Ministry of Justice Alert Sample


Alert Sample

View the Parallel Parliament page for the Ministry of Justice

Information between 25th March 2026 - 4th April 2026

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Parliamentary Debates
Victims and Courts Bill
47 speeches (9,859 words)
Consideration of Lords amendments
Wednesday 25th March 2026 - Commons Chamber
Ministry of Justice
Courts and Tribunals Bill (First sitting)
126 speeches (18,550 words)
Committee stage: 1st sitting
Wednesday 25th March 2026 - Public Bill Committees
Ministry of Justice
Prison Officers: Mandatory Body Armour
39 speeches (10,981 words)
Thursday 26th March 2026 - Westminster Hall
Ministry of Justice
Prison Workforce
1 speech (469 words)
Thursday 26th March 2026 - Written Statements
Ministry of Justice


Select Committee Documents
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Oral Evidence - The Legal Services Board (LSB)

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Dr Jo Farrar CB OBE, Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary, dated 25 March 2026 relating to Post-legislative scrutiny

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from The Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, dated 25 March 2026: Conclusion of the Concordat process FY26/27

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 26 March 2026: Government Response to the Prison Service Pay Review Body recommendations

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 26 March 2026: Update on Prison, Probation, Youth Justice and Court Custody Scrutiny Bodies Landscape

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, dated 25 March 2026: Contract Consultation - Civil Legal Aid Provider Office Requirements

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, dated 26 March 2026: HMCTS Reform Evaluation

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Andrea Coomber, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, dated 25 March 2026 relating to fire safety in prisons in England and Wales

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, dated 24 March 2026: Local Justice Area Reform Consultation response

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Report - 9th Report - Appointment of Monisha Shah as Chair of the Legal Services Board

Justice Committee
Friday 27th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, dated 26 March 2026 relating to the Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026

Justice Committee
Tuesday 24th March 2026
Oral Evidence - HM Prison and Probation Service, HM Prison and Probation Service, and HM Prison and Probation Service

Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending - Justice Committee
Tuesday 24th March 2026
Oral Evidence - HM Inspectorate of Probation

Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending - Justice Committee
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence to Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 31 March 2026: HMPPS Fire Safety Improvement works programme

Justice Committee


Written Answers
Crown Court: Shrewsbury
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Crown Court Judges were assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March in each of the last 5 years including 2026.

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

This question has been interpreted to mean the total number of salaried Crown Court Judges assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March and not the number that actually sat on 1 March each year. 1 March 2025 and 1 March 2026 were on a Saturday and Sunday respectively.

The number of salaried Crown Court Judges assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March for each of the past 5 years are as follows:

1 March 2022: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 1.9

1 March 2023: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 2.1

1 March 2024: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 2.2

1 March 2025: In Post: 4 – Full Time Equivalent: 3.2

1 March 2026: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 3

Prison Accommodation: Closures
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison places have been closed due to reasons concerning (a) health and safety, (b) security, (c) resources and (d) physical conditions in each year since 2010, broken down by location.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The information requested has been provided in the table below. Please note that, since 2010, 23 prisons (7519 places) have been permanently closed. The site-specific reasons for closure vary, but in the main these prisons were assessed as old and uneconomic and the decision to close was based on the suitability, sustainability and the cost of running and maintaining these prisons. For the purposes of the breakdown in the table below, these full prison closures have been identified as “physical conditions”

Some of the places included on the list below as closed due to physical conditions have either been, or are due to be, returned following refurbishment. This includes places removed at Liverpool, Birmingham, Haverigg ,Feltham and Swinfen Hall.

Year

Prison

(a) health & safety

(b) security

(c) resources

(d) physical conditions

Total

2011

Ashwell*

-214

-214

Brockhill (Hewell)*

-170

-170

Lancaster Castle*

-243

-243

Latchmere House*

-207

-207

2011 Total

0

0

0

-834

-834

2012

Wellingborough*

-588

-588

2012 Total

0

0

0

-588

-588

2013

Blundeston*

-526

-526

Bullwood Hall*

-228

-228

Camp Hill (IoW)*

-595

-595

Canterbury*

-314

-314

Dorchester*

-291

-291

Gloucester*

-321

-321

Kingston*

-205

-205

Northallerton*

-252

-252

Reading*

-320

-320

Shepton Mallet*

-189

-189

Shrewsbury*

-341

-341

2013 Total

0

0

0

-3582

-3582

2014

Feltham

-112

-112

2014 Total

0

0

0

-112

-112

2015

Blantyre House*

-122

-122

Dover*

-401

-401

Feltham

-36

-36

Haslar*

-197

-197

Rochester

-60

-60

2015 Total

0

0

0

-816

-816

2016

Haverigg

-335

-335

Hindley

-28

-28

Holloway*

-591

-591

Kennet*

-342

-342

2016 Total

-28

-335

0

-933

-1296

2017

Glen Parva*

-638

-638

Guys Marsh

-66

-66

Liverpool

-172

-172

Rochester

-60

-60

Swinfen Hall

-30

-30

2017 Total

0

0

0

-966

-966

2018

Birmingham

-306

-306

Haverigg

-40

-40

Liverpool

-234

-234

2018 Total

0

0

0

-580

-580

2019

Aylesbury

-235

-235

Birmingham

-167

-167

Hindley

-28

-28

Swinfen Hall

-30

-30

2019 Total

-28

0

0

-432

-460

2020

Haverigg

-80

-80

Hewell Grange*

-224

-224

Spring Hill

-35

-35

Erlestoke

-80

-80

Ford

-96

-96

Foston Hall

-80

-80

Kirkham

-80

-80

Kirklevington Grange

-120

-120

Littlehey

-40

-40

Norwich

-40

-40

Standford Hill

-24

-24

Wayland

-80

-80

2020 Total

-755

0

0

-224

-979

2021

Spring Hill

-45

-45

Channings Wood

-40

-40

Ford

-179

-179

Hatfield

-80

-80

Highpoint

-40

-40

Hollesley Bay

-80

-80

Leyhill

-80

-80

Low Newton

-40

-40

New Hall

-40

-40

North Sea Camp

-120

-120

Northumberland

-40

-40

Prescoed

-40

-40

Send

-80

-80

Standford Hill

-56

-56

Sudbury

-40

-40

Whatton

-40

-40

Wymott

-40

-40

2021 Total

-1080

0

0

0

-1080

2022

Bedford

-32

-32

Eastwood Park

-20

-20

Guys Marsh

-40

-40

Spring Hill

-40

-40

Highpoint

-40

-40

2022 Total

-140

0

0

-32

-172

2023

Deerbolt

-19

-19

Gartree

-3

-3

Isle of Wight

-52

-52

Leicester

-6

-6

2023 Total

-9

0

0

-71

-80

2024

Deerbolt

-20

-20

Dartmoor**

-640

-640

Elmley

-114

-114

Gartree

-6

-6

Hull

-2

-2

2024 Total

-762

0

0

-20

-782

2025

Eastwood Park

-20

-20

2025 Total

-20

0

0

0

-20

Total

-2822

-335

0

-9190

-1247

*- Full Prison Closure

** - Dartmoor has been temporarily closed since 2024 due to radon levels, assessment of options for this site is ongoing.

Prison Officers: Misconduct
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been (a) investigated, (b) disciplined and (c) dismissed for illicit relationships with inmates in each year since 2020, broken down by sex.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We only hold data on cases where staff were recommended for dismissal, as individuals may choose to resign before a dismissal can be formally enacted. As a result, we have used this field to respond to the question to avoid undercounting the number of people involved. This data can be found in the following tables.

Table 1: Band 3-5 prison officers(1) investigated(2) due to an allegation of 'Inappropriate Relationship with a Prisoner / Ex-Prisoner'

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Female

31

36

24

32

34

31

Male

9

9

4

7

6

11

Total

40

45

28

39

40

42

Table 2: Band 3-5 prison officers facing a conduct and discipline(3), (4)charge of 'Inappropriate Relationship with a Prisoner / Ex-Prisoner'

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Female

9

~

~

12

16

18

Male

3

~

~

5

3

5

Total

12

11

14

17

19

23

Table 3: Band 3-5 prison officers recommended for dismissal following a conduct and discipline(3) charge of 'Inappropriate Relationship with a Prisoner / Ex-Prisoner'

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Female

~

~

~

~

~

~

Male

~

~

~

~

~

~

Total

8

~

~

12

14

~

Notes to tables:

1. Band 3-5 Officers includes Bands 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.

2.    Staff subject to at least one investigation that was concluded during the relevant year.

3.    Conduct and discipline cases are defined as where a penalty has been imposed on a member of HMPPS staff for a reason of conduct.

