date.

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has expanded its checks using new digital tools to analyse the full period affected – covering around 700,000 cases – to determine whether any were impacted and to what extent. Based on the first phase of this additional assurance work, which reviewed a sample of 455 potentially affected cases, one has been found to be missing a document where the judge has confirmed it could have affected the case outcome. The parties involved have been contacted directly and offered the opportunity to request that the decision be set aside and the case reheard. As the assurance work continues, HMCTS will contact any additional parties whose case outcomes may have been affected.

The CEO of HMCTS will write to the Justice Select Committee once the assurance process concludes, setting out the total number of affected cases, parties contacted, and outcome of any follow-up action.

The Department remains committed to transparency and to safeguarding the integrity of judicial decision-making. Since the response provided on 22 September 2025, the Ministry of Justice has been conducting an internal assessment of the HMCTS Core Case Data issue.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving who have been charged with subsequent motoring offences.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences, including death by dangerous driving in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2024 - GOV.UK.

It is not possible to identify those convicted of dangerous driving who go on to be charged with a subsequent motoring offence without exceeding the disproportionate cost limit. This is because we would need to examine the court records for all those convicted of dangerous driving.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to publish a response to the Civil Justice Council's report entitled Review of Litigation Funding, published on 2 June 2025.

The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice. That is why we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.

The Civil Justice Council’s review will help inform the Government’s approach to any potential reforms in this area. The Government welcomes this review and is carefully considering the detailed recommendations in the final report . We will outline next steps in due course.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of employment tribunals; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of delays on claimants aged over 50 seeking redress for unfair dismissal.

We recognise that there are significant demand pressures on the Employment Tribunals and are working with the judiciary, HMCTS and Department for Business and Trade on actions to alleviate pressures. For example, we are investing in tribunal productivity through the development of modern case management systems, encouraging the uptake of mediation, and the continued use of remote hearing technology, as well as the recruitment of additional judges and deployment of legal officers.

In 2024, we had 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and further recruitment for up to 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee paid employment judges were appointed in 2024 and recruitment will commence for another 50 in early 2026. As a result, the previous Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March a sitting day allocation for the Employment Tribunals of 33,900 in 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.

Of the complaints brought to the ET involving unfair dismissal, a small proportion are successful at hearing. The majority of ET complaints involving unfair dismissal are settled, withdrawn, dismissed or decided in favour of the respondent (usually the employer) at hearing. In addition, not all unfair dismissal cases are brought to the Employment Tribunal, with some cases being resolved through Acas. The latest data on the number of early conciliation notifications that are received by Acas for unfair dismissal is published annually, and can be found at: https://www.acas.org.uk/about-us/annual-report.

The Ministry of Justice does not have a breakdown of Employment Tribunal statistics by age, however there is published data available on unfair dismissal, as well as age discrimination claims here: Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2024 - GOV.UK.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the condition of court buildings.

This Government inherited a crumbling court estate – a symbol of a crumbling justice system. Historical underfunding over the last 14 years has resulted in challenges across the court and tribunal estate, with an estimated maintenance backlog of £1.3 billion.

It is vital that the infrastructure of our courts and tribunals does not prevent hearings from taking place and that court conditions are acceptable for the staff who serve within the system and the public that are served by it. It is a government priority to ensure that cases can be heard, and victims can be given the justice that they deserve. That is why this Government announced a boost in court and tribunal capital maintenance and project funding from £120 million last year, to £148.5 million for 2025/26.

HMCTS keeps the condition of court buildings under review. Maintenance funding is prioritised to meet operational priorities and make sure our courts and tribunal are safe, secure, meet statutory requirements and protect continuity of service We are also investing in the courts of the future - delivering new, modern and sustainable buildings that meet the needs of a changing justice system. This includes the new 18 courtroom City of London Law Courts, a new 30 hearing room London Tribunals building, and a purpose-built Magistrates’ and County Court in Blackpool.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Parole Board on the involvement of victims in early parole release decisions.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release.

It is important in the parole process that victims’ voices are heard and that they receive information and support to understand how the Parole Board reaches its decisions. We work closely with the Board on victims’ involvement and how to ensure their rights under the Victims’ Code and Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 are being met. This includes the right for victims to submit a Victim Personal Statement to the Parole Board explaining how the crime has affected them and their families. Eligible victims may also make representations about licence conditions imposed on offenders when released and, since 1 April 2025, we have worked with the Parole Board on measures to support victims to apply to observe parole hearings. Throughout the process victims are kept updated and given support by their Victim Liaison Officer, where they have signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme operated by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal behaviour orders have been issued in each local justice area in each of the last five years.

The number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued broken down by local justice area, police force area, sex, age, and the requested ethnicities for the last five years are provided in the attached tables.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order in the ‘Outcomes by Offences data tool’, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to state what proportion of orders are breached, as the data does not track individuals who were issued a Criminal Behaviour Order and then subsequently breached the order – they are recorded separately.

Policy responsibility for Criminal Behaviour Orders is a matter for the Home Office.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of trends in variations in the use of criminal behaviour orders across police force areas.

The number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued broken down by local justice area, police force area, sex, age, and the requested ethnicities for the last five years are provided in the attached tables.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order in the ‘Outcomes by Offences data tool’, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to state what proportion of orders are breached, as the data does not track individuals who were issued a Criminal Behaviour Order and then subsequently breached the order – they are recorded separately.

Policy responsibility for Criminal Behaviour Orders is a matter for the Home Office.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal behaviour orders have been issued to (a) male and (b) female offenders in each of the last five years.

The number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued broken down by local justice area, police force area, sex, age, and the requested ethnicities for the last five years are provided in the attached tables.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order in the ‘Outcomes by Offences data tool’, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to state what proportion of orders are breached, as the data does not track individuals who were issued a Criminal Behaviour Order and then subsequently breached the order – they are recorded separately.

Policy responsibility for Criminal Behaviour Orders is a matter for the Home Office.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal behaviour orders have been issued to offenders in (a) under 18, (b) 18-24, (c) 25-34, (d) 35-44, (e) 45-54 and (f) 55+ age groups in each of the last five years.

The number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued broken down by local justice area, police force area, sex, age, and the requested ethnicities for the last five years are provided in the attached tables.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order in the ‘Outcomes by Offences data tool’, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to state what proportion of orders are breached, as the data does not track individuals who were issued a Criminal Behaviour Order and then subsequently breached the order – they are recorded separately.

Policy responsibility for Criminal Behaviour Orders is a matter for the Home Office.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal behaviour orders have been issued to (a) White British, (b) Asian, (c) Black, (d) Chinese, (e) Arab and (f) other ethnic group offenders in each of the last five years.

The number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued broken down by local justice area, police force area, sex, age, and the requested ethnicities for the last five years are provided in the attached tables.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order in the ‘Outcomes by Offences data tool’, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to state what proportion of orders are breached, as the data does not track individuals who were issued a Criminal Behaviour Order and then subsequently breached the order – they are recorded separately.

Policy responsibility for Criminal Behaviour Orders is a matter for the Home Office.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many breaches of Criminal Behaviour Orders have been recorded in each of the last five years, by (a) age group, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity of the offender.

The number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued broken down by local justice area, police force area, sex, age, and the requested ethnicities for the last five years are provided in the attached tables.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order in the ‘Outcomes by Offences data tool’, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to state what proportion of orders are breached, as the data does not track individuals who were issued a Criminal Behaviour Order and then subsequently breached the order – they are recorded separately.

Policy responsibility for Criminal Behaviour Orders is a matter for the Home Office.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued in each of the last five years were subsequently breached; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of these Orders in reducing reoffending.

The number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued broken down by local justice area, police force area, sex, age, and the requested ethnicities for the last five years are provided in the attached tables.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order in the ‘Outcomes by Offences data tool’, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to state what proportion of orders are breached, as the data does not track individuals who were issued a Criminal Behaviour Order and then subsequently breached the order – they are recorded separately.

Policy responsibility for Criminal Behaviour Orders is a matter for the Home Office.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been granted early parole in each of the last five years; and how many prisoners granted early parole subsequently committed (a) violent and (b) sexual offences in each of the last five years.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release.

The information on how many prisoners have been granted parole can be found at: The Parole Board for England & Wales Annual Report 2024/25 - GOV.UK.

We have interpreted ‘subsequently committed (a) violent and (b) sexual offence’ as those qualifying offences under the Probation Serious Further Offence (SFO) Procedures as set out in Annex A of the SFO Policy Framework: Probation Service Serious Further Offence procedures Policy Framework - GOV.UK.

