Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of sentencing guidelines for banned drivers causing harm to (a) children, (b) animals and (c) other vulnerable road users; and whether she plans to review those guidelines.

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

Driving offences have widespread impact on our communities and can have devastating consequences for victims, their families and their friends. The Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority.

Sentencing guidelines are developed by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. The guidelines produced provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is. The Sentencing Council also recently published revised guidelines which consolidate existing legislation around banned drivers. These will come into effect next month, on 1 April 2025.

The Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out next steps on this in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has to reduce the number of attacks on prison staff.

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

Staff must be able to expect a safe and decent work environment. We will not tolerate any violence against prison officers and prisoners who are violent towards staff will face the full consequences of their actions.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 doubled the maximum penalty to up to two years’ imprisonment for those who assault emergency workers, including prison officers.

To protect staff from serious assaults, PAVA – a synthetic pepper spray – is available for use by prison officers in the adult male estate.

Over 13,000 next generation Body Worn Video Cameras are available across public sector prisons, meaning every Band 3-5 officer can wear a camera whilst on shift. This will provide high-quality evidence to support prosecutions against those who commit assaults against staff. All cameras have pre-record capability which will help capture the lead up to events.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she plans to take to reduce deaths in custody.

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

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

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigates the deaths of prisoners in custody. The investigations are a vital tool to ensure lessons are learned following deaths in prison and to improve safety outcomes in the future.

We provide individualised support through our case management process for people assessed as at risk of suicide and self-harm. This approach places a strong emphasis on identifying individual risks, triggers and protective factors and having effective care plans in place to record, address and mitigate risks.

All new members of staff with prisoner contact receive training on suicide and self-harm prevention.

We continue to work with Samaritans to provide support in the period following a self-inflicted death in order to reduce the risk of further deaths and for the delivery of the Listener scheme, through which selected prisoners are trained to provide emotional support to their fellow prisoners.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department provides support to SurvivorsUK’s webchat.

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

For FY 2024-25 the Ministry of Justice has allocated grant funding of £127,463 to SurvivorsUK to deliver the National Male Survivors’ Online Helpline.

The grant for the National Male Survivors’ Online Helpline, delivered by SurvivorsUK, will expire on 31 March 2025. The Ministry of Justice has worked with SurvivorsUK on their exit planning arrangements for our grant funding and the Department was informed that the online helpline service will continue due to SurvivorsUK securing alternative funding.

The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, funded by the Department and currently delivered by Rape Crisis England and Wales, will be extended until 31 March 2026. This service supports all victims of sexual violence, regardless of their gender.

We inherited a criminal justice system in crisis as well as an incredibly challenging financial inheritance meaning difficult decisions across the board. These are not calls we have taken lightly - but by continuing to protect funding for sexual violence and domestic abuse services, we will make sure brave victims can get the vital help they need to rebuild their lives.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department provides support to Safeline’s national male rape helpline.

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

For FY 2024-25 the Ministry of Justice has allocated grant funding of £244,887 to Safeline to deliver the National Male Survivor Helpline and Online Support Service.

The grant for the National Male Survivor Helpline and Online Support Service, delivered by Safeline, will expire on 31 March 2025. The Ministry of Justice has worked with Safeline on their exit planning arrangements for our grant funding and the Department was informed that the helpline service will continue due to Safeline securing alternative funding.

The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, funded by the Department and currently delivered by Rape Crisis England and Wales, will be extended until 31 March 2026. This service supports all victims of sexual violence, regardless of their gender.

We inherited a criminal justice system in crisis as well as an incredibly challenging financial inheritance meaning difficult decisions are needed across the board. These are not calls we have taken lightly - but by continuing to protect funding for sexual violence and domestic abuse services, we will make sure brave victims can get the vital help they need to rebuild their lives.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what funding is available to the Male Rape Fund in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

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

The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) was recommissioned in 2023. To streamline the funding schemes that specialist sexual abuse organisations needed to apply to, the Ministry of Justice amalgamated the Male Rape Support Services Fund into one RASASF.

£21 million is committed to the RASASF in each year: 2024-25 and 2025-26. Grant funded activities support all victims of rape and sexual abuse, including men and boys, to cope with their experiences and move forward with their lives.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what statutory requirements govern the preparation of pre-sentence reports in England and Wales by the Probation Service for all convicted offenders in (1) the Crown Court, and (2) the Magistrates Court.

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

Section 30 of the Sentencing Code provides for the provision of pre-sentencing reports for offenders where there is a requirement to obtain a PSR under the Code. This includes where the court is considering whether the offender should receive a sentence of immediate custody. It sets out that if an offender is aged 18 or over, a sentencing court must obtain and consider a pre-sentence report before forming an opinion unless, in the circumstances of the case, it considers that it is unnecessary to obtain a pre-sentence report.

PSRs include an assessment of the offender's behaviour, the risk they pose, and recommendations for sentencing options, helping to ensure that the sentence is tailored to the individual offender and their circumstances. The PSR can recommend various sentencing options, including community sentences and specific requirements like treatment programs. Based on the assessment, a PSR suggests the most appropriate sentence for the offence and makes recommendations to the Court; however, the final decision is at the judge’s discretion.

The Sentencing Council’s Imposition guideline provides sentencing courts with the general principles around imposing community orders and custodial sentences, and in what circumstances a custodial sentence can be suspended.  The Lord Chancellor has been clear that the guidelines regarding pre-sentencing reports do not represent the views of this Government. The Lord Chancellor and the Chairman of the Sentencing Council have had a constructive discussion. It was agreed that the Lord Chancellor will set out her position more fully in writing, which the Sentencing Council will then consider before the guideline is due to come into effect.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children's voices are included in family court cases.

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

When deciding an issue relating to the upbringing of a child, the child’s welfare must be the court’s paramount consideration. The court must have regard for the wishes and feelings of the child, considered in light of the child’s age and level of understanding.

In most proceedings relating to a child, Cafcass or Cafcass Cymru will engage with children to establish their wishes and communicate these to the court. Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru social workers use various methods to ensure children can make their feelings and wishes clear to the court in their own words and will also submit their own professional analysis to the court.

We are implementing reforms to improve the family court experience for all users, including children. This includes the expansion of the Pathfinder pilot, which seeks to enhance the voice of the child and better support survivors of domestic abuse. The pilot launched in courts in Dorset and North Wales in 2022, expanded to Southwest Wales and Birmingham in 2024 and to Mid-West Wales on 3 March. Pathfinder will next launch in West Yorkshire on 3 June and this Government is committed to further expansion between April 2025 and March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rollout of suicide prevention training to prison and probation staff.

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

All new members of prison staff with prisoner contact receive training on suicide and self-harm prevention, and all staff who undertake key roles in risk assessment and case management receive specific training related to those roles. An e-learning module has also recently been made available for all staff to access on postvention support following a self-inflicted death in custody. We continue to improve the training that we provide, and we are currently developing a new module on risks, triggers and protective factors.

There are two suicide prevention learning packages for probation staff: a Zero Suicide Alliance package that is required refresher training for all staff, and a package that is completed by all new entrant Professional Qualification in Probation and Probation Service Officers as part of a broader introduction to mental health.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what restrictions are placed on people convicted of a criminal offence who seek employment in the Probation Service.

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

The vetting process includes review of any convictions that may lawfully be taken into account, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. A balanced decision is made regarding offence history, based on the type of offence, the number of offences, and the length of time since the offences were committed.

We offer alternative employment entry schemes (Going Forward into Employment and Standard Plus) for people with lived experience, who would not be able to enter the organisation under the usual vetting routes. These schemes are open to people with recent offending history or who have recently been released from prison. Candidates are thoroughly risk-assessed and considered on a case-by-case basis, for suitable roles within the organisation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prison and probation staff have died by suicide in England in the last five years.

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

His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of its dedicated public servants.

The Department offers staff support through its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which includes a 24-hour confidential helpline. Additionally, there is access to mental health support including wellbeing workshops, confidential counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapies where clinically appropriate. These services can be accessed by employees absent or at work and employees do not have to inform their manager before accessing confidential counselling.

In addition, staff are able to access preventative mental health support in the form of Reflective Sessions where they can discuss with a qualified counsellor the effects of work on life and life on work. These sessions are available to all HMPPS staff via the EAP supplier.

The information requested is not held by the Ministry of Justice. The Department’s Shared Operating Platform (SOP) which is used for HR payroll does not have a record of the cause of death for its deceased employees.

Recording a Death in Service as suicide is not something Ministry of Justice staff are able to do as the cause of death is not determined immediately after a Death in Service, but many months or sometimes years later by a Coroner. Coroner’s data is not then retrospectively added to SOP, but is published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an estimate of the number of foreign nationals from (a) Guinea-Bissau and (b) Portugal that have been convicted in the UK since 2010.

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

The Ministry of Justice is unable to provide data on how many Bissau-Guinean nationals and Portuguese nationals have been convicted at court. This is because it is not possible to identify an offender's nationality from the centrally collated convictions data.

However, the Department is able to provide data on foreign nationals in prison and also those under probation supervision in the community.

(a) The nationality of foreign offenders in prison is published quarterly in table 1_Q_12 of Offender Management Statistics, with the latest data (31 December 2024) available from prison-population-31-Dec-2024.ods. As of the 31 December 2024, there was one Bissau-Guinean national and 260 Portuguese nationals in HMPPS custody.

(b) The nationality of foreign offenders under probation supervision can be found in table 6_9 of Offender Management Statistics, with the latest data (30 September 2024) available from Probation-Jul-to-Sep-2024.ods. As of the 30 September 2024, there are 474 Portuguese nationals under probation supervision in the community and no records of Bissau-Guinean nationals under probation supervision.

Previous publications of the Offender Management Statistics quarterly bulletin can be found at Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the average daily cost of housing prisoners (a) under Operation Safeguard and (b) in standard prison accommodation.

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

This Government inherited a prison system on the verge of collapse, which would have left the courts unable to send offenders to prison and the police unable to arrest dangerous criminals. We took decisive action and implemented changes to the standard determinate sentence release point which provided essential but temporary relief to the system.

In July 2024, the Lord Chancellor was clear that the capacity crisis would not disappear immediately and the changes to release points were never the whole solution to the prison capacity crisis we inherited. Over the last three months population growth in the prison estate has been high – January saw the highest average monthly prison population growth in almost two years, which has only just begun to slow. As of 24 March, there were 783 places remaining in the adult male estate. We are operating at more than 99% occupancy. Given this recent increase in demand and the subsequent disruption on the CJS, it is necessary, to temporarily reactivate Operation Safeguard to better manage the flow of offenders into the prison estate.

Between February 2023 and September 2024, when it was in operation under the previous Government, the average cost per police cell activated under Operation Safeguard was £688. This reflects costs incurred by police in making Safeguard cells available, such as additional staffing and food. We will continue to minimise costs by monitoring Safeguard closely and deactivating places where we can.

The cost of running a prison place is £150 per day. This is an average across the closed male estate, which includes costs such as staff costs, food, utilities and facilities maintenance, but does not include capital maintenance costs. Further information on this can be found in our published statistics: Prison performance data 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to release more criminals from prison early due to prison overcrowding.

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

This Government inherited a prison system on the point of collapse and we were forced to take the necessary action to stop the criminal justice system from total gridlock.

Whilst the SDS change provided the intended medium-term relief to the system, this was never expected to be a long-term solution. To ensure we are never in a position where we run out of prison places again, the Lord Chancellor announced the Independent Review into Sentencing, alongside a series of prison capacity measures. This included reforming our recall practices to target the unsustainable growth in the recall population since the pandemic and an extension of the maximum period offenders can spend on Home Detention Curfew from 6 to 12 months.

The Independent Sentencing Review published its Part 1 report on 18 February. The Review’s final report is expected to be published in the spring of this year and will set out the immediate and longer-term recommendations for reform.

The 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy published on 11 December set out our plans to deliver more prisons places. By 2031, we aim to have delivered a further 14,000 prison places, with all places expected to be operational by 2032. To help achieve this, we are investing £2.3 billion in prison building across the estate this year and next year, which will provide modern accommodation that helps to improve safety, security, and decency in prison and to reduce reoffending.

We are also investing approximately £500 million over two years in prison and probation service maintenance to improve conditions across the estate. Beyond existing plans, work is underway to identify land that would be suitable for potential new prisons, should these be required in the future. This Government will also implement a new Crown Development Route later this Spring to allow faster planning decisions on new prisons.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to amend the Human Rights Act 1998 to provide a legal right to access adequate housing.

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

The Human Rights Act (HRA) is an important part of our constitutional arrangements and fundamental to human rights protections in the UK. The Government has no plans to amend the rights protected by the HRA, which are drawn from those in the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Government will develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness. We are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness including delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament, as well as abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of literacy programs in prisons.

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

We have robust evidence on the positive benefits of education to reducing reoffending, however, we don’t have specific evidence for the link between literacy levels and reoffending. We are currently improving our understanding of factors influencing participation in different prison education types, including literacy courses, through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.

This learning will continue to support our evolving understanding of what more we can do to improve literacy in prisons. We are also investing in an evaluation of the new Prisoner Education Service which will include the delivery of functional English skills.

The success of formal literacy education is primarily measured by prisoners ‘achieving’ and getting an accredited qualification. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full grade in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23, across public prisons in England

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department provides support for prisoners to help them continue improving their literacy skills after release.

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

A key aim of His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) prison education service is to support prisoners to develop their functional literacy skills so that they can be fully rehabilitated into society upon release. Prisoners have access to local further education colleges in the community, and prison libraries can work with local libraries to ensure prisoners can register for services upon release.

Post-release, male ex-prisoners with education needs are signposted towards existing services including Creating Future Opportunities, which supports prisoners to address barriers to accessing opportunities, such as low levels of literacy, Department for Work and Pensions, and other local provisions. For women on probation, the Women’s Services contracts deliver holistic wraparound support that in addition to the specific ETE pathway, offers other support services to women that increase their ability to progress in education.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to (a) measure and (b) evaluate the effectiveness of literacy programs in prisons.

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

We have robust evidence on the positive benefits of education to reducing reoffending, however, we don’t have specific evidence for the link between literacy levels and reoffending. We are currently improving our understanding of factors influencing participation in different prison education types, including literacy courses, through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.

This learning will continue to support our evolving understanding of what more we can do to improve literacy in prisons. We are also investing in an evaluation of the new Prisoner Education Service which will include the delivery of functional English skills.

The success of formal literacy education is primarily measured by prisoners ‘achieving’ and getting an accredited qualification. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full grade in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23, across public prisons in England

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the relationship between literacy improvement and re-offending rates.

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

We have robust evidence on the positive benefits of education to reducing reoffending, however, we don’t have specific evidence for the link between literacy levels and reoffending. We are currently improving our understanding of factors influencing participation in different prison education types, including literacy courses, through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.

This learning will continue to support our evolving understanding of what more we can do to improve literacy in prisons. We are also investing in an evaluation of the new Prisoner Education Service which will include the delivery of functional English skills.

The success of formal literacy education is primarily measured by prisoners ‘achieving’ and getting an accredited qualification. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full grade in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23, across public prisons in England

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to improve literacy rates amongst prisoners.

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

Improving literacy education, including reading, is a priority for His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). HMPPS has established a panel of experts to provide advice on effective approaches for teaching reading in prisons. This expert panel includes representatives from the Department for Education with whom we work closely to ensure that prison education is well-aligned with community education.

HMPPS has also worked to improve literacy rates for prisoners through core literacy education and whole prison reading strategies. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills across public prisons in England, and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full grade in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23. Heads of Education, Skills and Work are now in every prison, bringing expertise from the education sector directly to prison education. New core contracts will be launched later this year which will deliver enhanced screening and assessment in English, reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), as well as screening for additional learning needs. HMPPS is piloting two reading and literacy projects across 15 prisons to test approaches to reading and literacy. Reading screening has been introduced to identify prisoners reading support levels, enabling the development of prison reading strategies and effective commissioning through the Core Education Contracts.

All prison officers undergo training in their roles and responsibilities with supporting education, including literacy education and reading. At the launch of the National Reading Framework, HMPPS provided dedicated training to key HMPPS staff. The National Reading Framework provides guidance for prisons to develop and assess the impact of tailored reading support for prisoners as well as promoting a culture where prisoners are encouraged to read for pleasure.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training is provided to prison staff to support literacy education.

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

Improving literacy education, including reading, is a priority for His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). HMPPS has established a panel of experts to provide advice on effective approaches for teaching reading in prisons. This expert panel includes representatives from the Department for Education with whom we work closely to ensure that prison education is well-aligned with community education.

HMPPS has also worked to improve literacy rates for prisoners through core literacy education and whole prison reading strategies. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills across public prisons in England, and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full grade in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23. Heads of Education, Skills and Work are now in every prison, bringing expertise from the education sector directly to prison education. New core contracts will be launched later this year which will deliver enhanced screening and assessment in English, reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), as well as screening for additional learning needs. HMPPS is piloting two reading and literacy projects across 15 prisons to test approaches to reading and literacy. Reading screening has been introduced to identify prisoners reading support levels, enabling the development of prison reading strategies and effective commissioning through the Core Education Contracts.

All prison officers undergo training in their roles and responsibilities with supporting education, including literacy education and reading. At the launch of the National Reading Framework, HMPPS provided dedicated training to key HMPPS staff. The National Reading Framework provides guidance for prisons to develop and assess the impact of tailored reading support for prisoners as well as promoting a culture where prisoners are encouraged to read for pleasure.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on improving literacy education in prisons.

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

Improving literacy education, including reading, is a priority for His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). HMPPS has established a panel of experts to provide advice on effective approaches for teaching reading in prisons. This expert panel includes representatives from the Department for Education with whom we work closely to ensure that prison education is well-aligned with community education.

HMPPS has also worked to improve literacy rates for prisoners through core literacy education and whole prison reading strategies. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills across public prisons in England, and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full grade in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23. Heads of Education, Skills and Work are now in every prison, bringing expertise from the education sector directly to prison education. New core contracts will be launched later this year which will deliver enhanced screening and assessment in English, reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), as well as screening for additional learning needs. HMPPS is piloting two reading and literacy projects across 15 prisons to test approaches to reading and literacy. Reading screening has been introduced to identify prisoners reading support levels, enabling the development of prison reading strategies and effective commissioning through the Core Education Contracts.

All prison officers undergo training in their roles and responsibilities with supporting education, including literacy education and reading. At the launch of the National Reading Framework, HMPPS provided dedicated training to key HMPPS staff. The National Reading Framework provides guidance for prisons to develop and assess the impact of tailored reading support for prisoners as well as promoting a culture where prisoners are encouraged to read for pleasure.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of effectiveness of her Department's programmes for supporting offenders in returning to employment in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

We know that finding employment after release reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why the Government’s manifesto commits to break the cycle of reoffending by better supporting prisons to link up with employers to get more people with convictions into work.

We have launched regional Employment Councils, including for the region Kent, Surrey & Sussex. For the first time, they bring businesses together with probation and the Department of Work and Pensions to support offenders in the community.

In addition, Prison Employment Leads, Employment Hubs, ID and Banking Administrators and Employment Advisory Boards are in every resettlement prison, including at HMP Coldingley in Surrey Heath. They play a key role in getting offenders work-ready, matching them to jobs on release and linking prisons with local businesses.

The proportion of ex-offenders in employment within six months of release in Kent, Surrey and Sussex was 29.5% in the year to March 2024, an increase of 4.7 percentage points from the previous reporting year to March 2023.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.

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

The delivery of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) activity and staffing requirements is decided by Departments as the employer.

Civil Service Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Expenditure guidance, published under the previous Government in May 2024, states:

Internal Efficiency Measures

18. Internal measures are important to promote efficient and effective EDI practice, which aligns to Government priorities. To ensure EDI spend in the Civil Service is commensurate with agreed organisational priorities the following measures must be considered:

c. Incorporate standalone EDI staffing roles into broader HR: The responsibility for EDI delivery should be embedded into HR professionals’ broader accountabilities. The CS D&I Strategy frames an approach where diversity and inclusion is not an end in itself, but an integral means of delivering better outcomes for our citizens.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) a legal code of conduct for and (b) mandatory inspections of the premises of funeral directors.

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

The Government is thoroughly evaluating all potential next steps to ensure that the high standards upheld by many within the funeral director sector are consistently reflected throughout the entire industry. This includes assessing the potential merits of a legal code of conduct for funeral directors and mandatory inspections of their premises. Further updates on the next steps will be provided in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, What the average prison sentence is for cannabis possession offences.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the average sentence for cannabis possession offences, from 2010 to 2024, in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address barriers to marriage faced by lower income couples following the publication of new research by the Marriage Foundation.

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

The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law and set out its view that its recommendations would provide greater choice for couples, lowering the cost of weddings and making them more accessible to all.

Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions. That is why we are carefully considering the Law Commission’s report and have a duty to take the time to consider these important issues. We will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using (a) anti-drone technologies and (b) Radio Frequency Effector technology in prisons.

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

His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of drones delivering contraband into prisons.

The Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 authorises the use of counter-drone technology and enables the police to stop and search anyone suspected of committing drone-related offences.

HMPPS uses a variety of countermeasures and intelligence tools to stop drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile phones and weapons. Owing to operational sensitives, we are not able to discuss in detail the tactics used by HMPPS to disrupt drones, as that would aid serious and organised criminals.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people serving imprisonment for public protection sentences were in Category (a) B, (b) C and (c) D prisons as of 31 December 2024.

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

Table 1 shows the number of prisoners serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences(1) held in predominant function Category B, C and D establishments(2), in England and Wales, as at 31 December 2024.

Notes:

1.The figures presented in these tables include both unreleased and recalled IPP prisoners.

2. A number of prisons have multiple functions (e.g. a prison could have both "Reception" and "Category C" functions). For these prisons, the predominant function has been used.

3. For more information see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prisons-and-their-resettlement-providers.

4. Data sources and quality: The figures in these tables 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. Source: Prison NOMIS.

It is right that the IPP sentence was abolished, and this Government is determined that those serving the sentence get all the support and opportunities they need to make further progress towards a safe and sustainable release, but not in a way that impacts public protection.

On 15 November 2024, the Government published the updated IPP Action Plan, which puts a stronger emphasis on effective frontline delivery in our prisons. It will ensure that prisoners serving IPP sentences have robust and effective sentence plans, which they are actively engaging with, and that they are in the correct prison to access the right interventions and rehabilitative services.

The IPP Action Plan and the commitment to deliver it have contributed to the overall reduction in the IPP population. The unreleased prison population fell from 1,227 in December 2023, to 1,045 in December 2024.

The Government also acted swiftly to commence the IPP measures in the Victims and Prisoners Act, which led to the automatic termination of licence for 1,742 cases on 1 November 2024. We also commenced the new power to re-release recalled IPP offenders executively through Risk Assessed Recall Review (RARR).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the document entitled The number of prison places built and closed (2010-2024), published on 25 October 2024, if she will publish the number of prison places lost as a result of (a) prison closures, (b) dilapidation and (c) other changes to capacity between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2024, broken down by region.

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

As set out in the quoted document in October 2024, the previous Government only managed to increase prison capacity by c.500 places between May 2010 and April 2024. A regional breakdown of the number of prison places removed during this period has been provided as an Excel document alongside this response. The ‘other’ category in the table includes all other changes to operational capacity such as places temporarily out of use for maintenance.

Last year, this Government announced plans to build 14,000 places by 2031 as part of our 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy. We have already started the 700-place expansion at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk earlier this month, and a new houseblock providing nearly 460 places at HMP Rye Hill in Northamptonshire recently received its first prisoners. We are also opening HMP Millsike in the coming weeks, which will hold nearly 1,500 prisoners.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will publish a timetable for a data sharing agreement between the (a) Crown Prosecution Service, (b) courts, (c) police and (d) other criminal justice agencies; and if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of not having such an agreement.

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

There are several data sharing agreements that exist between Criminal Justice System (CJS) agencies for specific purposes, and we are working with CJS agencies to further improve how data is shared. For example, we have run a pilot to link data between probation, prisons and police to enhance data driven decision-making by probation practitioners and are developing a cross-CJS dataset that brings together data from the Crown Prosecution Service, courts, police, prisons and probation services to better inform policy decisions.

We know there are several economic benefits to improving the flow of data across the CJS. The Ministry of Justice is currently working with Home Office and AGO/CPS on joint proposals to improve the flow of data across the system.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has had recent discussions with the Welsh Government on the provision of speech and language therapy in youth justice services in Wales.

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

This Government recognises the vital role that Speech and Language Therapists play in supporting young people within the justice system.

I discussed matters relating to youth justice in Wales when I met with Welsh Government Minister Janet Hutt earlier this month.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many new prison places have been created since July 2024.

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

As outlined in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government is committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places and aims to do so by 2031. Since July 2024, c.700 additional prison places have been created through new, modern houseblocks, essential refurbishments and the re-role of HMP Cookham Wood. HMP Millsike is due to open in the coming weeks and will provide an additional c.1,500 places.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of child trafficking by (a) nationality and (b) arresting police force in each year since 2010.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including human trafficking up to and including June 2024 in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

These include all human trafficking offences convicted, not just those against children. It is not possible to separately identify all such convictions that relate to children as the information on the victim age is not recorded in the Court Proceedings Database held by the Ministry of Justice.

Data held centrally does not include the nationality of the offender. The police force recorded in the Court Proceedings Database relates to the police force area associated with the court where the case was heard and not the arresting police force. The arresting police force is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings Database.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, in the context of average times taken to extradite foreign national offenders.

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

This Government is deporting eligible Foreign National Offenders as fast as possible. We have removed 21% more foreign national offenders during the period July 2024 to January 2025 compared with the equivalent period in 2023-24, under the previous Government.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of convicted offenders had a pre-sentence report prepared by the Probation Service presented to the judiciary in England and Wales in (1) the Crown Court and (2) a magistrates' court in each of the past three years.

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

We cannot provide the percentage of convicted offenders with a pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service and presented to the Crown Courts and Magistrates Court for the past three years as the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

However, we can provide the number of pre-sentence reports prepared by the probation service and presented to the Crown and Magistrates courts respectively.

Number of pre-sentence reports prepared and presented by the probation service in England and Wales:

Note: Offender Management Statistics for the year of 2024 will be published on 24 April 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the retention of district judges and circuit judges in the County Court.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 36655, on Sexual Offences: Crown Court, what further action her Department plans to take after 28 May 2025, when the pilot scheme will have operated for one year.

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

Since May 2024, the Ministry of Justice has been running a one-year pilot to enable victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases were heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks free of charge.

The Ministry of Justice is currently assessing the impacts of this pilot to inform decisions on future provision. This includes considering the value of these transcripts to victims based on victim survey (or feedback from victims), impacts on the judiciary and the cost implications of the policy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the retention of judges in the High Court.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce personal injury claims being block listed in the County Courts.

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

Listing decisions, including whether a claim is suitable for a block list, are a matter for the independent judiciary.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to support legal professionals reliant on legal aid fees.

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

This Government is committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of both the civil and criminal legal aid sectors and we are keen to work closely with practitioners and their representative bodies to look at how best we can address this.

Regarding criminal legal aid, in November 2024 we announced our response to the Crime Lower consultation. We confirmed an uplift to the lowest police station fees, introduced a new Youth Court fee scheme, and subsidised for travel time in certain circumstances. Together, these changes amount to a £24 million investment for criminal legal aid providers.

In addition, in December 2024, we announced that criminal legal aid solicitors will receive up to £92 million more a year to help address the ongoing challenges in the criminal justice system. The precise allocation of this funding is subject to consultation. We are committed to continuing to work with the criminal legal aid profession on further opportunities for reform this Parliament and to support the overall sustainability, diversity, and efficiency of the system.

In respect of civil legal aid, the Ministry of Justice has recently undertaken a comprehensive review of civil legal aid and concluded a consultation on uplifts to housing & debt and immigration & asylum legal aid fees, which will inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year once fully implemented. We are currently reviewing consultation responses and will publish our response. We will continue to consider the fees paid in other categories of civil legal aid, and the wider themes from the Review, in order to support the long-term sustainability of the civil legal aid sector.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether any entity owned or partially owned by the Government has acted as a prosecutor in its own interests in the past five years.

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

Certain Government agencies (such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and TV Licencing) are permitted under legislation to bring criminal prosecutions within specified remits. In addition, where the UK taxpayer is a shareholder or the only shareholder, a company may bring a private prosecution using common law powers preserved under section 6(1) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.

The Government does not collate or record data on individual prosecutors and private prosecutions, although some prosecutors may publish their own data separately. This Government considers that the public should be given more information about private prosecutors to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight and regulation of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 8 May.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to set a target date to achieve a representative (a) judiciary and (b) magistracy.

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

The Government is strongly committed to achieving a judiciary which better represents the diversity of the population. This comprises of judges, non-legal members and magistrates.

We continue to work closely with the judiciary, the Judicial Appointments Commission, the legal professions, magistrates’ representatives and employers to improve the diversity of the judiciary.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether, when the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber makes a serious adverse ruling against a school but the judgment is not made public, it communicates the judgment to the relevant inspectorate; and, if not, why.

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

The provision of written reasons for decisions in Special Educational Needs and Discrimination (SEND) proceedings in the First-tier Tribunal is governed by the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008. The rules can be found at the following link: The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008.

Rule 30 provides that written reasons must be provided to the parties where (i) the decision finally disposes of all issues in proceedings or (ii) the Tribunal makes a determination in a preliminary issue. The decision in individual cases on whether to disclose a written decision to someone other than a party to the proceedings is a judicial one and not something in which Ministers can intervene.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve retention of judges in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve the retention employment tribunal judges.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve the retention of Court of Appeal judges.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve the retention of Supreme Court judges.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much compensation was provided for (a) childcare, (b) other care, (c) food and drink, (d) travel and (e) parking costs to people on jury duty in real terms in each of the last five years.

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

Jurors can claim an amount towards loss of earnings and other costs incurred as a direct result of jury service, subject to a daily maximum. They can also claim travel costs and a contribution towards their refreshments.

HMCTS does not collect or collate data specifically on all categories of expenses requested here but can disaggregate certain payments made. Parking charges are incorporated into the travel costs and all types of additional care (e.g. childcare and care of vulnerable adults) are amalgamated. The information available is set out in the following table.

Costs in 2024 prices (using CPI data)

The expenses covered in the table above represent only a proportion of total expenses paid to jurors each year. For example, in 2024, a total of £36.5 million was paid in juror allowance, including the £12,750,765 set out under the categories requested in the question asked.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve retention of judges in the Health, Education, and Social Care Chamber.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve retention of judges in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve retention of judges in the Social Entitlement Chamber.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve retention of judges in the Business and Property Courts.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the retention of district judges in the Magistrates’ Court.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the retention of judges in the Crown Court.

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

The data on salaried judge retention shows the majority of salaried judges leave due to retirement, with an average retirement age of 66.

As well as continuing to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members annually to increase judicial capacity where it is needed, the increase to the mandatory retirement age (from 70 to 75 in March 2022) and allowing fee paid and salaried judges to sit in retirement where there is a business need, is helping retain experienced judges for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Magistrates Courts were (a) partially and (b) fully closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region.

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

The table below shows the number of Magistrates’ Courts that were permanently closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region. The figures do not include integrations, where workload remained in the local area by transferring to a building in close proximity, or courts that are temporarily closed.

There are multiple situations that can require a court to be closed to the public for a temporary period of time. Reasons include, but are not limited to, severe weather disruption, building issues and disrepair, loss of utilities, and in response to security concerns.

HMCTS does not hold central data covering all temporary closures.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Crown Courts were (a) partially and (b) fully closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region.

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

The table below shows the number of Crown Courts that were permanently closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region. The figures do not include integrations, where workload remained in the local area by transferring to a building in close proximity, or courts that are temporarily closed.

There are multiple situations that can require a court to be closed to the public for a temporary period of time. Reasons include, but are not limited to, severe weather disruption, building issues and disrepair, loss of utilities, and in response to security concerns.

HMCTS does not hold central data covering all temporary closures.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the current average time to clear Personal Independence Payments appeals at the (a) First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) and (b) Upper Tribunal.

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

Information about appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), including the average time to clear Personal Independence Payment appeals is published at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

The information requested for the Upper Tribunal is not currently available.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number of sharia courts in the UK.

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

I refer the Honourable Member for Thirsk and Malton to my answer given on 18 December to Question 18879: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-12-10/18879.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many volunteer support workers working in (a) prisons and (b) probation had criminal convictions in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

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

All support workers and volunteers in HM Prison & Probation Service are subject to vetting checks on entry, to protect the security and integrity of the organisation. This includes anyone recruited via our Lived Experience routes, such as Going Forward into Employment or Standard Plus. The vetting process includes review of any convictions that may lawfully be taken into account, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

To obtain the information requested, it would be necessary to undertake a manual search of individual records, and to make local checks. This could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost is for processing (a) a fixed term and (b) an emergency recall to prison.

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

The process of recalling an offender to custody, whether for a fixed-term or in an emergency, involves activity and administration on the part of the Probation Service (which requests recall); officials in HM Prison and Probation Service (who revoke the offender’s licence), local police forces (which are responsible for returning the offender to prison custody) and then prisons’ reception and screening services. The costs to the bodies involved are not collated centrally. Consequently, there is no reliable basis on which to work out the average costs for either type of recall.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of ringfencing funding for Buvidal for people released from prison.

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

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds local authorities to deliver drug and alcohol treatment services. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol services according to local need, which includes the provision of Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine (LAIB), known under the brand name Buvidal. LAIB is available in all regions in England, including in County Durham and Easington, and for those who have been released from prison. It is a clinical decision whether to offer this treatment, based on an individual assessment and personal choice.

The Government has no current plans to ring-fence funding specifically for the provision of LAIB, and the Secretary of State for Justice has not held discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of LAIB for people released from prison. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to working with health partners to support access to clinical interventions appropriate to individual needs, and MoJ and DHSC work closely to ensure that people leaving prison receive continuity of care. We have a range of interventions to prepare prison leavers to continue their recovery journey in the community, including Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide, who strengthen links between prisons, probation and treatment providers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many paid support workers working in (a) prisons and (b) probation had criminal convictions in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

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

All support workers and volunteers in HM Prison & Probation Service are subject to vetting checks on entry, to protect the security and integrity of the organisation. This includes anyone recruited via our Lived Experience routes, such as Going Forward into Employment or Standard Plus. The vetting process includes review of any convictions that may lawfully be taken into account, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

To obtain the information requested, it would be necessary to undertake a manual search of individual records, and to make local checks. This could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of food supplied to the prison estate is sourced from British farms.

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

The information is not held centrally.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many defendants were (a) prosecuted and (b) found guilty of offences under each relevant section of (i) the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, (ii) the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, (iii) the Deer Act 1991, (iv) the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and (v) the Hunting Act 2004 in each year since 2019.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions offences under i) the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, (ii) the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, (iii) the Deer Act 1991, (iv) the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and (v) the Hunting Act 2004 at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

The specific offences requested are listed below:

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that probate application delays have on the number of empty homes.

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

HM Courts & Tribunals service (HMCTS) has not collected data to assess the impact that probate application delays have on the number of empty homes.

However, HMCTS has invested in additional staff and made system and process improvements to reduce waiting times and progress is being made to reduce delays. Official statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show, despite continued high levels of receipts, average waiting times are improving and was 7 weeks, from receipt of the documentation needed, for grants issued during July to September 2024. Management Information published by HMCTS, which undergoes fewer quality checks than Ministry of Justice Official Statistics, shows average waiting times currently stand at 4 weeks, from receipt of the documentation needed to grant issue, for cases completing in December 2024. This in turn is likely to have had a positive impact on the time that housing remains empty. Individual cases may take longer due to a variety of reasons such as family disputes or lack of information, leaving homes empty for extended periods.

Average waiting times for probate grants are routinely published on gov.uk via the Family Court Statistics (Family Court Statistics Quarterly - GOV.UK) and HMCTS Management Information (HMCTS management information - GOV.UK).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the availability of Buvidal for people released from prison.

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

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds local authorities to deliver drug and alcohol treatment services. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol services according to local need, which includes the provision of Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine (LAIB), known under the brand name Buvidal. LAIB is available in all regions in England, including in County Durham and Easington, and for those who have been released from prison. It is a clinical decision whether to offer this treatment, based on an individual assessment and personal choice.

The Government has no current plans to ring-fence funding specifically for the provision of LAIB, and the Secretary of State for Justice has not held discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of LAIB for people released from prison. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to working with health partners to support access to clinical interventions appropriate to individual needs, and MoJ and DHSC work closely to ensure that people leaving prison receive continuity of care. We have a range of interventions to prepare prison leavers to continue their recovery journey in the community, including Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide, who strengthen links between prisons, probation and treatment providers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for male victims of (a) rape and (b) sexual assault.

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

This Government was elected on its landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. VAWG crimes disproportionately affect women and girls, but we know that men and boys are also often victims, and this Government is absolutely committed to stopping sexual violence against all victims. I recently chaired a roundtable, which brought together key voices from the victim’s sector to ensure men’s voices are heard, and I am working closely with my ministerial counterparts in the Home Office and across government to make sure that the Safer Streets mission, and our upcoming strategy, addresses the needs of all victims.

Support services such as the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support line, and services funded through Department’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, are available to all victims regardless of their gender. Similarly, new policies, such as Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, and the incoming Independent Legal Advice service, apply to all victims.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve the retention of coroners.

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

Whilst the Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner and inquest law and policy, coroner services are locally funded and administered by individual local authorities. In line with this framework, coroners are appointed by the lead local authority for a coroner area, with the consent of the Lord Chancellor and the Chief Coroner.

In its response to the Justice Committee in December 2024, the Government endorsed the Committee’s view that the coroner service in England and Wales “is staffed with highly skilled and dedicated people performing a difficult but essential service”. We are therefore committed to continuing to work with the Chief Coroner to ensure consistency, high standards and better resilience across coroner services​.

In addition, we support steps taken by the Chief Coroner to improve the system of regional governance in her office, including enhancing the role of regional leadership coroners and creation of a diversity and inclusion lead and wellbeing lead. These leadership coroners work alongside the Chief Coroner and the deputy Chief Coroners to encourage consistency of approach at a regional level and to support the link between the Chief Coroner, her Office and the coroner judiciary as a whole.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 36654 on Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, how many private family law proceedings (a) involved allegations of child sexual abuse and (b) resulted in the child coming into contact with the alleged abuser again in 2022-23.

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

The requested information is not recorded centrally. The relevant data could only be obtained by an analysis of individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that relevant information is shared with coroners investigating gambling-related deaths regarding concerns identified and action taken by the Gambling Commission during the period being investigated at inquest.

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

Coroners are independent judges, and the way in which they manage their investigations and inquests is a matter for them. Accordingly, it is for the coroner to determine the scope of an investigation into a death, and to identify the relevant Interested Persons and witnesses.

The statutory framework set out in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 provides the coroner with powers to require the production of evidence for the purposes of their investigation, with sanctions for non-compliance.

Where, as the result of an investigation, a coroner considers that action should be taken to mitigate or prevent the risk of future deaths, they must provide a report to the person(s) or organisation(s) which they believe may have power to take such action. Recipients must respond within 56 days, setting out details of what action has been or will be taken, or explaining why no action is proposed. Both the coroner’s report and the responses to it must be copied to the Chief Coroner and are published on the Judiciary website.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the number of prison places removed through (a) prisons closing, (b) parts of prisons being removed from use, (c) loss of modular units, (d) reductions in crowding places and (e) other removals was in each year from the earliest year for which data are available.

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

As previously set out in an ad-hoc release in October 2024, the previous Government only managed to increase prison capacity by c.500 places between May 2010 and April 2024.

As we have also previously published, the previous Labour Government added nearly 28,000 places to the prison estate, however available records do not provide a breakdown for these figures.

The answers to both questions, dating back to 2010, have been provided as an Excel document alongside this response. Please note that HMPPS does not collate data in the specific categories requested in PQ 36626 so these have been substituted for the equivalent categories in which the data is held. The ‘other’ category in the table includes all other changes such as places temporarily out of use for maintenance.

Lastly, due to the complexities around prison crowding data, we are unable to provide a breakdown alongside the other information. However, data on prison crowding is published annually and a comprehensive overview can be viewed at HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) number of prison places added, (b) number of prison places removed and (c) net change in the number of prison places was in each year from the earliest year for which data are available.

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

As previously set out in an ad-hoc release in October 2024, the previous Government only managed to increase prison capacity by c.500 places between May 2010 and April 2024.

As we have also previously published, the previous Labour Government added nearly 28,000 places to the prison estate, however available records do not provide a breakdown for these figures.

The answers to both questions, dating back to 2010, have been provided as an Excel document alongside this response. Please note that HMPPS does not collate data in the specific categories requested in PQ 36626 so these have been substituted for the equivalent categories in which the data is held. The ‘other’ category in the table includes all other changes such as places temporarily out of use for maintenance.

Lastly, due to the complexities around prison crowding data, we are unable to provide a breakdown alongside the other information. However, data on prison crowding is published annually and a comprehensive overview can be viewed at HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her Department's policy to remove all foreign national offenders from UK prisons.

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

The removal of foreign national offenders (FNOs) is an important priority of this Government. FNOs who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.

After sentencing, FNOs are considered for removal under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) subject to the Home Office issuing a deportation order. The ERS enables the removal of FNOs up to 18 months before the end of their custodial sentence. FNOs deported under the ERS are barred from returning to the UK.

Between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025, 2,925 FNOs have been returned from prison and the community - 21% more than the 2,422 in the same period under the previous Government, 12 months prior. This includes 1,557 ERS removals from prison - a 26% increase compared to the same period under the previous Government 12 months prior.

We have invested £5 million for 82 new FNO Specialist roles in prisons to speed up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country. Staff will be in post by April 2025. We will also fast-track removals through a new returns and enforcement unit, with an additional 1,000 Home Office staff.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the number of prison places added through (a) prisons opening, (b) small secure houseblocks, (c) rapid deployment cells, (d) crowding places and (e) other additions was in each year from the earliest year for which data are available.

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

As outlined in the recently published 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government is committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places through the 20,000 prison place programmes, which the previous Government failed to deliver.

We are aiming to deliver the further 14,000 places by 2031 through our four new prisons, in addition to HMPs Five Wells and Fosse Way which have already been built. Other places within the 20,000 place programmes will be delivered through expansion of the existing estate, including Small Secure Houseblocks and Rapid Deployment Cells, additional houseblocks and refurbishments on the existing estate, additional crowded places available in the new manage and maintain private prison contracts, Category D Estate Expansion, Small Secure Investments and Urgent Temporary Accommodation.

No places have been delivered through the Small Secure Houseblocks Programme to date. ‘Other (e)’ in the table below consists of additional crowded places available in the new manage and maintain private prison contracts, Category D Estate Expansion, Small Scale Investments and Urgent Temporary Accommodation.

Data has been provided from this point as the programmes in the question (Rapid Deployment Cells and Small Secure Houseblocks) are new delivery types from the 20k programmes, which began in 2020. Due to the complexities around prison crowding data (d), we are unable to provide a breakdown in the below table. However, data on prison crowding is published annually and a comprehensive overview can be viewed at HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV.UK This data does not represent the net breakdown of supply across this period, which can be found through PQs 36624 and 36626, or the October 2024 Ad Hoc publication which can be found at The_number_of_prison_places_built_and_closed__2010-2024_.docx.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total value is of penalty charges imposed on Serco for underperformance in relation to its electronic tagging contract since November 2023.

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

Serco’s performance is not good enough, and last year’s backlog of outstanding visits has been substantially reduced. We will continue to hold Serco to account and will not hesitate to impose further contract penalties, where necessary, to drive performance improvement.

The Ministry of Justice believes that the information is commercially sensitive and releasing this information would prejudice, or would likely prejudice, Serco Group Limited’s commercial interests.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on steps to help tackle image-based abuse.

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

The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade as part of the Safer Streets mission. This will require a cross-government approach, and Minister Phillips at the Home Office and I co-chair the VAWG Ministerial Group which regularly brings together Ministers from relevant Departments to ensure we are using all government levers available to achieve our mission. The Government’s VAWG strategy will be published this year with contributions from across Whitehall, including on joint steps to tackle image-based abuse.

Tackling intimate image abuse requires a combined effort from colleagues across government, namely, Home Office, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Justice, as well as Ofcom. As a first step, we have confirmed that we will legislate this parliament to make it a criminal offence to create sexually explicit deepfake images. This is alongside introducing new offences for the taking of intimate images without consent and the installation of equipment with intent to enable the taking of intimate images without consent.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the budget for victim and witness support services was in 2024-25.

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

We do not routinely publish the full Ministry of Justice budget for victim and witness support services, as funding awards are subject to change and many services will receive funding from multiple sources. At the end of the financial year, a breakdown of grant funding is made publicly available on the Government Grants Information System, covering the previous financial period of grant spending.

The current restriction on releasing the names of persons being prosecuted for murder or manslaughter, because of their age is too restrictive. If say 12 - 16 years old, are “old enough” to carry weapons of any sort; knives, machetes, guns etc, then surely they are old enough to be named?

We want the Government to help fathers more in family courts through more legal aid and support groups. We feel that too many fathers are not seeing their children and this has to stop.

We believe this is necessary to allow prisoners to be sent to prisons in the near future, and to build extra spaces so prisons aren't at 99% capacity.

We call for a review to consider how court locations could best be chosen to prioritise the survivor's safety, and potentially reduce emotional stress and prevent further harm.

I urge the government to make mandatory neurodivergent training a requirement for all family law professionals. This training should focus on understanding neurodivergence, recognising abuse in neurodivergent survivors, & providing tailored support to ensure fair and just treatment in family courts.

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Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the potential impact of changes to disability benefits on the court appeals system.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP will work with the Ministry of Justice to prepare a Justice Impact Test to assess the impacts of proposed policy changes on the justice system.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on steps to ensure that offences of (a) reckless and (b) negligent behaviour which causes harm to wildlife are appropriately dealt with.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministry of Justice colleagues on a range of issues.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse was of supporting the modernisation of the Albanian prison system.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In addition to work to disrupt Organised Immigration Crime and address the long-term drivers of migration, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Home Office and the Ministry of Justice work together to enable the return of eligible Albanian foreign national offenders to serve the remainder of their sentence in Albania. As part of an arrangement signed under the previous government in 2023 to implement the 2021 Prisoner Transfer Agreement, £4.3 million was committed over three years to support the modernisation of the Albanian prison system. We are reviewing the operation of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Albania signed by the previous Government to understand how more prisoners can be sent back to serve their time in Albanian prisons. During 2024,1,610 Albanian FNOs were removed from England and Wales - the highest number of any nationality and up 7% from the previous year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with police forces on supporting families in relation to criminal cases that have been open for over a decade.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Under the Victims' Code all victims, including a close relative of a person whose death was directly caused by a criminal offence, are entitled to be referred to support services when they report a crime.

The Ministry of Justice provides Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) with annual grant funding to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 31856 on Buprenorphine, if he will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of ensuring Buvidal is made available on release from prison to all people who have received Buvidal whilst in prison.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice have discussed the issue. The Department of Health and Social Care advises local areas that they can use the funding given to them to deliver drug and alcohol treatment to enable prescribing of buprenorphine long-acting injection in their areas, and advises and supports local areas to establish, maintain and grow this provision and this includes for those who leave prison.

It is a clinical decision whether to offer this treatment, based on an individual assessment and personal choice. Buvidal is available in all regions in England; the following table shows its availability in community structured treatment as a proportion of the overall population in treatment for opiate use, broken down by region, for the fourth quarter of 2023/24, the latest period for which data is available:

Source: National Drug Treatment Monitoring System March 2024

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the availability of Buvidal, broken down by region.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice have discussed the issue. The Department of Health and Social Care advises local areas that they can use the funding given to them to deliver drug and alcohol treatment to enable prescribing of buprenorphine long-acting injection in their areas, and advises and supports local areas to establish, maintain and grow this provision and this includes for those who leave prison.

It is a clinical decision whether to offer this treatment, based on an individual assessment and personal choice. Buvidal is available in all regions in England; the following table shows its availability in community structured treatment as a proportion of the overall population in treatment for opiate use, broken down by region, for the fourth quarter of 2023/24, the latest period for which data is available:

Source: National Drug Treatment Monitoring System March 2024

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