4.    Staff with at least one conduct and discipline case concluded during the year. Equally staff involved in more than one case during the year are counted only once.

5.    Allegations which meet a criminal threshold will be referred to the Police for investigation. If a criminal justice outcome is secured, this will result in a summary dismissal as per PSI 10/2016 Conduct and Discipline and will not be recorded against a specific ‘type’ of misconduct in the Conduct and Discipline data,

6.    Years run from 1st April to 31st March.

7.    In terms of the Gender data presented, the MoJ HR system holds demographic data on staff.  In the HR system there is a database field called Gender. The Gender field can only be one of two options – male or female. It is filled in for all staff when new staff records are created using details to confirm identity (i.e. name, date of birth, address) from official documentation supplied by the successful job applicant. However, it is possible for this information to be updated in line with departmental policy. The Office for Statistics Regulation recognises that this is an evolving area both for society and statistics, so advice and guidance is likely to change over time.

~ denotes suppressed values of 2 or fewer or other values which would allow values of 2 or fewer to be derived by subtraction. Low numbers are suppressed to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2018.

Additional Note:

As with all HR databases, extracts are taken at a fixed point in time, to ensure consistency of reporting. However the database itself is dynamic, and where updates to the database are made late, subsequent to the taking of the extract, these updates will not be reflected in figures produced by the extract. For this reason, HR data are unlikely to be precisely accurate.

Prisoners: Death
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people serving an imprisonment for public protection sentence have died of natural causes while in prison since 2023.

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

Please see the number of people serving an imprisonment for public protection sentence who have died of natural causes while in prison since 2023 in the table below. Please note that these figures are derived from the HMPPS Deaths in Prison Custody database. As classification of deaths may change following inquest or as new information emerges, numbers may change from time to time. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigate each death.

Year

Number

2023

8

2024

12

2025

6

Notes

  • Figures include incidents at HMPPS operated Immigration Removal Centres and during contracted out escorts (including contracted out escort of prisoners from STCs), but do not include incidents at Medway STC.

  • Deaths in prison custody figures include all deaths of prisoners arising from incidents during prison custody. They include deaths of prisoners while released on temporary license (ROTL) for medical reasons but exclude other types of ROTL where the state has less direct responsibility.

  • All classifications of deaths remain provisional until confirmed at inquest. Due to the number of deaths that remain unclassified (awaiting further information) in recent years, and the latest year particularly, caution should be used when comparing with earlier periods.

  • In addition to deaths in prison custody which actually occur in hospitals, hospices or nursing homes a small proportion will occur while in an ambulance on the way to hospital, while on escort.

  • An indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) was introduced in 2005. It was intended for high risk prisoners considered ‘dangerous’ but whose offence did not merit a life sentence. The number of prisoners held on this sentence increased initially and the increase was offset by reductions elsewhere.

  • IPP prisoners in this table include both recalled and unreleased prisoners recorded as serving an IPP as their main sentence.

Prisoners: Suicide
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence have taken their own lives while they (1) have absconded, (2) are out on release on temporary licence, and (3) have a concurrent sentence running alongside their IPP sentence.

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

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Courts: Translation Services
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court interpreters have been requested for translation services in each year since 2020, broken down by the language requested.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on the volume of completed language interpreter and translation services requests, split by requestor type, as part of the Criminal court statistics release. However, published data is not broken down by language.

Criminal Court Statistics: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK

The Ministry of Justice has provided a table in the attachment showing the number of completed service requests both through contracts (with thebigword Group Ltd and Clarion UK Ltd) and off-contract, for each year from 2020 to 2024, split by language. The table is a breakdown of the published figures, split by language.

Given the request for ‘court interpreters’, we have filtered the data to include criminal courts and civil & family courts. We have not included data for Tribunals or other types of Ministry of Justice interpreter usage.

Data has not been provided for 2025 as we do not yet have a complete dataset for this year.

Young Offender Institutions: Capital Investment
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate has his Department made for capital spending on the youth secure estate for the next year.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Budget allocation for the 2026/27 financial year within the Department has not yet been concluded and as such forecasted spend on the youth secure estate has not been committed.

HMP Camp Hill
Asked by: Richard Quigley (Labour - Isle of Wight West)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on plans for the redevelopment of the former Camp Hill prison site on the Isle of Wight, including its sports facilities.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice is currently evaluating all potential options for the site and is maintaining engagement with the local authority to explore appropriate future uses for both the site and the sports pitch once it is designated as surplus to operational requirements.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the prison population is made up of foreign national offenders; and how many foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK in the last 12 months.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As of 31 December 2025, Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) made up 12% of the prison population of England and Wales. This is the latest available published data and can be found at Table 1_Q_11 in the attached link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6978d8c475d4437096552064/prison-population-31-Dec-2025.ods

The Home Office are responsible for the removal of FNOs, and their latest published data shows that between 1 February 2025 and 31 January 2026 there were 5,689 FNOs removed of which 3,044 were removed under the Early Removal Scheme. The full data can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026 - GOV.UK

All Foreign National Offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity and will be barred from ever returning to the UK. Deportations of foreign national offenders including murderers and rapists are up 32%, with more than 8,700 deported since this Government came into power.

Prisoner Escorts: Restraint Techniques
Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to publish the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's independent review into the use of restraints on pregnant women during hospital escorts between 2021 and 2025.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Prisons & Probation Ombudsman will publish the report of his investigation once it has concluded. We understand that no publication date has been set at this stage.

Prisoners' Release
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders released on licence since 5 July 2024 and recalled to custody had not been returned to custody by the end of December 2025.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Once an offender’s licence has been revoked, it falls to the Police to apprehend the offender and return them to prison custody.

Prisoners' Release
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether a three-month prognosis is required for a prisoner to be considered for early release on compassionate grounds.

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

The Secretary of State has a statutory power to grant the early release of prisoners serving a sentence or term of imprisonment in custody on compassionate grounds. The power is used in exceptional circumstances only and in accordance with the HMPPS Early Release on Compassionate Grounds Policy Framework.

The table shows the number of prisoners granted early release on compassionate grounds from 2021 to 2025. We do not centrally collate information on the number of applications for such early release.

Calendar year

Total

2021

11

2022

1

2023

7

2024

6

2025

3

The figures from this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

The Policy Framework makes clear that there are no prescribed timescales for completing an application for release. However, it is imperative that applications are expedited as far as possible and that they provide all the necessary information, including medical evidence, for an informed decision to be made without delay.

Medical evidence must include a report from the prison GP and an additional report from the medical specialist involved in the care of the prisoner. These reports should provide a diagnosis, an assessment for incapacity/frailty, prognosis, treatment pathway/plan and, where applicable, a clear indication of life expectancy.

Prisoners' Release
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Wednesday 25th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners (1) applied for, and (2) were granted, early release on compassionate grounds in each of the past five years.

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

The Secretary of State has a statutory power to grant the early release of prisoners serving a sentence or term of imprisonment in custody on compassionate grounds. The power is used in exceptional circumstances only and in accordance with the HMPPS Early Release on Compassionate Grounds Policy Framework.

The table shows the number of prisoners granted early release on compassionate grounds from 2021 to 2025. We do not centrally collate information on the number of applications for such early release.

Calendar year

Total

2021

11

2022

1

2023

7

2024

6

2025

3

The figures from this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

The Policy Framework makes clear that there are no prescribed timescales for completing an application for release. However, it is imperative that applications are expedited as far as possible and that they provide all the necessary information, including medical evidence, for an informed decision to be made without delay.

Medical evidence must include a report from the prison GP and an additional report from the medical specialist involved in the care of the prisoner. These reports should provide a diagnosis, an assessment for incapacity/frailty, prognosis, treatment pathway/plan and, where applicable, a clear indication of life expectancy.

Coroners
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the time taken to carry out inquests.

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

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Coroners
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of inquest delays on bereaved families.

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

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Coroners
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inquests are currently in progress in England as of 11 March 2026.

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

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Coroners: Perinatal Mortality
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to limit consideration of coronial investigations to stillbirths occurring at 37 weeks' gestation or later; and on what statutory basis gestational thresholds may be applied.

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

I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to all parents bereaved by baby loss. Bereavement is never easy, but the loss of a child is unimaginable, and we recognise the profound and lifelong impact this has on parents and families.

As I set out in my answer to the Right Honourable Member of 12 March, the wider landscape of maternity investigations has continued to evolve since the publication of the consultation on the coronial investigation of stillbirths in 2019 and the factual summary of responses published in 2023.

Most recently, this Government commissioned the independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care led by Baroness Amos. As outlined in the investigation’s terms of reference, it will, amongst other issues, look to consider the potential role of coroners in the investigation of late term stillbirths (37 weeks or later). We are aware that Baroness Amos has confirmed she will publish her final report in June 2026.

As I have previously confirmed to the Right Honourable Member, the Department has not made a formal assessment of the delay in publishing a decision in this area. It is important that the Government’s published position on coronial investigations of stillbirths is fully informed by any findings and relevant recommendations the independent investigation makes, and more broadly that it supports the most effective model for maternity investigation, one that strengthens learning, improves accountability and delivers better outcomes for families.

Section 4 of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 provides the statutory framework to enable, by way of regulation, amendments to be made to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in respect of the investigation of stillbirths and makes provisions about the content of those regulations.

The Government’s 2019 consultation, and the factual summary in 2023 were jointly published by the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice. The Government intends to communicate its position on this issue after the investigation has published its final report.

Coroners: Perinatal Mortality
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on whether the Maternity and Neonatal Investigation commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care will report to Parliament on coronial investigations of stillbirths following the 2019 consultation.

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

I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to all parents bereaved by baby loss. Bereavement is never easy, but the loss of a child is unimaginable, and we recognise the profound and lifelong impact this has on parents and families.

As I set out in my answer to the Right Honourable Member of 12 March, the wider landscape of maternity investigations has continued to evolve since the publication of the consultation on the coronial investigation of stillbirths in 2019 and the factual summary of responses published in 2023.

Most recently, this Government commissioned the independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care led by Baroness Amos. As outlined in the investigation’s terms of reference, it will, amongst other issues, look to consider the potential role of coroners in the investigation of late term stillbirths (37 weeks or later). We are aware that Baroness Amos has confirmed she will publish her final report in June 2026.

As I have previously confirmed to the Right Honourable Member, the Department has not made a formal assessment of the delay in publishing a decision in this area. It is important that the Government’s published position on coronial investigations of stillbirths is fully informed by any findings and relevant recommendations the independent investigation makes, and more broadly that it supports the most effective model for maternity investigation, one that strengthens learning, improves accountability and delivers better outcomes for families.

Section 4 of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 provides the statutory framework to enable, by way of regulation, amendments to be made to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in respect of the investigation of stillbirths and makes provisions about the content of those regulations.

The Government’s 2019 consultation, and the factual summary in 2023 were jointly published by the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice. The Government intends to communicate its position on this issue after the investigation has published its final report.

Coroners: Perinatal Mortality
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether responsibility for reporting to Parliament on coronial investigations of stillbirths following the 2019 consultation rests with his Department.

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

I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to all parents bereaved by baby loss. Bereavement is never easy, but the loss of a child is unimaginable, and we recognise the profound and lifelong impact this has on parents and families.

As I set out in my answer to the Right Honourable Member of 12 March, the wider landscape of maternity investigations has continued to evolve since the publication of the consultation on the coronial investigation of stillbirths in 2019 and the factual summary of responses published in 2023.

Most recently, this Government commissioned the independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care led by Baroness Amos. As outlined in the investigation’s terms of reference, it will, amongst other issues, look to consider the potential role of coroners in the investigation of late term stillbirths (37 weeks or later). We are aware that Baroness Amos has confirmed she will publish her final report in June 2026.

As I have previously confirmed to the Right Honourable Member, the Department has not made a formal assessment of the delay in publishing a decision in this area. It is important that the Government’s published position on coronial investigations of stillbirths is fully informed by any findings and relevant recommendations the independent investigation makes, and more broadly that it supports the most effective model for maternity investigation, one that strengthens learning, improves accountability and delivers better outcomes for families.

Section 4 of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 provides the statutory framework to enable, by way of regulation, amendments to be made to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in respect of the investigation of stillbirths and makes provisions about the content of those regulations.

The Government’s 2019 consultation, and the factual summary in 2023 were jointly published by the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice. The Government intends to communicate its position on this issue after the investigation has published its final report.

Coroners: Perinatal Mortality
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of the delay in reporting on coronial investigations of stillbirths following the 2019 consultation on bereaved families.

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

I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to all parents bereaved by baby loss. Bereavement is never easy, but the loss of a child is unimaginable, and we recognise the profound and lifelong impact this has on parents and families.

As I set out in my answer to the Right Honourable Member of 12 March, the wider landscape of maternity investigations has continued to evolve since the publication of the consultation on the coronial investigation of stillbirths in 2019 and the factual summary of responses published in 2023.

Most recently, this Government commissioned the independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care led by Baroness Amos. As outlined in the investigation’s terms of reference, it will, amongst other issues, look to consider the potential role of coroners in the investigation of late term stillbirths (37 weeks or later). We are aware that Baroness Amos has confirmed she will publish her final report in June 2026.

As I have previously confirmed to the Right Honourable Member, the Department has not made a formal assessment of the delay in publishing a decision in this area. It is important that the Government’s published position on coronial investigations of stillbirths is fully informed by any findings and relevant recommendations the independent investigation makes, and more broadly that it supports the most effective model for maternity investigation, one that strengthens learning, improves accountability and delivers better outcomes for families.

Section 4 of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 provides the statutory framework to enable, by way of regulation, amendments to be made to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in respect of the investigation of stillbirths and makes provisions about the content of those regulations.

The Government’s 2019 consultation, and the factual summary in 2023 were jointly published by the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice. The Government intends to communicate its position on this issue after the investigation has published its final report.

Coroners
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners on reducing the length of time for inquests.

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

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Coroners
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for coroner inquests to be completed on bereaved families in England.

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

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Magistrates: Equality
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the a) age, b) ethnic and c) socioeconomic diversity of magistrates.

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

We continue to make progress in building a magistracy that better reflects the communities it serves. Recent recruitment rounds have shown increasing diversity among applicants and new appointees, supported by targeted outreach and improvements to the recruitment process. In 2024/25, 23% of new appointees came from ethnic minority groups, 41% of new appointees were aged under 50, and around 3% of new appointees were from routine or manual occupations: Diversity of the judiciary: 2025 statistics - GOV.UK.

Sexual Offences: Criminal Proceedings
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve support in the court system for victims of (a) rape and (b) sexual violence.

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

To ensure that victims, including those of rape and sexual violence, receive the right and timely support, the Ministry of Justice has announced record investment of £550 million in victim support services over the next three years of this Spending Review period.

In addition, this Government is also taking decisive action to address long-standing issues that impact victims of rape and sexual violence. This includes:

  • Funding a record number of sitting days and uncapping Crown Court sitting days in 26/27, so that more rape and other sexual offence cases can be heard.

  • Introducing the Courts & Tribunals Bill to drive down the Crown Court caseload and reduce delays.

  • Introducing a package of legislative measures to protect victims of sexual violence in particular from unnecessary and intrusive cross-examination about their personal lives at court.

  • Announcing that we will introduce free Independent Legal Advisors this year, for victims and survivors of adult rape to help them to understand their legal rights.

  • Testing the Operation Soteria model in courtrooms, to ensure rape cases focus on suspects, not victims.

  • Rolling out trauma-informed training for all court staff, so that those who come into contact with victims at court understand how best to support their experience.

Ministry of Justice: Apprentices
Asked by: John Cooper (Conservative - Dumfries and Galloway)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many apprentices his Department recruited in each year since 2022.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice recruited the following number of new entrants directly into apprenticeship programmes in each year since 2022.

Time period

Number of new joiners through apprenticeship recruitment

January 2022 – December 2022

2

January 2023 – December 2023

12

January 2024 – December 2024

15

January 2025 – December 2025

35

These figures relate to new joiners recruited via apprenticeship pathways and do not include existing employees who have undertaken apprenticeships as part of their development.

Court of Protection: Maladministration
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what avenues of redress are available to family members who believe there has been maladministration in the handling of a deputyship case.

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

Family members who believe there has been maladministration in the handling of a deputyship case have several avenues of redress.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is responsible for supervising deputies and will investigate concerns raised about a deputy’s conduct or the way they are carrying out their duties. These investigations are undertaken to ensure that the deputy is acting in the best interests of the person lacking capacity and fulfilling their responsibilities in line with the authority set out in their court order.

