Sep. 05 2025
Source Page: Parole Board: appointment of membersAsked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many super-injunctions were in place on 15 August 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government does not routinely publish or hold centralised data on the number of super-injunctions currently in place, due to the sensitive and often confidential nature of such orders.
Where such orders are made, they are typically issued by the High Court under strict judicial oversight and may include provisions that prevent disclosure of their very existence.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with the (a) Law Society and (b) Solicitors Regulation Authority on the consequences of legal advice that may contribute to the suppression of evidence during police interviews.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The legal profession in England and Wales operates independently of government. This framework is set out in the Legal Services Act 2007. Regulation of the sector is carried out by the approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and law firms, while the Law Society represents solicitors in England and Wales.
An independent legal services sector is a key pillar of the rule of law, and it is therefore important to maintain this regulatory independence. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate for ministers or their officials to seek to influence how solicitors are regulated.
Solicitors advising clients during interviews are bound by professional duties, as set out in the SRA’s Code of Conduct. Where necessary, the SRA has a duty to investigate allegations of professional misconduct by solicitors. It has a range of disciplinary powers available at its disposal, including the ability to impose fines and refer matters to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, which can suspend or strike a solicitor off the roll. Complaints about a solicitor’s conduct can be made directly to the SRA at: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/.
The Ministry of Justice will continue to engage with legal regulators to ensure that consumers are protected and public confidence in the justice system is maintained.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has set a deadline for introducing a comprehensive remuneration and conditions framework set for implementation from October 2026 for public service interpreters.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice has provided a comprehensive response to the Public Services Committee inquiry and report into interpreter and translation services in the courts, published in June 2025, which covers this topic.
The Ministry of Justice is procuring new interpreter contracts to commence in October 2026, which include improvements to the service, interpreter remuneration, and conditions.
The Department considered mandating payment rates for interpreters during market engagement but concluded that suppliers (as experts in the market) are best placed to set payment rates. The Ministry of Justice’s role, as the commissioning body, is to ensure that these rates are fair and deliver value for money to the taxpayer.
The Ministry of Justice has already taken steps to improve interpreter remuneration, such as increasing the minimum face to face booking duration to two hours in October 2024, which has led to improved contract fulfilment rates and a reduction in off contract requests.
From October 2026, the new contracts will introduce improvements to interpreter remuneration and conditions. This includes:
Strengthening safeguarding provisions to support interpreter wellbeing
Changing the cancellation cut-off time meaning more cancellations will fall into the ‘short notice’ category and attract a fee payable to interpreters
Maintaining the two-hour minimum booking duration
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help prevent inheritance fraud.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The legal framework in England and Wales provides a wide range of measures to help protect the public from inheritance fraud, with longstanding legal requirements to be satisfied before a will is executed so it is valid in law. There are a range of legal tests to be satisfied in areas such as the capacity of a person to make a will.
When wills are submitted for proof as part of the process of applying for grants of probate (to administer the deceased person’s estate) a number of checks are undertaken. In the light of recent allegations of fraudulent activity in respect of some probate applications the Government is reviewing the preventative steps taken, involving all relevant departments and agencies.
The law also provides the means for challenges to be made against the validity of a will by interested parties, including on the grounds of forgery, fraud, undue influence and testamentary capacity.
The Government is currently considering reforms to the law of wills recommended by the Law Commission and a number of these proposals relate to measures to improve safeguards and protections to testators and beneficiaries.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the recruitment and retention of sufficient numbers of interpreters with a Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting by October 2026.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is committed to maintaining both the quality and capacity of the future supply chain of qualified court interpreters.
The Department and its suppliers regularly review fulfilment data to inform and adapt recruitment strategies, and our suppliers ensure that there are, and will be, sufficient interpreters with the required qualifications to meet our demand. The new contracts will improve this further by including steps to support interpreters in attaining Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting, through expanding the Trainee Scheme managed by the quality and assurance provider and providing more support for qualification costs.