The table below sets out the total number of convictions for a) violent offence or b) a sexual offence, where the offender was released by the Parole Board (either from an indeterminate sentence, an extended sentence or following a recall to custody) and where cases were notified to HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2023.

Year

  1. Violent offences

  1. Sexual offences

2018-2019

16

9

2019-2020

17

11

2020-2021

10

5

2021-2022

18

12

2022-2023

11

7

  1. Figures are based on conviction data that was produced on 30 September 2024.

  1. Data are based on the year the notification of the SFO was received by HMPPS and not the date of conviction.

  1. Violent and sexual offences are defined by the Serious Further Offences Policy Framework and do not include all violent or sexual offences. The list can be accessed at annex A via the following link Serious_Further_Offences_2024.ods

  1. The number of SFO cases released by the Parole Board include those released from indeterminate sentences, extended sentences for public protection and those released following a recall to custody.

  1. SFO cases don’t necessarily come from the general Parole Board releases. If the Parole Board released people in 2022/23, it does not mean the 2022/23 SFO cases came from those Parole Board releases.

  1. Provisional figures are subject to change as outstanding cases are concluded at court.

  1. Data Sources and Quality. We have drawn these figures from administrative IT systems which, as with some large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Figures are published based on the date of SFO notification (ie, when the offender was charged with an SFO) as received by the National SFO Team in HMPPS. The lag between the date of publication and the conviction figures is to allow time for most cases to complete the criminal justice process. Conviction Figures for 2023/2024 will be published on 30 October 2025.

SFOs are incredibly rare, with fewer than 0.5% of offenders supervised by the Probation Service going on to commit serious further offences but each one is investigated fully so we can take action where necessary.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of excluding people convicted of violent offences from early parole eligibility.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release. Eligibility for release at the discretion of the Parole Board is determined by the type of sentence a prisoner is serving. All prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence – life or imprisonment for public protection (IPP) – must serve the minimum term in prison set by the judge before they become eligible to be considered for parole. Prisoners serving an extended determinate sentence (EDS) or sentence for offenders of particular concern (SOPC) must serve two-thirds of their custodial term in prison before being referred to the Parole Board to consider release. By their nature, sentences which involve release by the Parole Board are imposed on the most serious and dangerous offenders, including those convicted of violent offences. In all cases, the Parole Board may only direct release if they are satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the offender remain confined.

The recent Independent Sentencing Review recommended that EDS prisoners should be subject to a new ‘progression model’ but the Government rejected that proposal because we do not think it would be right to allow for prisoners who have been deemed dangerous by the courts to have their parole eligibility date brought forward.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of early parole release decisions on (a) victim wellbeing and (b) public confidence in the criminal justice system.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release. Most prisoners, even those who have committed serious offences, will become eligible for release once they have served the minimum term of their sentence set by the court. We know that Parole Board decisions can be difficult for victims but we are committed to ensuring victims understand release decisions, can contribute to the process and are supported through it. This support is provided to eligible victims through the Victim Contact Scheme which includes Victim Liaison Officers who offer tailored guidance, keep victims informed, and help them navigate the parole process.

A number of changes have been made to the parole process in recent years including the introduction of decision summaries which can be provided by the Parole Board, the Reconsideration Mechanism (which allows parties to a case to ask for Parole Board decisions to be looked at again), public parole hearings and the ability for victims to apply to observe private hearings. We support these and other measures to improve transparency, victim involvement and public confidence in the system.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of probation staff pay, in the context of the (a) workload and (b) public safety responsibilities of probation staff.

We are committed to supporting probation staff and value their hard work, commitment and dedication. We recognise that fair and competitive pay is essential not only for staff wellbeing and retention, but also for maintaining the resilience of the Probation Service in its critical public safety role.

In recent years, we have made significant investments in pay through a multi-year pay deal (2022–2025), which provided certainty in pay increases and addressed longstanding structural issues. In June 2025, we secured exceptional agreement to pay the Competency Based Framework (CBF) Progression element of the award to eligible staff, recognising their contribution during a period of exceptional operational pressure.

We are currently working with senior leaders, ministers and recognised Trade Unions to agree the best possible outcome for the 2025/26 pay award, in line with Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance and our priorities for attraction and retention.

We also recognise the link between pay, workload and public safety. To address workload pressures, we have implemented initiatives such as “Probation Reset” and “Impact” and launched the “Our Future Probation Service” programme, which aims to reduce workload by 25% by April 2027. Recruitment remains a priority, with significant numbers of probation officer trainees onboarded in 2024/25 and a commitment to onboard a further 1,300 by March 2026.