Separately, the OPG’s internal complaints process allows individuals to challenge the OPG’s own administrative handling of a case. Once internal processes are complete, if a customer remains unhappy, concerns may be referred to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman via a Member of Parliament.

Where an issue relates to a judicial decision, such as the making or discharging of a deputyship order, this must be addressed through the Court of Protection. Complaints about the professional standards of a deputy may also be taken to the relevant regulatory body.

Court of Protection: Vulnerable Adults
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the he is taking to help ensure transparency in Court of Protection proceedings while safeguarding the privacy of vulnerable individuals.

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

We do not hold data on the average costs incurred by individuals subject to professional deputy orders.

The Court of Protection sets strict rules about what deputies can charge, which are governed by specific practice directions and rules. Practice Direction 19B (PRACTICE DIRECTION 19B – FIXED COSTS AND DEPUTY REMUNERATION IN THE COURT OF PROTECTION) sets out the responsibilities of deputies in ensuring costs are justified, reasonable, and in P’s best interests. The Practice Direction provides a schedule of fees (fixed costs) that deputies, either solicitors or public authority officeholders, can charge when they have been authorised to act for P.

If professional deputies choose not to take fixed costs, they can have their costs assessed by the Senior Courts Costs Office (SCCO). The Office of the Public Guardian and the Senior Courts Costs Office have produced guidance to ensure costs charged to vulnerable individuals’ estates are reasonable, proportionate, and fully justified as well as maintaining public confidence through transparency, accountability, and consistent standards: Professional Deputy Costs - GOV.UK

Court of Protection proceedings involve personal, sensitive matters and enable decisions made in the best interests of the person who lacks the mental capacity to make those decisions themselves. A transparency order in the Court of Protection restricts the publication and communication of information from proceedings. They support the principle of open justice by allowing court of protection hearings to be heard in public whilst protecting the privacy of vulnerable individuals.

Court of Protection: Vulnerable Adults
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate has been made of the average costs incurred by individuals subject to professional deputyship orders in the last five years.

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

We do not hold data on the average costs incurred by individuals subject to professional deputy orders.

The Court of Protection sets strict rules about what deputies can charge, which are governed by specific practice directions and rules. Practice Direction 19B (PRACTICE DIRECTION 19B – FIXED COSTS AND DEPUTY REMUNERATION IN THE COURT OF PROTECTION) sets out the responsibilities of deputies in ensuring costs are justified, reasonable, and in P’s best interests. The Practice Direction provides a schedule of fees (fixed costs) that deputies, either solicitors or public authority officeholders, can charge when they have been authorised to act for P.

If professional deputies choose not to take fixed costs, they can have their costs assessed by the Senior Courts Costs Office (SCCO). The Office of the Public Guardian and the Senior Courts Costs Office have produced guidance to ensure costs charged to vulnerable individuals’ estates are reasonable, proportionate, and fully justified as well as maintaining public confidence through transparency, accountability, and consistent standards: Professional Deputy Costs - GOV.UK

Court of Protection proceedings involve personal, sensitive matters and enable decisions made in the best interests of the person who lacks the mental capacity to make those decisions themselves. A transparency order in the Court of Protection restricts the publication and communication of information from proceedings. They support the principle of open justice by allowing court of protection hearings to be heard in public whilst protecting the privacy of vulnerable individuals.

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding has been provided to legal aid providers to represent appellants in the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber in each year since 2020, broken down by (a) ethnicity, and (b) nationality of the appellant.

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

Legal aid expenditure in respect of cases before the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) broken down by ethnicity is set out in the annexed table. Data is self-reported to the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) by applicants or their legal aid solicitor, it is not verified by the LAA. It is not mandatory for applicants to complete the Equality and Diversity section of an application. Where this has been left blank ethnicity is recorded as ‘unknown’.

Legal aid funding is not paid directly to the individual in receipt of legal aid. Legal aid is only paid to legal providers for the provision of legal advice and representation. Data in the annexed table therefore reflects expenditure relating to bills submitted by legal aid providers.

Information relating to nationality of applicants is not centrally held.

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much legal aid funding has been provided to appellants in the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber in each year since 2020, broken down by (a) ethnicity, and (b) nationality of the appellant.

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

Legal aid expenditure in respect of cases before the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) broken down by ethnicity is set out in the annexed table. Data is self-reported to the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) by applicants or their legal aid solicitor, it is not verified by the LAA. It is not mandatory for applicants to complete the Equality and Diversity section of an application. Where this has been left blank ethnicity is recorded as ‘unknown’.

Legal aid funding is not paid directly to the individual in receipt of legal aid. Legal aid is only paid to legal providers for the provision of legal advice and representation. Data in the annexed table therefore reflects expenditure relating to bills submitted by legal aid providers.

Information relating to nationality of applicants is not centrally held.

Family Courts
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, whether Child Focused Courts will provide additional resources and services for (a) children and (b) parents compared to standard courts.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Family Courts
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, how many additional (a) judges, (b) magistrates, and (c) court staff will be required to support the national rollout of the Child-Focused Courts model.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Family Courts
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, what training will be provided to judges and magistrates to support the rollout of the new approach.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Young Offender Institutions: Labour Turnover and Recruitment
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve recruitment and retention in the Youth Custody Service.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Youth Justice Worker (YJW) recruitment process includes multiple assessment stages designed to test candidates against the YJW success profile and give them realistic insight into the role. The success profile is based on job analysis with serving YJWs and identifies the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for effective practice.

YJWs have a defined progression pathway. After completing their 12 month probation, they are offered a Level 4 qualification focused on working with children and young people in custody.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has a comprehensive approach to improving retention across the Prison and Probation Services. The Retention Framework sets out how data and insight are used to identify drivers of attrition and guide targeted interventions. This is supported by a retention toolkit, structured exit interviews, and an oversight process that conducts deep dive reviews at high attrition sites. National activity is coordinated through the Retention Delivery Committee to ensure alignment and minimise operational impact.

Family Courts: Essex
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, how many Child Focused Courts are planned to operate in Essex at the completion of the rollout.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many legal aid providers have represented appellants in the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber in each year since 2020.

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

Information about the number of distinct provider offices completing at least one case in the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) in each financial year since 2020 can be found in the table below:

Financial Years

Number of provider offices

2020-21

252

2021-22

235

2022-23

227

2023-24

217

2024-25

224

Legal aid for immigration and asylum services, including proceedings before the First Tier Tribunal is subject to both a legal merits test and an assessment of the individual’s financial circumstances.

Family Courts
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Pathfinder model on the level of ability of parents to present evidence and challenge decisions in court.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Family Courts
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, what metrics his Department will use to assess whether the rollout has improved outcomes for children and reduced delays in the family justice system.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Family Courts
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, whether he plans to publish regular data on the performance of courts operating under the Pathfinder model.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Planning Permission
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Levitt on 26 February (HL14912), whether their answer was informed by statistical data relating to the duration taken to determine cases concerning challenges to planning permissions granted under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in 2025 and 2026; and if so, what patterns this data showed, (1) compared to the target timescales set out in the Practice Direction, and (2) compared to performance in previous years.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Written Answer of 26 February 2026 (HL14912) was informed, not by statistical data, but by the knowledge of the Planning Liaison Judge, based on his work as judge in charge managing claims in the Planning Court.

Family Courts
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, whether the earlier identification of risks to children’s welfare referenced in the press release is due to any additional resources being allocated to courts.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Family Courts
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, whether Child Focused Courts will represent additional court capacity or utilise existing court capacity more efficiently.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Family Courts: Essex
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally, published on 17 March 2026, when the first Child Focused Court is expected to open in Essex.

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

Child Focused Courts introduce a streamlined, problem-solving approach in relevant private law proceedings that ensures early identification of needs and risks, enabling the court to make safe decisions without delay. Under the model, the proportion of children seen by social workers more than doubles and parents who are victims of domestic abuse are able to access additional support through Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Communication with families can improve their understanding of, and engagement in, the court process and the Child Impact Report provides an opportunity for parents and parties to share their views on the recommendations made to the court.

Key metrics from existing pilot areas show backlogs have reduced by more than fifty percent and cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for children and families. Nationally, information on open caseload and average case duration is routinely published through Family Court Statistics and HMCTS management information. In addition, we have published additional management information demonstrating the effectiveness of the Child Focused Courts and have also published a process evaluation and a research report exploring the experience of children and families.

Following the announcement of national rollout, a phased approach will see the model operating across the whole of England and Wales by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.

The funding announced in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement of 17 March includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, in recognition of the additional resources required to deliver the model, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts.

