Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether civil servants in the Ministry of Justice have been allowed or instructed to continue working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill when this parliamentary session ends.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Once the current parliamentary session ends, civil servants will cease to work on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Any remaining activity is limited to the management of parliamentary business and correspondence. This may include tasks such as responding to Parliamentary Questions and maintaining appropriate records, in line with normal procedures.
Asked by: Lord Meston (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the context of the Civil Justice Council's review of litigation funding and the Government's plans to regulate litigation funding, (1) what definition of litigation funding agreements they propose to adopt; (2) whether portfolio funding will be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a form of loan in line with the Council's recommendation 28, or under any proposed litigation funding regulations; and (3) what steps they are taking to ensure that both forms of funding are subject to appropriate and distinct regulatory oversight.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council’s (CJC) review and is carefully considering all its recommendations.
As announced on 17 December 2025, the Government’s priority is to accept the CJC’s two primary recommendations and legislate to clarify that Litigation Funding Agreements (LFAs) are not Damages-Based Agreements and introduce light-touch regulation of LFAs. As we determine the appropriate form of regulation, we will consider the most suitable definition of a LFA. We will continue to engage with stakeholders as we develop this policy to ensure that any future framework provides for proportionate and effective regulation.
Once this work has been completed, we will consider the CJC’s remaining recommendations, including those relating to portfolio funding, in more detail. We will provide further information in due course.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect a reduction in the average time it takes for a landlord to regain possession through the courts as a result of the Renters' Rights Act 2025; and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly possession statistics which monitor the volume and timeliness of possession claims in the County Court. The Civil Procedure Rules state that possession hearings should be listed between 4 and 8 weeks of a claim being issued. The latest possession statistics for October to December 2025, show a mean average of 7.3 weeks from claim to order, down from 8.0 weeks for the same period in 2024.
In the longer term, we expect the reforms to reduce the volume of possession claims as only those cases where there is a clear, well-evidenced ground for possession will be able to proceed. We are also developing a new digital possession service – doing away with outdated paper processes and reducing the chance of mistakes being made.
The timeliness of the court possession process is influenced by a number of factors including user behaviour.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants in the Ministry of Justice are working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The number of civil servants working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has varied over time. As of 21 April 2026, there were 2.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) officials in the Ministry of Justice.
Where necessary, specialist input has also been provided by officials from other teams and Departments on specific issues. This input is drawn from existing resources and cannot be reliably quantified as a separate FTE figure.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to modernise the Inheritance Act to reflect a) common law partners and b) common law partners whose marriage plans were underway before one of those partners passed away.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
There is no legal status of “common law partners” in England and Wales. Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, cohabitants (where they were living together as if married or in a civil partnership for at least two years) may apply for reasonable financial provision from a deceased partner’s estate.
The Government recognises concerns about the current position and has committed to strengthening the rights of cohabitants. We will consult in due course on potential reforms, including enhancing inheritance rights for cohabitants.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the outcomes of the pilot launched in October 2024 to provide free mental health support for jurors who hear distressing cases in Crown Courts across England and Wales will be published.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether HMCTS, the Ministry or another body has a formal process for keeping in contact with jurors hearing the most distressing cases after their jury service is complete.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support mental health support is available to jurors in Crown Courts that were not part of the pilot launched in October 2024.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of distressing cases on the health of jurors who hear those cases.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of delayed payments to people who have won employment tribunals.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice does not collect or publish data on delays to awards, whether or not awards have been paid, or data on the outcomes of Employment Tribunal enforcement actions. The Department of Business and Trade will collect additional updated data on payment outcomes through the Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications later this year.
Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to in a timely manner. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options and will work closely across Government to do this as effectively as possible, including through the newly established Fair Work Agency (FWA). The FWA will work closely with HMRC, the Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to strengthen enforcement options. The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Act, and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities.