Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring organisations to contribute to legal fees when (a) an unfair dismissal and (b) a discriminatory employment practice has occurred.

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

Organisations can already be asked to contribute to the cost of legal fees where vexatious or unreasonable behaviour has occurred. The Employment Tribunals (ET) can issue cost orders where one side is ordered to pay the other’s legal costs. For unfair dismissal cases, if the tribunal decides a claimant has been unfairly dismissed, they can receive compensation. Compensation awards can be ‘basic’ (based on age, length of service and average weekly wage) and ‘compensatory’ (based on loss of earnings).

The Ministry of Justice has not carried out an assessment of the merits of introducing more widespread use of cost orders. This is because the Tribunal Procedure Committee (TPC) is responsible for making procedure rules in the ET that includes the rules regarding cost orders. The Lord Chancellor can consider impacts of the changes the TPC recommend before deciding whether to implement them.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which (a) professional bodies and (b) legal organisations his Department consulted prior to the publication of proposals to restrict jury trials; and what alternative measures his Department has considered to reduce the Crown Court backlog.

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

In developing his recommendations, Sir Brian Leveson and his expert advisers, including Professor David Ormerod, engaged with many external bodies and organisations with invaluable expertise of our Criminal Justice System including criminal legal organisations, charities, academics, and members of the judiciary. A full list is at Annex C of Part 1 of his report.

When considering Sir Brian’s recommendations and developing our proposals, I have engaged regularly with stakeholders and relevant sectors including but not limited to representatives from the legal sector (Law Society, Bar Council, Criminal Bar Association), victims and victims representatives (the Victims Commissioner, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Rape Crisis), judiciary (Circuit leaders, Judicial leadership), magistracy (Magistrates’ Association, Magistrates’ Leadership Executive), non-governmental organisations (Appeal, JUSTICE, Transform Justice), court staff in criminal courts around the country (Wood Green, Snaresbrook, Kingston, Southwark, Telford, Birmingham etc) and similar international jurisdictions. For example, I met judges and visited courts in Canada, which uses types of judge-only trial.

We welcome the recommendations made in Part 1 of Sir Brian’s Review, which provided the blueprint for reform. Sir Brian’s recommendations were ambitious, but he also recognised that the Government might need to take his recommendations further to address the scale of the challenge we are facing. We have three levers for restoring stability and confidence in the criminal courts system – investment, modernisation, and structural reform. Pursuing any one of these levers in isolation would not be enough to meet projected demand into the courts, let alone address the rising caseload. The Government has already invested heavily in the system – in record sitting days, court buildings and technology, and in legal professionals. On 4 February 2026, Sir Brian published Part 2 of his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, which makes recommendations to improve the efficiency of the criminal courts. We will urgently consider the proposals set out, alongside Sir Brian’s remaining recommendations from Part 1, and respond to them in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made by law enforcement on apprehending those responsible for the Legal Aid Agency cyber attack.

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

Since April 2025 there has been a net increase to the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) publishes data about provider numbers as part of its official statistics (table 9.6). Data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026.

The LAA also routinely publishes data about the volume and value of legal aid cases across all legal aid schemes as part of its official statistics. As above, data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026.

As set out in my response to PQ 98862, since the serious criminal attack on the LAA’s digital services was identified we have worked closely with relevant law enforcement agencies and Police. As sensitive investigations remain ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on the nature or detail of this engagement.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of court sitting days on the Crown Court backlog.

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

We have funded 112,250 Crown Court sitting days this financial year – 5,000 more than the previous Government and a record number. The Deputy Prime Minister has made clear that sitting days will continue to increase in both the Crown and magistrates’ courts.

As our latest published projections show, demand by 2030 is forecast to be 7% higher in the Crown Court than current levels. This means the courts would need to sit 139,000 days just to keep up with demand and even that would not enable us to reduce the backlog. The system is not able to deliver that number – there are insufficient prosecutors, defence barristers and judges to keep up with the demand. As a benchmark, the Lady Chief Justice has said that the maximum the judiciary could presently sit is around 113,000 sitting days.

Therefore, even with record-breaking investment in sitting days, the Crown Court backlog will continue to grow, leaving people waiting for longer and longer for justice. That is why we are pulling every lever we have – investment, reform and efficiency – to turn the tide on the backlog and begin to deliver justice for victims.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to reform powers in relation to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation cases.

