Submit Evidence (by 30 Sep 2025)

This inquiry will examine how advice and legal services are adapting to secure access to justice across civil, criminal, and family law, and the impacts of the cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the provisions in section 138 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 will come into effect.

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

This Government remains committed to delivering on its commitment to criminalise the non-consensual creation of purported intimate images.

As with several other measures in the Act, the provisions in section 138 will come into effect when commenced by regulations in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect HMP Millsike to be operating at full capacity.

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

HMP Millsike officially opened in March 2025 and received the first cohort of prisoners on 23 April. To ensure stability, the prison will ramp up to full capacity gradually and is intended to be at full capacity by spring 2026. Ramp up will be strictly monitored and can be adjusted or paused should the safety or stability of the prison require it.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) assumptions and (b) formulae she uses to model prison place need.

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

On 11 December 2024, we published the first annual statement on prison capacity, fulfilling our commitment to increased transparency, holding this government and future governments to account.

The demand projections used in the annual statement are based on population projection Accredited Official Statistics which are published at: Prison Population Projections: 2024 to 2029 - GOV.UK. Further detail on the modelling methodology is contained within the publication, including an overview of the assumptions used.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time was that remand prisoners spent on remand in each of the last 20 years.

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

Information relating to the time spent on custodial remand is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice. To obtain the data to answer this question would involve a manual interrogation of court records which would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help improve the quality of probation services across the North West of England.

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

The Probation Service in the North West has developed a Quality Improvement Plan which prioritises and focuses improvement activity across Probation Delivery Units in the region, and at regional level, and includes actions derived from internal audits and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation reports. Progress is routinely monitored, assured and supported by regional and national, Performance, Assurance and Risk functions.

We regularly publish performance ratings for each region of the Probation Service, which can be found at the following link: Community Performance Annual, update to March 2024 - GOV.UK.

We are hiring 1,300 trainee probation officers by March 2026 in addition to the 1,050 already appointed last year. We are also investing in new technology to lift the administrative burden on probation officers so they can focus on what they do best – managing and rehabilitating offenders.

Probation funding will increase by up to £700 million by the final year of the spending review – a 45% increase in the next three years. We will deliver thousands more tags, more staff, and more accommodation to ensure that offenders are tracked and monitored closely in the community.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62457 on HMP/YOI Downview, how many of the seven males held on E Wing have access to the general women's estate for (a) work and (b) other services.

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

As noted in the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62457, prisoners on E Wing are located separately from all other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview. Supervised access to activities in the main prison’s regime, including work, is provided only where a local risk assessment has determined this to be appropriate.

Given the small number of prisoners held on E-Wing, it would not be appropriate to provide information about the management of the individuals in question.

We are reviewing the transgender prisoner policy in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of food served in prisons is sourced from British farms; and what plans she has to encourage more prisons to buy British produce.

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

As at May 2025, 56.1% of food products sourced via the prisoner food contract and served in prisons is of British origin, however we do not hold a figure for farms specifically.

The sourcing of products is managed through commercial food contracts which are based upon value for money and the quality of the product, with British produce being chosen wherever possible. We continue to review options to source from UK suppliers as part of standard procurement processes.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time was that prisoners released from recall spent on recall in each year for which data are available.

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

The requested information for indeterminate prisoners re-released following recall can be found in Table 5_Q_11 of the Department’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication: licence-recalls-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods.

The corresponding information for determinate sentenced prisoners is only obtainable at disproportionate cost as it requires data matching between different data systems (namely prison recall information from the Public Protection Unit Database, and prisoner release information from prison-NOMIS).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of people in prison on custodial sentences was in each of the last 20 years.

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

Information on the number of people in prison on custodial sentences is published as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly.

Data from 2002-2015 can be found in Table 1.Leg.1 at the following link: Prison-population-2002-to-2015.ods.

Data from 2015-2024 can be found in Table 1.A.1 at the following link: Prison-population-2015-to-2024.ods.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of foreign national offenders, and how many foreign national offenders, have been transferred to Poland to serve their sentences since the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters was signed in November 2024.

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

All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.

The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.

These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.

14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many foreign national offenders have been transferred under the voluntary transfer mechanism provided by the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons in the past year.

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

All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.

The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.

These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.

14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage foreign national offenders to use the voluntary transfer mechanism under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

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

All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.

The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.

These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.

14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to support bereaved families who have lost loved ones as a result of serious and violent crimes committed by reoffenders.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring families bereaved by homicide receive the support they need to help them build resilience to cope with the impact of these devastating crimes.

Families bereaved by homicide have rights under the Victim’s Code, which sets out the minimum level of service that victims should receive. Under the Victims’ Code, they are entitled to be given information about and be referred to victim support services by the police. The Ministry of Justice also commissions a National Homicide Service, delivered by Victim Support, to provide a consistent level of support across England and Wales to families bereaved by homicide.

Addressing reoffending is critical to public safety. We follow the evidence to tackle the root causes of reoffending by investing in a range of interventions. Serious Further Offences (SFOs) committed by offenders subject to probation supervision are rare but have a devastating impact on victims, which is why we conduct thorough investigations into each one. The findings of SFO reviews are shared with victims, as we recognise that it is vital that victims understand any improvement we need to make as a direct result of the SFO.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that face-to-face meetings are available to claimants during the Personal Independence Payment appeals process.

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

Listing appeals, including the mode of hearing, is a judicial function, and HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot comment on decisions made by independent tribunal judiciary.

As part of the appeal process, appellants are given the option to select the most suitable hearing types for them. This includes attending a tribunal venue for a face-to-face hearing; a video or telephone hearing; or for the appeal to be determined on the papers. The Department for Work and Pensions, as Respondent to the appeal, is also given the opportunity to express their preference for the type of hearing they would like. Most hearings are currently held in person at a tribunal venue.

The President of the First-Tier Social Entitlement Chamber has published a Guidance Note on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Website covering the mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Tribunal Appeals here: Chamber President's Guidance Note No. 5 Mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Appeals.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department will continue to offer face-to-face meetings for Personal Independence Payment appeal hearings.

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

Listing appeals, including the mode of hearing, is a judicial function, and HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot comment on decisions made by independent tribunal judiciary.

As part of the appeal process, appellants are given the option to select the most suitable hearing types for them. This includes attending a tribunal venue for a face-to-face hearing; a video or telephone hearing; or for the appeal to be determined on the papers. The Department for Work and Pensions, as Respondent to the appeal, is also given the opportunity to express their preference for the type of hearing they would like. Most hearings are currently held in person at a tribunal venue.

The President of the First-Tier Social Entitlement Chamber has published a Guidance Note on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Website covering the mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Tribunal Appeals here: Chamber President's Guidance Note No. 5 Mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Appeals.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders who were released under the early release scheme were returned to prison following an arrest for (a) Intentional strangulation, (b) criminal damage, (c) common assault, (d) actual bodily harm, (e) grievous bodily harm, (f) violence against the person, (g) threats to kill, (h) stalking, (i) rape, (j) sexual assault and (k) harassment in each month since July 2024.

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

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

The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on arrests and to provide it would result in a disproportionate cost.

We have published SDS40 release data alongside the quarterly Offender Management Statistics, in line with the Lord Chancellor’s commitment to transparency: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce delays to employment tribunal hearings.

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

We are working to reduce delays to employment tribunal hearings by investing in tribunal productivity through the recruitment of additional judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems and the use of remote hearing technology. This has delivered over 1,500 additional sitting days. As a result, the Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March 2025 a sitting day allocation of 33,900 for the Employment Tribunals in the financial year 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.

Following judicial recruitment, in 2024 we added 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and recruitment for up to a further 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee-paid employment judges were appointed in 2024, and recruitment will commence for another 50 judges in early 2026. Additionally, recruitment for 150 non-legal tribunal members will commence this year.

We recognise that there remain significant challenges for the performance of the Employment Tribunals. We are therefore continuing to monitor demand on the Employment Tribunals and will continue to work closely with the judiciary, HMCTS and the Department for Business and Trade on any further actions needed to alleviate pressures on the Employment Tribunals, improve efficiency and reduce waiting times in order to ensure timely access to justice for claimants and respondents.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of outsourcing interpreter and translation services for court proceedings; and what steps she has taken to ensure (i) quality, (ii) consistency and (iii) the protection of fair trial rights when third-party contractors provide such services.

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

The Department has recently undertaken a re-procurement of its interpreter and translation service under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. These regulations mandate that public bodies aggregate expenditure on classes of goods and services and ensure that competition is applied through defined procurement procedures to ensure value for money. This principle underpinned the Ministry of Justice’s previous procurement of services and remains the case today.

The Ministry of Justice has regular conversations with stakeholders and incorporated their views into the options explored within a delivery model assessment which resulted in the consideration of insourcing, and hybrid options of insource and outsource. Stakeholders were informed in 2022/23 that the Department planned to continue with an outsourced model after assessments indicated that it was the best model for our needs. This option allowed for greater cost efficiency and enabled a larger share of funding to be directed towards paying interpreters.