These efforts are supported by a new wellbeing support model across HMPPS, including regional plans such as the Midlands wellbeing strategy, to ensure staff are supported in delivering their vital public safety responsibilities.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking with the Parole Board to ensure that (a) victims and (b) their families have a key role in the decision-making process in early parole release hearings.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release. The Ministry of Justice and the Parole Board are committed to ensuring victims, and their families in the case of deceased victims, can participate in and are supported through the parole decision-making process. As part of this commitment, a national policy was rolled out earlier this year to enable victims to apply to observe parole hearings remotely, supported by trained staff from the Victim Contact Scheme. Victims also have the right to submit a Victim Personal Statement, which may be read aloud during the hearing and eligible victims can make representations about licence conditions imposed on offenders when they are released. There is also a process by which victims can make representations to the Secretary of State if they think there are grounds for the Secretary of State to apply for a release decision to be reconsidered by the Parole Board. These measures aim to improve transparency, support victim engagement, and ensure their voices are heard throughout the parole process.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the the potential merits of increasing prison educators pay in line with their counterparts in other further education workplaces.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the vital role prison educators play in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Prison educators are employed by Further Education or Training Providers contracted to deliver education in custody. As such, their pay and terms and conditions are set by those providers. Providers typically align prison educator pay with equivalent roles in community-based further education settings.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled AI action plan for justice, published on 31 July 2025, what progress he has made in strengthening partnerships with criminal justice partners on a collective response to AI-enabled criminality.

The Criminal Justice Action Group, chaired by the Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary and attended by core criminal justice partners (the police, Home Office, AGO, CPS, Judicial Office, HMCTS and HMPPS), is actively considering the risks to the criminal justice system of AI-enabled criminality and a collective response. This is part of the Government’s wider response to tackling AI enabled crime and emerging risks from AI, working closely with the AI sector, law enforcement and international partners.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled IA action plan for justice, published on 31 July 2025, what progress he has made in linking offender data through (a) BOLD and (b) Data First programmes.

Using ‘Splink’ (Splink: MoJ’s open source library for probabilistic record linkage at scale - GOV.UK), the Department has made significant progress in linking offender data through both the BOLD and Data First programmes, as follows:

  1. Through BOLD: Data has been shared and linked across Government Departments and other agencies to produce 16 offender-related datasets linking cases and people across contact with the criminal courts, police, prisons, and probation services, drug treatment services, local authorities (in relation to homelessness) as well as assessments of offender risks and needs and child benefit. To date, these datasets have been used to address key critical evidence gaps in policy (leading to 8 offender-related analytical publications), and to develop new operational tools for frontline staff. Details on the BOLD programme and its outputs to date can be found at: Ministry of Justice: Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) - GOV.UK. More recently, BOLD have developed a software package, Laurium, which uses AI to extract structured insights from free-text data (like case notes), thereby extracting more value from linked datasets.

  1. Through Data First: The Ministry of Justice has linked and shared eight justice datasets, connecting cases and people across civil, family and criminal courts, prisons, and probation services, as well as assessments of offender risks and needs. These datasets are made available to accredited academic researchers via trusted research environments, facilitating powerful new research insights both within individual domains, where repeat service users can be identified for the first time, as well as on end-to-end cross justice system journeys. To date, this has resulted in over 50 academic projects. Details on Data First datasets and outputs to date can be found at: Ministry of Justice: Data First - GOV.UK.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled AI action plan for justice, published on 31 July 2025, what progress he has made in establishing a (a) single and (b) secure identity for each individual within the criminal justice system.

We are continuing to explore the potential for a single, secure digital identity for each person interacting with the justice system. The Core Person Record service, which links existing data across courts, prisons and probation, is currently being piloted and represents an early step towards this ambition. Delivering a single, secure identity will form part of a wider programme of long-term transformation, supported by investment in data quality, interoperability and infrastructure across the justice system.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the provisions in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will apply to (a) town and (b) parish councillors.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill reforms abolish the common law offence of misconduct in public office and introduce two new offences: seriously improper acts and breach of duty to prevent death or serious injury. These new offences apply to elected officials, including town and parish councillors.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
15th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions in the last 24 months have prisoners at HMP Downview left the secure perimeter without formal authorisation.

There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.

The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.

Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
15th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will take steps to review systems of prisoner management in place at HMP Downview in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.

There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.

The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.

Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
15th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of staff training and management at HMP Downview, in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.

There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.

The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.

Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
15th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of whether HMP Downview is capable of effectively keeping the female prisoners safe from the biological male prisoners sharing the same facilities and services, in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.

The incident referred to did not involve a prisoner on E Wing, and does not affect the management of the unit.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
15th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the security breach in October 2025 involving an unauthorised prisoner departure at HMP Downview involved a prisoner housed in the prison’s E Wing.

The incident referred to did not involve a prisoner on E Wing, and does not affect the management of the unit.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the standard of education delivered in (a) prisons and (b) young offender institutions.

Improving education standards in prisons and young offender institutions (YOIs) is a priority for the Ministry of Justice. Governors and Heads of Education, Skills and Work tailor provision to meet local needs, supported by regional managers and strengthened oversight of contracts. Investment in digital infrastructure is widening access across the estate to enable secure and flexible learning opportunities. Governors can commission both enrichment and vocational courses via the Dynamic Purchasing System, and pathways to employment are further supported by apprenticeships and the Future Skills Programme which provides short-sector specific training opportunities in areas like construction and waste management for those nearing the end of their sentence and provides a guaranteed job interview on release. Ofsted and HMIP feedback are closely monitored, and establishments are held to account for improvements.

To support inclusive education, all prisons, including YOIs, have Neurodiversity Support Managers, and public YOIs have qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators. The Youth Custody Service has launched ‘Roadmaps to Effective Practice’ in partnership with NHS England, education providers and psychology services, focused on improving safety, behaviour and education. Each YOI has a site-specific plan for education with performance monitored, and broad, balanced curriculums are being developed to support trauma-informed child-centred rehabilitation.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much capacity within the prison estate will be created via the deportation of foreign national offenders by 31 December 2025.

The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is a priority of this Government. Deporting FNOs as quickly as possible protects the public, reduces pressures on prison capacity and lessens the associated expense to the taxpayer.

From 5 July 2024 to 4 July 2025 there were 2,632 Early Removal Scheme (ERS) removals from prison, which is a 10% increase compared to the 2,385 in the same period 12 months prior.

And this Government is going further: on 23 September we changed the law to reduce the time that FNOs must serve in prison before removal to 30% of their prison sentence. In steady state we expect this change will free up approximately 500 additional prison spaces a year.

Additionally, the Sentencing Bill currently before Parliament proposes to remove the minimum time to serve requirement altogether so that FNOs can be eligible for deportation immediately after they are sentenced.

The timing of when prison place savings will be realised from deporting FNOs is dependent on the Home Office’s rate of removals which will continue to be monitored over the coming months.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department will provide protective body armour to all prison officers working in (a) long‑term and (b) high‑security prisons.

His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has committed to delivering the Deputy Prime Minister's pledge to equip up to 10,000 staff with protective body armour (PBA). The provision of custom-made body armour to prison officers in the long-term and high-security estate (LTHSE) represents a significant undertaking. Our priority is to ensure we continue to provide the most appropriate and effective protective equipment, as swiftly as possible. We are currently preparing for further procurement and delivery into the long-term high security estate. This work is progressing at pace, and we expect to begin rollout across the estate during 2026.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the gross annual income threshold for exemption from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees remaining unchanged for several years on low-income people whose primary income is from Employment and Support Allowance.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.

The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.

This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.

If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.

The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.

Financial Year

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

2025/26 (YTD)

Exemptions

14,376

13,967

14,415

14,213

9,637

Remissions

2,162

1,998

1,972

1,857

997

Total

16,538

15,965

16,387

16,070

10,634

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance have (a) qualified for and (b) ceased to qualify for exemption from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees in each of the last five years.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.

The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.

This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.

If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.

The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.

Financial Year

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

2025/26 (YTD)

Exemptions

14,376

13,967

14,415

14,213

9,637

Remissions

2,162

1,998

1,972

1,857

997

Total

16,538

15,965

16,387

16,070

10,634

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were exempt from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees in each of the last five years.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.

The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.

This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.

If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.

The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.

Financial Year

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

2025/26 (YTD)

Exemptions

14,376

13,967

14,415

14,213

9,637

Remissions

2,162

1,998

1,972

1,857

997

Total

16,538

15,965

16,387

16,070

10,634

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