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

The Government implemented the Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this was a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to Answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 100065 on Legal Aid Scheme, how many legal aid providers have left the market in total since 23 April 2025.

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

Since April 2025 there has been a net increase to the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) publishes data about provider numbers as part of its official statistics (table 9.6). Data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026.

The LAA also routinely publishes data about the volume and value of legal aid cases across all legal aid schemes as part of its official statistics. As above, data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026.

As set out in my response to PQ 98862, since the serious criminal attack on the LAA’s digital services was identified we have worked closely with relevant law enforcement agencies and Police. As sensitive investigations remain ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on the nature or detail of this engagement.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many legal aid cases there were in each month since 23 April 2025.

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

Since April 2025 there has been a net increase to the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) publishes data about provider numbers as part of its official statistics (table 9.6). Data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026.

The LAA also routinely publishes data about the volume and value of legal aid cases across all legal aid schemes as part of its official statistics. As above, data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026.

As set out in my response to PQ 98862, since the serious criminal attack on the LAA’s digital services was identified we have worked closely with relevant law enforcement agencies and Police. As sensitive investigations remain ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on the nature or detail of this engagement.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what demographic data in relation to ethnicity, gender and age his Department holds on convictions and cautions over the last 30 years.

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

The Ministry of Justice holds an extract of the Police National Computer (PNC) which holds data on ethnicity, gender and age for convictions and cautions since 2000. A breakdown of this information is published annually in the First Time Entrants and Offenders History publication here: First Time Entrants and Offenders History publication

In addition, the Ministry of Justice holds data on convictions in the Court Proceedings database which includes details of gender and age from 1984. Ethnicity data is included from 2005 onwards. This information, along with a technical guide for each report containing further details around demographic information, is routinely published in Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK Information on cautions from the PNC extract is also published within the reports.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current notification procedures for County Court Judgments; and whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring that all notifications of impending County Court Judgments be sent by recorded and tracked delivery to ensure defendants receive proper notice of court proceedings.

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

The Civil Procedure Rule Committee is responsible for the rules that govern the procedure for notifying people of court proceedings, known as the rules of service. In July 2025 it consulted on changes to the service rules including to permit electronic service on parties with whom there has already been electronic communication pre-action. The work to review responses to the consultation and any subsequent Civil Procedure Rules amendments is ongoing. The consultation can be found at - Civil Procedure Rule Committee - service consultation

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what research he has undertaken into (a) inequalities in the criminal justice system and (b) the impact of DBS checks on those inequalities.

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

Equality before the law is a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system. We are committed to working in partnership with ethnic minority communities, stakeholders and delivery partners to seize opportunities and remove barriers to racial equality across the UK and to hear people’s lived experiences.

Data First is a pioneering data-linkage, research and academic engagement programme, led by the Ministry of Justice. By making linked data across courts, prison and probation services available to accredited academic researchers, Data First continues to facilitate new research on the nature and extent of ethnic disparities in sentencing outcomes that has not been possible before.

DBS checks and the wider criminal records regime must strike a balance between safeguarding and rehabilitation, but we recognise the different ways that they can impact on an individual’s life. Sir Brian Leveson’s recent independent review of the Criminal Courts also highlighted these impacts. On 2 December 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed in a Written Ministerial Statement, that we are considering Sir Brian’s recommendation, including opportunities to simplify the regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Sharia law courts have operated in the UK in each year since 2010 and broken down by local authority area.

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

There are no sharia law courts.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many probation officers have been recruited since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Between 5 July 2024 and 30 September 2025, 55 qualified Band 4 probation officers joined HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). This figure reflects only those who already held the required qualification at the point of appointment.

The majority of Band 4 probation officers join HMPPS as trainees and qualify within the Department, rather than being recruited directly into Band 4 roles.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been recruited since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

There have been 2,623 Band 3–5 prison officers who joined HMPPS between 5 July 2024 and 30 September 2025.

This data only covers Public Sector Prison establishments in England and does not include Private Sector Prison establishments.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his assessment is of the effectiveness of Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The UK fully supports the operation of the international treaties which enable the cross-border enforcement of maintenance decisions. Children have a right to care and support, and parents have a responsibility to provide it. That responsibility endures regardless of family separation and includes situations where the paying parent and the child are living in different countries.

The effectiveness of reciprocal enforcement depends on how national governments operate the procedures required under the different treaties. The administration of the reciprocal enforcement of maintenance procedures in England and Wales is kept under continuous review and officials work to address any issues arising.

Regular discussions take place between UK officials and officials from other countries.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Government action to avert summer prison disaster, published on 29 January 2026, on what date the 2,900 prison spaces were approved for construction.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

This Government has delivered c.2,900 additional prison places and construction on these began between 2022 and 2024. We have invested £4.7 billion over the spending review period to enable the delivery of these additional prison places at pace and have maintained our target to deliver a total of 14,000 by 2031. The places delivered by this Government so far were approved for construction between 2020 and 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Government action to avert summer prison disaster, published on 29 January 2026, when the 2,900 prison spaces began construction.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

This Government has delivered c.2,900 additional prison places and construction on these began between 2022 and 2024. We have invested £4.7 billion over the spending review period to enable the delivery of these additional prison places at pace and have maintained our target to deliver a total of 14,000 by 2031. The places delivered by this Government so far were approved for construction between 2020 and 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Answers to Questions 109199, 109198, 109197 and 109196, if he will publish the spreadsheet with the information requested in these questions with the number of previous occasions the offender has been convicted as individual categories up to a maximum of six times rather than in groups.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The information requested is provided in the attached excel tables. These tables include data covering the period 2020 – 2024 on:

- The number of offenders who were convicted of a specified offence but did not receive an immediate custodial sentence, by the number of previous convictions for that specified offence up to a maximum of 6.

As set out in response to questions 109196-109199, this data is not regularly published or held in an easily accessible format. The information supplied has been sourced from a bespoke retrieval from the Police National Computer database.

Previous convictions are already a statutory aggravating factor, with Sentencing Guidelines being clear that sentencers must consider the nature and relevance of previous convictions, and the time elapsed since the previous convictions.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of financial abuse by negligent Financial Deputies on vulnerable adults under the court of protection.

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

When the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) receives notice that the court has appointed a deputy to manage the finances or a person who lacks mental capacity, it provides the deputy with access to the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice and supporting guidance known as Deputy Standards. Those standards are published on gov.uk and provide information on legal duties and responsibilities.

OPG expects Public Authority and professional deputies to have a higher level of technical knowledge and expertise than lay deputies, such as family members. For lay deputies, OPG provides initial support to help them meet their responsibilities competently. All deputies are subject to supervision by OPG and that process requires the deputy to submit annual accounts. Where a deputy fails to meet the Deputy Standards, they may be asked to complete a number of corrective actions. A significant breach of the standards may result in an application to the Court of Protection to remove the deputy.

If someone believes a deputy has breached their duties, they can report the matter to OPG. Under Section 58 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 OPG has the power to deal with complaints or representations about the way in which a deputy is exercising their powers, including any alleged financial mismanagement or abuse. Where necessary, OPG refers cases to the Court of Protection and other agencies such as local authorities or the police.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has his department made of the potential benefits of introducing mandatory regular building surveys and maintenance plans in support of vulnerable adults under the court of protection.

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

No such assessment has been made. The court can appoint a range of persons to fulfil the role of deputy in managing the financial affairs, and if appropriate the property affairs, of a vulnerable adult who lacks the capacity to make decisions about their assets.

Where a deputy is authorised to manage such property, they must act in accordance with the terms of the deputyship order and must act in the best interests of the vulnerable adult. The deputy must protect the property by ensuring it is secure and that appropriate insurance is in place. Keeping the property secure includes ensuring that any necessary maintenance is carried out by an appropriately qualified contractor.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the letters of 7 October 2025 and 8 January 2026 from the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough with case reference TG09539.

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

The Department apologises for the significant delay in responding. We regret that this falls short of expected standards. A response was sent on 10 February.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the number of fines issued by the court system to individuals were unpaid in the last full year for which they have data, broken down by economic region if that breakdown is available.

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

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has no ability to identify the number of fines that are unpaid in the last full year by reference to available digital system reports. Nor could any such report be created and run. Instead, it would be necessary to interrogate court records manually. Accordingly, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

In addition to the complexities of the way digital systems operate, assessing payment outcomes over a fixed period is complicated in and of itself. For example, complexities are introduced by later account movements, including account consolidations, Transfer of Fine Orders and write offs. These processes can remove accounts as discrete records or require them to be written off and re raised on different systems, creating a risk of misattribution and double counting. As a result, activity recorded within a given period may relate to fines imposed outside that period, meaning period-based measures of payment rates or balances are inherently unreliable without full account level review.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to amend the Matrimonial Causes Act.

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

The Government has no plans to amend the Matrimonial Causes Act at this stage.

We are in the process of exploring the issues identified by the Law Commission in its 2024 report on financial remedies, ahead of issuing a consultation by Spring this year.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her proposed timetable is for launching the consultation on the reform of weddings law in England and Wales; and what the proposed duration of that consultation will be.

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

We will be undertaking the consultation on the reform of weddings law in England and Wales early this year. The exact publication date and duration is yet to be confirmed.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they take to ensure that child sexual abuse material is completely removed from cloud servers as well as local devices upon the conclusion of any trial concerning such material.

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

The Ministry of Justice does not hold operational responsibility for the removal of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from devices or cloud servers. Where such material is obtained as part of a criminal investigation, responsibility for the retention, secure storage and destruction of such material rests with the police who act in accordance with operational, evidential and legal requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the effectiveness of introducing a statutory duty of candour on the military.

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

The Bill will apply to all public authorities, including the military.

Appropriate safeguards for sensitive information will be in place and we are clear that nothing should undermine our national security.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has received from counterparts in Five Eyes countries that do not have a statutory duty of candour.

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

The sovereign capabilities of our security and intelligence agencies, underpinned by appropriate safeguards and oversight, enable us to keep ahead of our adversaries and provide the lynchpin for our collaboration with our Five Eyes partners.

We work incredibly closely with our allies, particularly our Five Eyes partners, to ensure our collective national security.

We are clear that the duty of candour must not undermine national security.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

This information is not held centrally.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing a statutory duty of candour on (a) military intelligence and (b) Special Forces.

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

The Bill will apply to all public authorities, including military intelligence and the Special Forces.

We have worked closely with representatives across Government on the policy in this Bill – including the impact that a duty of candour would have on military intelligence and Special Forces.

We are clear that the duty of candour applies to all public authorities, including intelligence services, however, the duty of candour and processes for disclosure may need to apply in a different way to ensure that secure information is handled correctly.

We are clear that nothing should undermine our national security.

We are continuing to work closely across government with families, stakeholders and the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee to bring forward amendments that meet those aims. We will update the House in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many illegal marriages have been recorded in each year since 2010, broken down by local authority area.

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

The Ministry of Justice does not hold this data.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many charges were laid under Prison rule 51 relating specifically to aggravation towards a protected characteristic of (a) race, (b) religion and (c) belief in the last year where data exists; and how many of those charges were proven.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Prison Rule 51 sets out the offences of which an adult prisoner can be found guilty, including those which relate to aggravation towards a protected characteristic. The information on the breakdown of which protected characteristics these offences against discipline relate to can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Data on Adjudication outcomes related to these offences can be found in the Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK, which are published quarterly.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which faith-based (a) charities and (b) organisations are permitted to visit prisons.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice recognises the vital contribution that charities and wider third sector organisations make to supporting prisoner rehabilitation.

Decisions as to which individuals or organisations may enter, or work in, a prison are taken by the prison governor. These decisions take account of the proposed role, security requirements, and other operational factors.

The Ministry of Justice does not maintain a central database of every organisation contributing to the work of prisons in England and Wales, as there is no operational need to do so.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to reform the family court system to ensure children's best interests are prioritised.

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

The Children Act 1989 states that the welfare of the child is the court’s paramount consideration when making decisions in relation to a child's upbringing.

This Government is committed to reform of the family court to improve the experience and outcomes for children and families. Central to this is the expansion of the private law Pathfinder model, which amplifies the voice of the child through a Child Impact Report and ensures a higher proportion of children are directly engaged by social workers during proceedings. The model is supporting the court in making safe decisions which prioritise the best interests of the child, without delay.

The Pathfinder pilot was launched in Dorset and North Wales in February 2022 and is now operating across 10 court in England and Wales, which accounts for around a quarter of relevant private law proceedings. Plans for further expansion will be announced in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of (a) court buildings and (b) technology used in courts.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Historical underfunding has resulted in challenges across the court estate, with an estimated £1.3 billion building maintenance backlog.

It is vital that court infrastructure does not prevent hearings from taking place, that is why we announced a boost in court capital maintenance and project funding from £120 million last year, to £148.5 million for 2025/26.

We are committed to enhancing the condition of our existing estate while also delivering new facilities. Examples include a purpose‑built modern court building under construction in the City of London, with further new facilities in Reading and Blackpool. A state-of-the-art Tribunals Centre in London, providing 30 hearings rooms, is scheduled to open in early March.

We also continue to invest in technology in courts as part of a providing a modern justice system. In 2025/26 HMCTS is investing over £20 million of capital funding in IT hardware to provide the courts with modern audio-visual capability - to improve digital evidence presentation and remote participation, replaced over a quarter of staff laptops and improved Wi-Fi coverage and capacity. In 2025, HMCTS replaced the contact centre solution used by the Courts and Tribunals Service Centres and modernised significant digital applications used in courts, moving old technology out of legacy data centres. As part of continual improvement, HMCTS is progressing with the adoption of Artificial Intelligence, to improve systems and services throughout the Justice system.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the publication of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Part 1 of Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts was published on 9 July 2025, which contained a number of recommendations for structural reform of the criminal courts. On 2 December, the Deputy Prime Minister set out the reforms Government intends to pursue, alongside investment and modernisation.

On 4 February 2026 Sir Brian Leveson published Part 2 of his report, where he makes 135 recommendations to improve efficiency and modernise the criminal courts. The report is thorough and I welcome his ambition to see real improvements in the system.

We will urgently consider the latest recommendations, alongside Sir Brian’s remaining recommendations from Part 1, and respond to them in the coming months.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take legislative steps through the Sentencing Bill to toughen fines and sentences for people convicted of the assault of retail workers.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Sentencing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 22 January 2026 and is therefore not open to further amendment. However, the Government is taking additional steps to strengthen protections for retail workers through the Crime and Policing Bill. It is unacceptable that violence and abuse towards retail workers continues to rise. That is why, through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. This bespoke offence will send a clear signal to perpetrators that assaults on retail workers are unacceptable and won’t go unpunished.

The Crime and Policing Bill also ensures that all shop theft is treated with the seriousness it deserves by repealing section 22A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, so low value shop theft (of £200 or less) is no longer treated separately as a summary-only offence, but can instead be prosecuted as general theft, which carries a higher maximum penalty. Together, these measures further reinforce the Government’s commitment to tackling violence, abuse and criminality affecting retail staff.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the a) operation and b) alignment of Local Criminal Justice Boards within future policing structures.

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

The Government recognises the important role Local Criminal Justice Boards play as the forum where local criminal justice system partners collaborate, and the Ministry of Justice remain committed to supporting them. The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Home Office to ensure they collectively understand how local criminal justice governance, including the operation of Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs), will operate under any new policing model.

In tandem, the Government is considering the recommendations in Part II of Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts relating to the operation and governance of LCJBs and will respond to them in the coming months.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of data collected on intestacy for the purposes of understanding regional differences in access to will-making and estate planning.

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

Will-making and estate planning services are largely offered by private providers and, in some instances, charities may offer similar free services.

The Government is not aware of any concerns regarding the availability of will-making and estate planning services. There are no plans to review the provision of these services.

The latest published government statistics on probate applications can be found here: Family Court Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

I can confirm that the Ministry of Justice does not currently offer or promote credit union offerings through payroll deductions. However, the Department offers financial wellbeing support and advice through the employee benefits package.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 on court workloads relating to possession proceedings; and whether administrative or time-limited possession processes have been considered where landlords have complied fully with regulatory requirements.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

My Department continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that the justice system is well prepared for the implementation of the Renters Right’s Act 2025, including the impact on the County Court. We will ensure that the County Court has the resources and capacity it need to handle the additional possession workload these reforms will generate. A core part of this work is the development of a brand new digital possession service.

In relation to administrative possession, the Government considers it important that a tenant has the opportunity to attend a possession hearing as this is vital for tenants’ access to justice, especially in the new tenancy system where landlords must always evidence that possession grounds have been met.

In relation to time limits, the Civil Procedure Rules have a target for all possession hearings to be listed within 8 weeks of issue. We believe this appropriate and balances the rights of the tenant and landlord.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted of offences relating to human trafficking or sexual exploitation in each of the last three calendar years; and what the nationality of those people was at the time of conviction.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions, including details around ethnicity, for a wide range of offences, including offences related to human trafficking or sexual exploitation in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK

Criminal Courts data concerning nationality is not collated by the Ministry of Justice. Data on nationality is not operationally required to progress a case and deliver a justice outcome.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether ethnicity data is collected centrally for individuals convicted of human trafficking or sexual exploitation offences.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions, including details around ethnicity, for a wide range of offences, including offences related to human trafficking or sexual exploitation in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK

Criminal Courts data concerning nationality is not collated by the Ministry of Justice. Data on nationality is not operationally required to progress a case and deliver a justice outcome.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many individuals convicted of sexual offences have been sentenced to immediate custody during the current Parliament; and what percentage of all individuals convicted of sexual offences received an immediate custodial sentence during that same period.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions and sentences for a variety of offences, including sexual offences, in the Outcomes by Offences data tool. The tool can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK. The data can be filtered by ‘month’ and ‘year’.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how his Department plans to promote the National Year of Reading within the criminal justice system.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The National Year of Reading is a welcome opportunity to promote a wide range of activity to improve literacy and engagement with reading for people in custody and on probation.

As part of this work we have appointed the first ever Prison Reading Laureate, the author Lee Child. He will champion the transformative power of reading across the criminal justice system, continue expansion of his successful literacy pilot programme which has been running in a number of prisons since 2025 and will bring in more authors to work with prisons across the country, promoting the benefits of reading to rehabilitation.

Reading is a priority for HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) who work with many voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations such as the Reading Agency and National Literacy Trust. A programme of work is planned throughout this year to improve national access to books and facilitate workshops with authors. The Youth Custody Service is also launching its first ever Literacy Festival to inspire reading amongst some of the most complex children in our society.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to reduce the number of delays to court hearings caused by the late arrival of prisoners.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

In 2025, the overall Criminal Justice System timely delivery to court performance was 98.19%, Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) suppliers met the contractual requirement for timely delivery of prisoners to court in 99.91% of cases. The impact of recent reform policies on delivery times is under review.

In addition to its regular oversight meetings with the contractors, the PECS contract management team continues to work collaboratively with criminal justice partners to address any performance issues. Strategic Partnership Boards convene quarterly to review performance and agree strategies to drive and sustain improvement.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants are employed through skilled worker visas in (1) the Ministry of Justice, and (2) the Prison Service.

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

The requested data is not held centrally in a reportable format.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to apply trial by a single judge sitting alone retrospectively to defendants who have already entered a plea and elected trial by jury.

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

The Government is focused on bringing down the backlog as soon as possible. Once the criminal court reforms come into force, they will apply to existing cases, provided the trial has not yet commenced. This will mean that cases which are past the point of initial mode of trial determination, but have not yet commenced trial, will be able to be changed from jury trial to trial by judge alone (either under the Crown Court Bench Division or on the grounds of technical complexity or length). Cases which are in the Crown Court will be retained within that jurisdiction.

Cases already part-way through a jury trial will proceed with a jury trial. Similarly, cases already assigned to one court jurisdiction (magistrates’ court or Crown Court) will not be reallocated to another jurisdiction.

The reason for taking this approach is so that the time savings and benefits of the reforms can be felt as soon as possible. Allowing pending cases to be tried by judge alone will enable us to start tackling the open caseload as soon as the new legislation is enacted, delivering swifter justice for victims without compromising defendants’ rights or fairness. It will also avoid two different procedures running in parallel in the Crown Court as a result of arbitrary cut-off dates. The application of procedural changes to existing cases is consistent with longstanding legal practice.

We want the Government to introduce legislation creating a clear right of appeal against Coroners’ inquest conclusions, allowing families to challenge findings where there are errors of law, procedure, or failures to properly examine state involvement or evidence.

Make it an offence for a dog to kill or seriously injure a cat, whether in public or on private property. Introduce penalties for negligent dog owners and compensation for cat owners that reflects the emotional impact & distress caused plus vet bills or cremation costs.

We want the parliament to consider making adultery illegal

We want the Government to require prisons to run separate, safeguarded visiting sessions for prisoners convicted of sexual offences so that children visiting other prisoners are not exposed to them during visits.

Many victims who need mandatory protective orders are expected to pay substantial legal fees, or navigate a complex legal system alone unaided while traumatised. This creates a 2 tier system of access to safety, where protection depends on income rather than risk.

Found: I should also note for the record that the Ministry of Justice has always been extremely responsive

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

Found: local authorities; Rural England Prosperity Fund 0.00 -0.76 -0.76 -33.00 Net transfers to/from Ministry of Justice

Found: Ministry of Justice officials are meeting with the Welsh Government, and officials between the two

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Found: thresholds, which they used to be until about five years ago, requires primary legislation, and the Ministry of Justice

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Found: The relationship is now really quite strong both with the PSNI and the MoJ in Northern Ireland and

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were (a) charged and (b) convicted for offences related to human trafficking or sexual exploitation following National Referral Mechanism referrals in each of the last three calendar years.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations specifically following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on charges or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation. Given this, we are unable to provide the information you have requested.

Prosecutions and convictions data related to modern slavery is recorded by the Crown Prosecution Service in their quarterly data summaries.

Sentencing data for modern slavery offences in England and Wales is published by the Ministry of Justice in their Criminal Justice System statistics.

Offences and charges data for modern slavery is published in the Home Office police recorded crime statistics collection.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that young girls that are subject to online grooming in the UK are supported indiscriminately, regardless of their faith and race.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Ministry of Justice is investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years, including funding to Police and Crime Commissioner areas to commission victims support services locally, as well asfunding to over 60 specialist support organisations through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund. These organisations provide support for victims and survivors of sexual abuse, including recent and non-recent victims of child sexual abuse, to cope and move forward with their lives. The Home Office’s Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Fund also supports seven voluntary and community sector organisations to have national reach and supports victims and survivors of child sexual abuse with a range of one-to-one and peer and survivor led support groups. These services support all victims and survivors irrespective of personal characteristics such as faith and race.

In 2025 as part of our response to recommendation 16 of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the Government set out ambitious proposals to strengthen therapeutic support for victims, announcing it will provide up to £50 million in new funding to expand the Child House (Barnahus) model to every NHS region in England. This internationally recognised model—rightly viewed as the gold standard for supporting children who have experienced sexual abuse—will ensure that wherever a child lives, they can access the specialist, trauma-informed care they need to begin recovering and rebuilding their lives.

Children’s Independent Sexual Violence Advisor’s also provide practical and emotional support to children and young people aged 4 to 17 years, who have experienced rape, sexual abuse or sexual exploitation at any time during their life. They provide emotional and practical support and liaise between the police, courts and other agencies, acting as an advocate for the survivor.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether evidence or representations from stakeholders in Northern Ireland have been considered by the Motor Insurance Taskforce; and what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Northern Ireland insurance market, including differences in (a) pricing, (b) claims costs and (c) legal frameworks.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The work of the motor insurance taskforce focused on issues and concerns associated with the cost of insurance premiums and claims that are shared across the UK.

The taskforce heard representations that some of the unique features of the motor insurance market in Northern Ireland have led to increasing costs there. Some of those, such as road safety and costs associated with taking claims through the judicial system, are devolved matters for the Northern Ireland Executive to consider. The government will continue to work constructively with the Executive on relevant areas of policy.

The taskforce met for the first time on 16 October 2024 and subsequently met on 28 April 2025 and 21 July 2025, which was the final meeting of the taskforce. Taskforce members were the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, Department for Business and Trade, Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority as well as the Department for Transport and HM Treasury, who were the co-chairs.

We do not plan to publish the minutes or summaries of meetings as they cover the formulation and development of ‘live’ government policy and to do so would hinder future policy development as it could inhibit a free exchange of views.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Motor Insurance Taskforce met since its establishment; on what dates those meetings took place; which organisations and departments were represented; and whether she plans to publish minutes or summaries from those meetings.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The work of the motor insurance taskforce focused on issues and concerns associated with the cost of insurance premiums and claims that are shared across the UK.

The taskforce heard representations that some of the unique features of the motor insurance market in Northern Ireland have led to increasing costs there. Some of those, such as road safety and costs associated with taking claims through the judicial system, are devolved matters for the Northern Ireland Executive to consider. The government will continue to work constructively with the Executive on relevant areas of policy.

The taskforce met for the first time on 16 October 2024 and subsequently met on 28 April 2025 and 21 July 2025, which was the final meeting of the taskforce. Taskforce members were the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, Department for Business and Trade, Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority as well as the Department for Transport and HM Treasury, who were the co-chairs.

We do not plan to publish the minutes or summaries of meetings as they cover the formulation and development of ‘live’ government policy and to do so would hinder future policy development as it could inhibit a free exchange of views.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) does not offer payroll deductions for credit unions. However, the department offers financial wellbeing support and advice through the employee benefits package. The employee benefits package is provided to NIO staff by the Ministry of Justice and its contracted suppliers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides on when a mental capacity review should be carried out on a patient.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) is designed to protect and empower people who lack the mental capacity to make a decision themselves. It says that every person must be presumed to have capacity to make the decision in question unless it is established otherwise, and sets out a two-stage test to establish if a person can make specific decisions regarding their care and treatment. Capacity assessments are done locally, and data is not collated or held centrally on how many assessments are carried out.

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) is a procedure prescribed in law under the MCA when a person who lacks mental capacity to consent to their care or treatment is being deprived of their liberty in a care home or hospital in order to keep them safe from harm. DoLS assessments data is collated and published, the most recent data available is for 2023/24.

In 2023/24 there were 323,870 DoLS applications completed, 145,945 fully assessed, 15,270 closed partially assessed, 162,655 closed without assessments, and 123,790 not completed at year end.

The MCA code of practice gives guidance to people who work with, or care for, people who can’t make decisions for themselves, including when a mental capacity assessment should be carried out, and by whom. Government is clear that professionals applying the MCA are expected to keep up to date with guidance and caselaw, and to correctly use the principles within the act.

In October 2025 we announced our intention to run a joint consultation with the Ministry of Justice to consult on Liberty Protection Safeguards and an updated draft of the Code of Practice in 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many mental capacity assessments have been carried out on patients in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) is designed to protect and empower people who lack the mental capacity to make a decision themselves. It says that every person must be presumed to have capacity to make the decision in question unless it is established otherwise, and sets out a two-stage test to establish if a person can make specific decisions regarding their care and treatment. Capacity assessments are done locally, and data is not collated or held centrally on how many assessments are carried out.

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) is a procedure prescribed in law under the MCA when a person who lacks mental capacity to consent to their care or treatment is being deprived of their liberty in a care home or hospital in order to keep them safe from harm. DoLS assessments data is collated and published, the most recent data available is for 2023/24.

In 2023/24 there were 323,870 DoLS applications completed, 145,945 fully assessed, 15,270 closed partially assessed, 162,655 closed without assessments, and 123,790 not completed at year end.

The MCA code of practice gives guidance to people who work with, or care for, people who can’t make decisions for themselves, including when a mental capacity assessment should be carried out, and by whom. Government is clear that professionals applying the MCA are expected to keep up to date with guidance and caselaw, and to correctly use the principles within the act.

In October 2025 we announced our intention to run a joint consultation with the Ministry of Justice to consult on Liberty Protection Safeguards and an updated draft of the Code of Practice in 2026.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

The Scotland Office does not employ any staff directly. All staff that join do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other government departments, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government, who remain the employers.

Any matters relating to payroll are the responsibility of the employing departments.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Staff in my Department are employed by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which provides payroll services on our behalf.

The MoJ does not currently operate a payroll‑deduction facility for credit union membership, however, staff who wish to join a credit union can already do so independently. My department continues to support staff financial wellbeing through the MoJ’s wider financial wellbeing offer, which provides access to information, tools, and advice.

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Found: Prison and Probation Service Workforce Statistics Bulletin England and Wales 31 December 2025 Ministry of Justice

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

Found: 00:00 Next release 20 August 2026 Press enquiries Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice

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