During the implementation period, we are providing funding for additional court staff to support preparation activity, such as reducing outstanding legacy cases, and to support transition to the new model. The evaluation of the pilot areas shows that cases are being resolved earlier and the number of open cases is decreasing, indicating that the model uses existing court capacity more efficiently and that no additional judicial, magistrates, or court staff will be needed once the model is fully implemented in a court area. Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial College, which operates independently from the Government.

Prison Accommodation: Costs
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the estimated capital cost for a new prison place in England and Wales, broken down into categories A, B, C and D.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, we are committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places and aim to do so by 2031. Our build programme consists of the construction of four new prisons, including HMP Millsike, as well as the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate. These places are being delivered at category B, C and D sites and therefore no cost estimate has been made for category A places.

As per the ‘Independent Review of Prison Capacity’ (published in August 2025) as of March 2025, the updated capital cost per place for the remainder of the 14,000 additional prison places is £600,000 (in 2025/26 prices). Due to commercial sensitivities, this figure cannot be broken down any further.

Prisoners' Release
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released earlier than originally scheduled as a result of capacity pressures since 2024.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

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

Without the changes this Government made, courts would have had to halt trials and the police cancel arrests, undermining public safety and leading to a disastrous impact on public confidence in the criminal justice system.

We regularly publish data on release from prison, including on forms of early release – for example we publish SDS40 data alongside the quarterly Offender Management statistics: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

Whilst measures like the SDS40 change provided the intended medium-term relief to the system, this was only ever a temporary change as a bridge to a more sustainable solution. That is why the Sentencing Act has now been passed, to ensure we never run out of prison space again and to deliver a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis.

Prisoners' Release
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Thursday 26th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the long-term adequacy of using early release measures to manage prison capacity.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

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

Without the changes this Government made, courts would have had to halt trials and the police cancel arrests, undermining public safety and leading to a disastrous impact on public confidence in the criminal justice system.

We regularly publish data on release from prison, including on forms of early release – for example we publish SDS40 data alongside the quarterly Offender Management statistics: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

Whilst measures like the SDS40 change provided the intended medium-term relief to the system, this was only ever a temporary change as a bridge to a more sustainable solution. That is why the Sentencing Act has now been passed, to ensure we never run out of prison space again and to deliver a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis.

Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Friday 27th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken towards beginning the process of ratifying the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, including any regulatory blocks that have led to the current delay; and what his planned timetable is for ratification.

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

The UK was proud to be among the first signatories to the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer in May 2025, demonstrating our strong and longstanding commitment to the rule of law, the independence of the legal profession, and access to justice.

My Department is considering our next steps to prepare for ratification. This includes ongoing work across Government to assess the steps required to ensure compliance with the Convention’s provisions, including its application across the UK’s jurisdictions as well as any potential extension to the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, in line with usual treaty practice.

Translation Services
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Friday 27th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) defendants and (b) witnesses have requested translation services in each year since 2020 broken down by (i) ethnicity and (ii) nationality.

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

The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of defendants or witnesses that have requested translation services. The booking portal does not collect information on whether the individual making the request is a defendant or witness and also does not collect information on the ethnicity and nationality of the requestor.

Prison Officers: Misconduct
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Friday 27th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been (a) arrested, (b) charged, and (c) prosecuted for having illicit relationships with prison inmates in each year since 2020, broken down by offence group.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The table below shows the number of prison officers at Bands 3-5 convicted in each of the last five years of an offence of misconduct in public office, where the offence related to an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner.

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Misconduct in Public Office

0

3

5

12

6

15

An inappropriate relationship is defined as any relationship that compromises a staff member’s ability to appropriately perform their duties.

The figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Solicitors Regulation Authority
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Monday 30th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many interventions have there been by the Solicitors Regulation Authority into law firms involving (a) the sudden or disorderly closure of a firm, (b) the loss or misappropriation of client funds and (c) the interruption of active client casework in each of the last five years; and whether his Department has made an assessment of (a) the trends in the number of in such cases and (b) the potential merits of strengthened regulation and legislative reform.

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

The Government recognises the disruption and difficulty that the collapse of a law firm has both for employees and its clients. The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of government. The Solicitor Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales, including the management of law firm closures.

With regards to the number of interventions the SRA has made into law firms in the last five years, the Ministry of Justice does not hold this information as this is an operational matter for the independent regulator. The SRA has advised that it publishes intervention statistics primarily through its Client Protection Annual Reports and Corporate Reports. These set out year- end figures for interventions, including numbers for the last five years. Details of firm closures (interventions) can be found by searching on the SRA’s Solicitors Register, which records regulatory actions taken against firms and individuals.

In relation to the assessment of trends of law firm collapses, this is a matter for the SRA, and work has been underway to improve how risks to consumers are handled. The SRA has been strengthening its use of data and intelligence to detect emerging risks so that it can intervene more quickly to protect consumers. Its consultation on holding client money, which closed in February 2026, will look at how to safeguard client money more effectively. The SRA is also taking forward actions in response to the LSB’s independent reviews of its regulation of Axiom Ince LTD and SSB Group LTD, and will apply any relevant lessons learned in relation to the closure of PM Law.

The Ministry of Justice continues to keep the statutory regulatory framework under review to ensure that it is working effectively. While there are no current plans to review the legislation, my officials and I will continue to engage with the regulators to ensure that actions are implemented, any other learnings are identified, and consumers are protected.

Tribunals: Special Educational Needs
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Monday 30th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of trends in SEND Tribunal outcomes since December 2024; and whether any changes in guidance or instructions have been issued to Tribunal judges regarding the consideration of appeals.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes trends in SEND Tribunal outcomes through quarterly published tribunal statistics. A link to the statistics can be found here: Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK

The Department and Ministers do not issue guidance or instructions to judges on how to determine appeals. Judicial office holders are independent. Since December 2024, the Chamber President of the First-tier Tribunal, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber has issued Presidential Practice Guidance No. 1 of 2025 on procedure for the preparation of appeals and claims in the Special Educational Needs and Disability, and Disability Discrimination in Schools jurisdictions. Further, the Senior President of Tribunals, with the approval of the Lord Chancellor, has issued a Practice Direction on the preparation of hearing bundles in those jurisdictions. These concern procedure and case preparation rather than the substantive consideration of appeals.

Prisoner Escorts
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Monday 30th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of court cases delayed in 2025 as a result of the failure of custody transport services to deliver the defendant at the correct time.

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

Data on the number of trials declared ineffective due to the non-production of defendants can be found here: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK (trial effectiveness at the criminal courts tool).

In 2025, the non-production of defendants by the Prisoner Escort Custody Service (PECS) accounted for 176 (2%) of ineffective trials in the Crown Court and 885 (4%) of ineffective trials in the magistrates’ courts.

Sir Brian Leveson made a number of recommendations to address the late arrivals of prisoners to court in his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. We recognise the problems we inherited in prisoner transfer with delays occurring at prisons, en route between prison and court, and at courts themselves in bringing prisoners to the dock. We are gripping this – along with the Minister for Prisons, I am establishing an oversight body to review prisoner transfer from end to end. This will monitor and drive performance improvements in prisoner transfer across the country.

We are also working with the Department for Transport and local authorities to expand the number of areas where PECS vans can use bus lanes to reduce traffic delays, and in London we are working with Transport for London to retime the traffic signals to prioritise PECS vans so they are more likely to receive a green light.

Juries
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Monday 30th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his answer of 18 March to question 120027, whether he will publish the results of his department's engagement with the judiciary about their personal safety and security associated with the Courts and Tribunals Bill.

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

We engage regularly with judicial leaders on all matters including security. It is standard practice not to publish or comment on the specifics of discussions between Ministers and the judiciary.

Legal Aid Scheme: Translation Services
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Monday 30th March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Legal Aid Agency in ensuring solicitors use qualified and security‑vetted interpreters in legally‑aided family proceedings.

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

Interpreters play a crucial role in family court proceedings, ensuring that individuals who do not speak English or have hearing impairments can fully participate and understand the legal process.

For most family court proceedings, His Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Services is responsible for securing interpreters for use during hearings. Neither legal aid providers nor the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) are involved in this process.

A legal aid solicitor may instruct an interpreter for use outside of hearings. All providers who undertake legal aid work are independent providers of legal aid services and are subject to oversight and regulation by relevant professional bodies rather than the LAA. When instructing interpreters in legal aid cases, legal aid providers must ensure that they adhere to the requirements set out under paragraphs 2.48-2.51 of the 2024 Standard Civil Contract: Specification. This includes provisions regarding the level of qualification that the interpreter must hold and the evidence which must be obtained and retained on file regarding this and the circumstances in which it is permissible to instruct a non-qualified interpreter.

The LAA undertakes a range of audit and assurance activity to ensure legal aid providers are complying with their contractual obligations. Clause 24 of the 2024 Standard Civil Contract: Standard Terms empowers the LAA to apply a sanction where breaches of contract are identified.

These contractual provisions act as an effective safeguard to ensure the most appropriate interpreter is used having regard to the specific circumstances of the case.

Child Trust Fund and Individual Savings Accounts
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Tuesday 31st March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs for young people who lack mental capacity.

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

Where a young adult lacks mental capacity, the law requires parents or guardians to have legal authority to make decisions on their behalf about their financial assets or property. This longstanding safeguard helps protect vulnerable people from potential financial abuse, and applies to funds held in a Child Trust Fund or Junior ISA.

On 9 June 2023, the Ministry of Justice published the “Making Financial Decisions For Young People: Parent and Carer Toolkit”. This explains how parents and guardians of disabled children who lack capacity can obtain legal authority where none is in place, including applying to the Court of Protection to access funds in a Child Trust Fund or Junior ISA. The toolkit is available on GOV.UK, along with guidance on completing the necessary court forms: How to apply to make property and finance decisions on someone’s behalf (including Child Trust Funds) - GOV.UK

We understand that concerns remain. The Ministry of Justice continues to engage with key stakeholders to better understand the challenges and identify potential improvements in a way that balances access with safeguards.

Family Courts
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Tuesday 31st March 2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for family court cases.

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

This Government is committed to improving the performance of the Family Courts, and the Family Justice Board has agreed system-wide priorities and targets for reducing delay across England and Wales. The latest published data shows a reduction in the national average case duration for both public and private law cases.

In London, which has particular challenges around Family Court delays, a dedicated Family Justice Strategy has been implemented, bringing together key partners and the judiciary. This work has included targeted investment over 2025/26 to tackle the outstanding private law caseload by providing additional court capacity and a focus on ensuring that courts follow the Public Law Outline, with clear arrangements for overseeing performance. These measures have already delivered a reduction in delays.

Child Focused Courts for private law now operate in 10 of 43 family court areas and seek to enhance the experience of children and families. They have additionally demonstrated significant impact on timeliness. Cases are concluding between 11-30 weeks quicker on average under the model and outstanding caseloads have been reduced by up to 50%. The Government announced on 17 March its intention to roll this model out nationally by the end of this Parliament.



Department Publications - Policy paper
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Agreement between UK Government and Welsh Government on youth justice and probation
Document: Agreement between UK Government and Welsh Government on youth justice and probation (webpage)
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Agreement on the production of a memorandum of understanding on probation services in Wales
Document: (PDF)
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Agreement on the production of a memorandum of understanding on probation services in Wales
Document: Agreement on the production of a memorandum of understanding on probation services in Wales (webpage)


Department Publications - News and Communications
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Appointment of a member to the Youth Justice Board
Document: Appointment of a member to the Youth Justice Board (webpage)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Longer behind bars for espionage in national security boost
Document: Longer behind bars for espionage in national security boost (webpage)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: King's Counsel appointments ceremony 2026: Lord Chancellor speech
Document: King's Counsel appointments ceremony 2026: Lord Chancellor speech (webpage)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Preventing the drivers of youth custody
Document: Preventing the drivers of youth custody (webpage)
Friday 27th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Harnessing English Law for Economic Growth: Deputy Prime Minister’s speech
Document: Harnessing English Law for Economic Growth: Deputy Prime Minister’s speech (webpage)
Monday 30th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Appointment and reappointment of members of the Sentencing Council
Document: Appointment and reappointment of members of the Sentencing Council (webpage)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Millions invested to boost UK's position as a global tech leader
Document: Millions invested to boost UK's position as a global tech leader (webpage)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Appointment and reappointment of Non-Executive Directors to the Departmental Board
Document: Appointment and reappointment of Non-Executive Directors to the Departmental Board (webpage)


Department Publications - Statistics
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2025
Document: (ODS)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: HMCTS reform evaluation thematic report: digitalisation
Document: (ODS)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: HMCTS reform evaluation thematic report: digitalisation
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: HMCTS reform evaluation thematic report: digitalisation
Document: HMCTS reform evaluation thematic report: digitalisation (webpage)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: HMCTS reform evaluation thematic report: digitalisation
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Probate reform evaluation data summary
Document: Probate reform evaluation data summary (webpage)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Probate reform evaluation data summary
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: HMCTS reform evaluation thematic report: digitalisation
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2025
Document: (Excel)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2025
Document: (Excel)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2025
Document: (Excel)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2025
Document: (Excel)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Evaluation of the National Digital Support Service
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Evaluation of the National Digital Support Service
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Evaluation of the National Digital Support Service
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Evaluation of the National Digital Support Service
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Evaluation of the National Digital Support Service
Document: Evaluation of the National Digital Support Service (webpage)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: PSPRB Twenty-Fifth Report on England and Wales 2026
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: PSPRB Twenty-Fifth Report on England and Wales 2026
Document: PSPRB Twenty-Fifth Report on England and Wales 2026 (webpage)
Wednesday 1st April 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Harnessing English law for economic growth
Document: (PDF)
Wednesday 1st April 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Harnessing English law for economic growth
Document: Harnessing English law for economic growth (webpage)
Wednesday 1st April 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Harnessing English law for economic growth
Document: (PDF)


Department Publications - Transparency
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Integrated Offender Management: Impact evaluation report
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Integrated Offender Management: Impact evaluation report
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Integrated Offender Management: Impact evaluation report
Document: Integrated Offender Management: Impact evaluation report (webpage)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison performance data 2024 to 2025
Document: (PDF)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison performance data 2024 to 2025
Document: (ODS)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison performance data 2024 to 2025
Document: (ODS)
Thursday 26th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison performance data 2024 to 2025
Document: Prison performance data 2024 to 2025 (webpage)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison education: core education planned delivery volumes April 2025 to March 2027
Document: (PDF)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison education: core education planned delivery volumes April 2025 to March 2027
Document: Prison education: core education planned delivery volumes April 2025 to March 2027 (webpage)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison education: core education planned delivery volumes April 2025 to March 2027
Document: (ODS)


Department Publications - Research
Friday 27th March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison leavers in substance misuse treatment: 4-week outcomes
Document: Prison leavers in substance misuse treatment: 4-week outcomes (webpage)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: HM Prison and Probation Service Offender Equalities Report: 2025 to 2026
Document: HM Prison and Probation Service Offender Equalities Report: 2025 to 2026 (webpage)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Prison Education and Accredited Programme Statistics 2025 to 2026
Document: Prison Education and Accredited Programme Statistics 2025 to 2026 (webpage)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2025 to March 2026
Document: HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2025 to March 2026 (webpage)
Tuesday 31st March 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Justice data lab statistics: April 2026
Document: Justice data lab statistics: April 2026 (webpage)
Thursday 2nd April 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Criminal court statistics quarterly: January to March 2026
Document: Criminal court statistics quarterly: January to March 2026 (webpage)
Thursday 2nd April 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2026
Document: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2026 (webpage)


Department Publications - Guidance
Wednesday 1st April 2026
Ministry of Justice
Source Page: Medway: Chatham Probation Office
Document: Medway: Chatham Probation Office (webpage)



Ministry of Justice mentioned

Live Transcript

Note: Cited speaker in live transcript data may not always be accurate. Check video link to confirm.

25 Mar 2026, 4:19 p.m. - House of Lords
"and Technology, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office to bring forward proposals that met "
Lord Hanson of Flint, The Minister of State, Home Department (Labour) - View Video - View Transcript
25 Mar 2026, 6:16 p.m. - House of Lords
"Health Service and Department for Health and Social Care and Ministry of Justice are working together "
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Labour) - View Video - View Transcript
25 Mar 2026, 4:45 p.m. - House of Lords
"record briefly my thanks to the Home Office team, the Ministry of Justice Bill team, policy officials "
Lord Hanson of Flint, The Minister of State, Home Department (Labour) - View Video - View Transcript
25 Mar 2026, 2:27 p.m. - House of Commons
"released since show that the MoJ considered the breach low risk and not worthy of a referral to the "
Nick Timothy MP (West Suffolk, Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript
25 Mar 2026, 2:11 p.m. - House of Commons
"staff. We need to improve access to translated documents, and the Ministry of Justice will review how translation is provided in the "
Alex Davies-Jones MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Pontypridd, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript
25 Mar 2026, 2:10 p.m. - House of Commons
"the National Police Chiefs Council, the Ministry of Justice and the Chief Coroner and Coroner Service "
Alex Davies-Jones MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Pontypridd, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript
25 Mar 2026, 2:59 p.m. - House of Commons
"her for coming to the meeting that the Ministry of Justice convened with victims recently on the unduly "
Alex Davies-Jones MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Pontypridd, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript


Parliamentary Debates
Crime and Policing Bill
53 speeches (9,134 words)
3rd reading
Wednesday 25th March 2026 - Lords Chamber
Home Office
Mentions:
1: Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab - Life peer) On behalf of the Prime Minister, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Justice - Link to Speech
2: Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab - Life peer) I must place on record my thanks to the Home Office team and the Ministry of Justice Bill team, to the - Link to Speech

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
107 speeches (21,672 words)
Wednesday 25th March 2026 - Lords Chamber
Department for Work and Pensions
Mentions:
1: None The National Health Service, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice are - Link to Speech



Select Committee Documents
Wednesday 1st April 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-eighth report from Session 2024-26

Public Accounts Committee

Found: Ministry of Justice follow up: Autumn 2025 Introduction from the Committee MoJ is responsible

Wednesday 1st April 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Sixtieth report from Session 2024-26

Public Accounts Committee

Found: Ministry of Justice follow up: Autumn 2025 Introduction from the Committee MoJ is responsible

Wednesday 1st April 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Sixty-first report from Session 2024-26

Public Accounts Committee

Found: Ministry of Justice follow up: Autumn 2025 Introduction from the Committee MoJ is responsible

Wednesday 1st April 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-ninth report from Session 2024-26

Public Accounts Committee

Found: Ministry of Justice follow up: Autumn 2025 Introduction from the Committee MoJ is responsible

Wednesday 1st April 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-seventh report from Session 2024-26

Public Accounts Committee

Found: Ministry of Justice follow up: Autumn 2025 Introduction from the Committee MoJ is responsible

Tuesday 31st March 2026
Correspondence - Letter dated 20 March 2026 from Lord Timpson to the Chair regarding an update on the Ministry of Justice’s fire safety improvement works programme

Justice and Home Affairs Committee

Found: Justice and Home Affairs Committee House of Lords London, SW1A 0PW Dear Don, MoJ

Tuesday 31st March 2026
Correspondence - Letter dated 24 March 2026 from Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services regarding the local justice area reform consultation response publication

Justice and Home Affairs Committee

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

Monday 30th March 2026
Report - 3rd Report - The Future of HMP Parc

Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: is concerned only with the adult prison estate. 1 HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Our mandate 2 Ministry of Justice

Friday 27th March 2026
Written Evidence - Imkaan
DAA0003 - Domestic Abuse Act 2021

Domestic Abuse Act 2021 - Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee

Found: homicide, or how many suicide DHRs involve Black and minoritised women (as confirmed by the Ministry of Justice

Friday 27th March 2026
Written Evidence - Bath and North East Somerset Council
AIR0048 - Air Pollution in England

Air Pollution in England - Environmental Audit Committee

Found: Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy (2024) published by the Ministry of Justice acknowledges

Friday 27th March 2026
Report - 75th Report - Government use of data analytics on error and fraud

Public Accounts Committee

Found: sustainability of children’s care homes HC 1233 60th DWP follow-up: Autumn 2025 HC 1447 59th Ministry of Justice

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - Cardiff University
PPR0005 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: London: Ministry of Justice.

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - Wales Probation Development Group
PPR0028 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: papers from Wales Probation Development Group members respond to the call for evidence to the Ministry of Justice

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - Ministry of Justice
PPR0025 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: PPR0025 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales Ministry of Justice Written Evidence

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner
PPR0024 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: The proposed Ministry of Justice Residential Women’s Centre pilot, when operational, will complement

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - Prisoners' Education Trust
PPR0018 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: This work has given PET specific insight into education provision in prisons in Wales. 1 Ministry of Justice

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - UNISON
PPR0015 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: Currently, the Probation Service is not fully funded by the MOJ to undertake its statutory duties, and

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - Clinks
PPR0013 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: This is a formal advisory group to the Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service made

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists in Wales
PPR0011 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: have SLTs embedded within teams and many posts are subject to short-term funding from the Ministry of Justice

Thursday 26th March 2026
Written Evidence - Cardiff University
PPR0010 - Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales - Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: In its Prison Population Projections 2023 to 2028, the Ministry of Justice (2024) predict that prisoner

Thursday 26th March 2026
Oral Evidence - Capita Public Services, and Capita Public Services

Public Accounts Committee

Found: James Fenny is a solicitor up in Darlington, at the Ministry of Justice.

Thursday 26th March 2026
Scrutiny evidence - Submission from the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association on the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (HC 1691) and one linked instrument and Further Information from the Home Office

Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee

Found: This is overseen by the Ministry of Justice.

Wednesday 25th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from the Ministry of Justice relating to the national rollout of the Child Focused Model in the family courts, dated 17 March 2026

Women and Equalities Committee

Found: Correspondence from the Ministry of Justice relating to the national rollout of the Child Focused Model

Wednesday 25th March 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from the Ministry of Justice relating to women in the criminal justice system, dated 16 March 2026

Women and Equalities Committee

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

Wednesday 25th March 2026
Correspondence - Letter from the Acting Permanent Secretary relating to the Home Office's Supplementary Estimates 2025-26 12.03.2026

Home Affairs Committee

Found: • £43.5m other costs including downstream Ministry of Justice costs for CCB (Controlling and Coercive

Wednesday 25th March 2026
Correspondence - Letter from the Chair to Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Prisoner transfer agreement between the United Kingdom and Italy, dated 13 March 2026

International Agreements Committee

Found: Hon David Lammy MP Deputy Prime Minister Lord Chancellor & Secretary of State for Justice Ministry of Justice

Tuesday 24th March 2026
Oral Evidence - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Preventing waste and enabling a circular economy - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Found: really great civil servants working across Government on this from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice

Thursday 19th March 2026
Oral Evidence - The Kingdom of Norway, The Kingdom of Sweden, The Kingdom of Denmark, and The Republic of Finland

National Resilience - National Resilience Committee

Found: course, either the Ministry of Defence or the Ministry of the Interior, or in our case the Ministry of Justice

Tuesday 10th March 2026
Correspondence - Letter dated 10 March 2026 from Lord Timpson to the Chair with a progress update on the Committee’s report, Better Prisons: Less Crime, with a table of progress included

Justice and Home Affairs Committee

Found: T +4420 3334 3555 F +44870 761 7753 E https://contact-moj.service.justice.gov.uk/ www.gov.uk/moj 102



Written Answers
Child Trust Fund and Individual Savings Accounts
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Tuesday 31st March 2026

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the costs associated with legal processes required to access Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs for disabled young people.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Disability refers to a range of conditions, many of which do not prevent holders of Child Trust Funds and JISAs accessing them in the usual way. Where parents and carers need to engage with provisions under the Mental Capacity Act to manage the finances of a child, the Ministry of Justice has provided a guide, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-how-to-guide-to-help-families-access-trust-funds-of-disabled-young-adults

Child Trust Fund and Individual Savings Accounts
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Tuesday 31st March 2026

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to enable disabled young people to access funds held in Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs when they turn 18.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Disability refers to a range of conditions, many of which do not prevent holders of Child Trust Funds and JISAs accessing them in the usual way. Where parents and carers need to engage with provisions under the Mental Capacity Act to manage the finances of a child, the Ministry of Justice has provided a guide, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-how-to-guide-to-help-families-access-trust-funds-of-disabled-young-adults

Child Trust Fund and Individual Savings Accounts
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Tuesday 31st March 2026

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to simplify the process for families seeking access to Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs for disabled young people.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Disability refers to a range of conditions, many of which do not prevent holders of Child Trust Funds and JISAs accessing them in the usual way. Where parents and carers need to engage with provisions under the Mental Capacity Act to manage the finances of a child, the Ministry of Justice has provided a guide, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-how-to-guide-to-help-families-access-trust-funds-of-disabled-young-adults

Health Services: Prisons
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Monday 30th March 2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an ageing prison population on demand for healthcare services within prisons.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As a signatory to the National Partnership Agreement for Health and Social Care for people in contact with the criminal justice system, the Department of Health and Social Care is committed to working with the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to ensure safe, legal, decent and effective care that improves health outcomes and reduces health inequalities is provided for all prisoners, including those who are elderly.

NHS England is responsible for providing a full range of healthcare services to meet the needs of the prison population. Every prison will have a health needs assessment undertaken on a regular basis which is then used to locally determine the health needs and requirements of that prison’s population. This includes supporting elderly prisoners on their palliative care, end of life care and other health needs such as dementia care. Local authorities also have a duty to support elderly prisoners with their social care needs.

The Dying Well in Custody Charter and supporting self-assessment framework describes a set of national standards for local adoption and provides a tool for a local multi-disciplinary approach to providing agreed standards of palliative and end of life care to people in prison. The Charter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dying-well-in-custody-charter/



National Audit Office
Mar. 25 2026
Report - Investigation into shared ownership (PDF)

Found: the FTT is part of the HM Courts and Tribunals Service, which is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice



Department Publications - Policy paper
Thursday 2nd April 2026
HM Treasury
Source Page: User and Preparer Advisory Group Minutes: November 2025
Document: (PDF)

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

Thursday 2nd April 2026
HM Treasury
Source Page: Treasury Minutes – April 2026
Document: (PDF)

Found: MoJ estimates that the economic and social cost of reoffending across adult offenders is around £20.9

Thursday 2nd April 2026
HM Treasury
Source Page: Treasury Minutes – April 2026
Document: (PDF)

Found: MoJ estimates that the economic and social cost of reoffending across adult offenders is around £20.9



Department Publications - Guidance
Friday 27th March 2026
Home Office
Source Page: Immigration Act: part 1 - labour market and illegal working
Document: (PDF)

Found: Reference No: RPC-3725(1)-HO Lead department or agency: The Home Office Other departments: Ministry of Justice

Friday 27th March 2026
Home Office
Source Page: Immigration Act: part 1 - labour market and illegal working
Document: (PDF)

Found: Home Office Other departments: The Department for Transport, The devolved administrations, Ministry of Justice



Non-Departmental Publications - Guidance and Regulation
Apr. 02 2026
Forensic Science Regulator
Source Page: Management of DNA elimination databases (FSR-GUI-0028)
Document: (PDF)
Guidance and Regulation

Found: London: Ministry of Justice.

Mar. 27 2026
UK Visas and Immigration
Source Page: Immigration Act: part 1 - labour market and illegal working
Document: (PDF)
Guidance and Regulation

Found: Home Office Other departments: The Department for Transport, The devolved administrations, Ministry of Justice

Mar. 27 2026
UK Visas and Immigration
Source Page: Immigration Act: part 1 - labour market and illegal working
Document: (PDF)
Guidance and Regulation

Found: Reference No: RPC-3725(1)-HO Lead department or agency: The Home Office Other departments: Ministry of Justice



Non-Departmental Publications - Statistics
Apr. 02 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Trainee Probation Officer starters: April 2025 to March 2026
Document: (ODS)
Statistics

Found: national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics © Crown Copyright Produced by the Ministry of Justice

Apr. 02 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Trainee Probation Officer starters: April 2025 to March 2026
Document: (ODS)
Statistics

Found: national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics © Crown Copyright Produced by the Ministry of Justice

Apr. 02 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Trainee Probation Officer starters: April 2025 to March 2026
Document: Trainee Probation Officer starters: April 2025 to March 2026 (webpage)
Statistics

Found: Operation for Prisons and Probation; Policy Advisor for Prison Workforce Policy; Deputy Director in MoJ

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison Service
Source Page: PSPRB Twenty-Fifth Report on England and Wales 2026
Document: (PDF)
Statistics

Found: It is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice.

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: How do you get people on board? Exploring what matters for interventions implementation in the community
Document: (PDF)
Statistics

Found: Ministry of Justice Analytical Series Bloomfield, S. & Dixon, L. (2015).

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: How do you get people on board? Exploring what matters for interventions implementation in the community
Document: (PDF)
Statistics

Found: community Parallel developments and current practice landscape since the research Ministry of Justice

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: How do you get people on board? Exploring what matters for interventions implementation in the community
Document: (PDF)
Statistics

Found: matters for interventions implementation in the community Summary of findings Ministry of Justice



Non-Departmental Publications - News and Communications
Apr. 01 2026
Employment Appeal Tribunal
Source Page: Mr D Leonard-Elmaz v Ocado Central Services Ltd: [2026] EAT 41
Document: Mr D Leonard-Elmaz v Ocado Central Services Ltd: [2026] EAT 41 (PDF)
News and Communications

Found: The Ministry of Justice EAT 0003/15, where at paragraph 10(iv) she stated that what factors are relevant

Mar. 30 2026
Legal Aid Agency
Source Page: Tender Opens for Peer Review Independent Expert Panel
Document: Tender Opens for Peer Review Independent Expert Panel (webpage)
News and Communications

Found: The Ministry of Justice is using the E-Sourcing Portal, Jaggaer, for this procurement which means the

Mar. 30 2026
Parole Board
Source Page: Public hearing decision in the case of William McDonagh
Document: (PDF)
News and Communications

Found: Each year the Parole Board is asked by the Ministry of Justice to review the risk of approximately 900



Non-Departmental Publications - Transparency
Mar. 31 2026
National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority
Source Page: Government Major Projects Portfolio
Document: (ODS)
Transparency

Found: 31 MOD MOD_0115_1718-Q2 Mechanised Infantry Programme MOD MOJ_0053_2021-Q4 Accelerated Houseblocks MOJ

Mar. 31 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Prison education: core education planned delivery volumes April 2025 to March 2027
Document: (ODS)
Transparency

Found: contact: PES-BSU@justice.gov.uk Published: 2026-03-31 00:00:00 © Crown Copyright Produced by the Ministry of Justice

Mar. 31 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Prison education: core education planned delivery volumes April 2025 to March 2027
Document: (PDF)
Transparency

Found: longer cover the costs of digital infrastructure, which is being delivered directly by the Ministry of Justice

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Integrated Offender Management: Impact evaluation report
Document: (PDF)
Transparency

Found: Offender Management Impact Evaluation Report Tom Rizk and Jenny Jackman Ministry of Justice

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Integrated Offender Management: Impact evaluation report
Document: (PDF)
Transparency

Found: Integrated Offender Management Impact Evaluation Technical Annex Ministry of Justice

Mar. 26 2026
National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority
Source Page: PFI and PFI2 projects: 2025 Summary Data
Document: (ODS)
Transparency

Found: (MOJ) Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service ALB Courts ENGLAND Yorkshire and the Humber

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Prison performance data 2024 to 2025
Document: (PDF)
Transparency

Found: & Probation Service Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 Management Information Addendum Ministry of Justice

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Prison performance data 2024 to 2025
Document: (ODS)
Transparency

Found: Prison & Probation Service Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 Management Information Addendum Ministry of Justice

Mar. 26 2026
HM Prison and Probation Service
Source Page: Prison performance data 2024 to 2025
Document: (ODS)
Transparency

Found: Prison & Probation Service Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 Management Information Addendum Ministry of Justice



Non-Departmental Publications - Policy paper
Mar. 30 2026
Public Sector Fraud Authority
Source Page: The Government Counter Fraud Functional Strategy 2025-2026 Progress Review
Document: (PDF)
Policy paper

Found: Strategy 2024-2027 16Case Study Embedding fraud prevention in major spending initiatives The Ministry of Justice




Ministry of Justice mentioned in Welsh results


Welsh Committee Publications
Friday 27th February 2026
PDF - Letter to the Chair of Children, Young People and Education Committee from Head of Wales, Equality and Human Rights Commission - 27 February 2026

Inquiry: Legacy


Found: Ministry of Justice data shows Black individuals continue to be overrepresented in prisons in England


PDF - BBC response to the UK Government's consultation on Royal Charter Renewal and Green Paper - March 2026

Inquiry: Public service broadcasting in Wales


Found: Ministry of Justice, Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly, 2025 106.



Welsh Government Publications
Friday 27th March 2026

Source Page: Incorporation of UN Treaties into Welsh Law: report by Legislative Options Working Group
Document: Incorporation of UN Treaties into Welsh Law: report by Legislative Options Working Group (PDF)

Found: The UK Ministry of Justice has indicated its support for these recommendations, which it considers

Thursday 26th March 2026

Source Page: Welsh Housing Monitor
Document: Welsh Housing Monitor (PDF)

Found: have been trending upwards in Wales since the moratorium during the pandemic, according to Ministry of Justice