It is vital that victims, witnesses and defendants understand what is happening in court to ensure justice is done. To support this, the Ministry of Justice operates a robust performance and quality regime for interpretation and translation services. These include monthly meetings with suppliers and stakeholders to monitor and discuss, in detail, the quality of the services being provided and performance against contractual performance indicators. The suppliers forecast demand, and work to ensure that there is a pool of qualified interpreters available to the Department to fulfil bookings and facilitate fair trials for those that require interpretation services. The contracts also provide for the Ministry of Justice to audit the suppliers to verify the accuracy of contractual payments, management information, and compliance with contractual obligations.

In addition, the Department has awarded a contract for the provision of independent quality assurance of the services provided under these other contracts. This assurance is undertaken in a number of ways, including:

• Managing the Ministry’s register of interpreters

• Conducting an annual audit of supplier processes for introducing new interpreters

• Conducting a programme of 'spot checks' of interpreters undertaking assignments

• Annual surveys of business users of the service

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of lead times for Parole Board hearings in each year from the earliest year for which data are available to the latest year for which data are available.

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

The Parole Board has worked hard to reduce its growing caseload and manage the time it takes from referral to completion of prisoner reviews at both paper and oral hearings.

Timeliness of Parole Board hearings is not routinely published, however, in its annual report for 2023/24, the Board states that it had seen a reduction of 78% in cases waiting over 90 days to be listed for an oral hearing compared to the previous year: Parole Board for England and Wales Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24.

We continue to work closely with the Parole Board to further improve the efficiency and timeliness of prisoners’ parole reviews.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department tracks the (a) religious and (b) ideological motivations of terrorist offenders as part of offender rehabilitation and risk assessment.

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

Information about individuals convicted or in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences, by ideology, is published by the Home Office as part of the ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ statistics series. The series can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000.

The numbers held in custody are shown on table P.01 of the annual and quarterly tables. As of 31 March 2025 (the most recent data available), 61% of terrorist prisoners were categorised as holding Islamist Extremist views.

Given the sensitive nature of the information, further breakdowns are not published as they may undermine our national security efforts.

Data on all terrorism-related offences is in the published series but not disaggregated by ideology. Table C.03 gives details on the numbers convicted for terrorism-related offences. Information on sentence length is included in table C.04, and the number released by sentence length is provided in table P.05.

All terrorists are managed through a specialist, multi-agency case management process, which includes regular risk assessments and rehabilitative tools to identify, assess and manage an offender’s terrorist risk and needs, including any clear links to an extremist ideology. We have a range of interventions to address and reduce the drivers of radicalisation and move offenders away from harmful ideologies. Our interventions are carried out by qualified staff who receive specialist training. The tracking of religion relies on prisoners’ self-declaration.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people with previous convictions for Islamist terrorism offences have been released.

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

Information about individuals convicted or in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences, by ideology, is published by the Home Office as part of the ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ statistics series. The series can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000.

The numbers held in custody are shown on table P.01 of the annual and quarterly tables. As of 31 March 2025 (the most recent data available), 61% of terrorist prisoners were categorised as holding Islamist Extremist views.

Given the sensitive nature of the information, further breakdowns are not published as they may undermine our national security efforts.

Data on all terrorism-related offences is in the published series but not disaggregated by ideology. Table C.03 gives details on the numbers convicted for terrorism-related offences. Information on sentence length is included in table C.04, and the number released by sentence length is provided in table P.05.

All terrorists are managed through a specialist, multi-agency case management process, which includes regular risk assessments and rehabilitative tools to identify, assess and manage an offender’s terrorist risk and needs, including any clear links to an extremist ideology. We have a range of interventions to address and reduce the drivers of radicalisation and move offenders away from harmful ideologies. Our interventions are carried out by qualified staff who receive specialist training. The tracking of religion relies on prisoners’ self-declaration.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average custodial sentence for people convicted of Islamist terror offences is.

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

Information about individuals convicted or in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences, by ideology, is published by the Home Office as part of the ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ statistics series. The series can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000.

The numbers held in custody are shown on table P.01 of the annual and quarterly tables. As of 31 March 2025 (the most recent data available), 61% of terrorist prisoners were categorised as holding Islamist Extremist views.

Given the sensitive nature of the information, further breakdowns are not published as they may undermine our national security efforts.

Data on all terrorism-related offences is in the published series but not disaggregated by ideology. Table C.03 gives details on the numbers convicted for terrorism-related offences. Information on sentence length is included in table C.04, and the number released by sentence length is provided in table P.05.

All terrorists are managed through a specialist, multi-agency case management process, which includes regular risk assessments and rehabilitative tools to identify, assess and manage an offender’s terrorist risk and needs, including any clear links to an extremist ideology. We have a range of interventions to address and reduce the drivers of radicalisation and move offenders away from harmful ideologies. Our interventions are carried out by qualified staff who receive specialist training. The tracking of religion relies on prisoners’ self-declaration.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of terrorism-related prisoners in the UK are linked to Islamist ideology.

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

Information about individuals convicted or in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences, by ideology, is published by the Home Office as part of the ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ statistics series. The series can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000.

The numbers held in custody are shown on table P.01 of the annual and quarterly tables. As of 31 March 2025 (the most recent data available), 61% of terrorist prisoners were categorised as holding Islamist Extremist views.

Given the sensitive nature of the information, further breakdowns are not published as they may undermine our national security efforts.

Data on all terrorism-related offences is in the published series but not disaggregated by ideology. Table C.03 gives details on the numbers convicted for terrorism-related offences. Information on sentence length is included in table C.04, and the number released by sentence length is provided in table P.05.

All terrorists are managed through a specialist, multi-agency case management process, which includes regular risk assessments and rehabilitative tools to identify, assess and manage an offender’s terrorist risk and needs, including any clear links to an extremist ideology. We have a range of interventions to address and reduce the drivers of radicalisation and move offenders away from harmful ideologies. Our interventions are carried out by qualified staff who receive specialist training. The tracking of religion relies on prisoners’ self-declaration.

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 the addition of modular precast concrete blocks in Category C prisons.

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

In December, we published the 10-year capacity strategy outlining our commitment to build 14,000 prison places. We have already delivered c.2,500 places in the prison estate since coming into office, including a new c.1,500 place Category C prison HMP Millsike.

To deliver the 14,000 places, we are using a range of supply types which are compliant with standards and requirements for prison accommodation to be safe, decent and lawful. This includes houseblocks and modular units such as Rapid Deployment Cells. We use Modern Methods of Construction and Design for Manufacture and Assembly to provide efficiency in terms of both timelines and costs; for example, through the use of pre-manufactured components, such as pre-cast concrete, which streamlines on site-assembly.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted under terrorism legislation for offences linked to Islamist extremism in the past five years.

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

Information about individuals convicted or in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences, by ideology, is published by the Home Office as part of the ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ statistics series. The series can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000.

The numbers held in custody are shown on table P.01 of the annual and quarterly tables. As of 31 March 2025 (the most recent data available), 61% of terrorist prisoners were categorised as holding Islamist Extremist views.

Given the sensitive nature of the information, further breakdowns are not published as they may undermine our national security efforts.

Data on all terrorism-related offences is in the published series but not disaggregated by ideology. Table C.03 gives details on the numbers convicted for terrorism-related offences. Information on sentence length is included in table C.04, and the number released by sentence length is provided in table P.05.

All terrorists are managed through a specialist, multi-agency case management process, which includes regular risk assessments and rehabilitative tools to identify, assess and manage an offender’s terrorist risk and needs, including any clear links to an extremist ideology. We have a range of interventions to address and reduce the drivers of radicalisation and move offenders away from harmful ideologies. Our interventions are carried out by qualified staff who receive specialist training. The tracking of religion relies on prisoners’ self-declaration.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to extend the Prison Service Long Service Medal to operational officers in privately managed prisons.

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

The Prison Services Long Service & Good Conduct Medal is awarded to operational staff in the UK Prison Services on completion of 20 years’ continuous meritorious service, and aligns operational public sector prison staff with comparable organisations such as the Police, Fire and Ambulance Services and the Armed Forces. It is a medal awarded by the Head of State to eligible state employees, details of which are set out in a Royal Warrant.

In 2016, the Cabinet Office confirmed that official medals of this type can only be awarded to staff working in public sector prisons and not those in prisons run by private sector companies. This is in line with the existing criteria used for the award of Long Service & Good Conduct Medals to the other Crown services.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners released through early release schemes in 2024 are resident in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

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

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

The Ministry of Justice does not hold this data and to provide it would result in a disproportionate cost.

We have published SDS40 release data alongside the quarterly Offender Management Statistics, in line with the Lord Chancellor’s commitment to transparency: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to increase the number of pathologists able to undertake coronial post-mortem examinations on the Isle of Wight.

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

Coroner services are funded and administered by one of 74 lead local authorities. Coronial post-mortem examinations are carried out on a fee paid basis at the request of the coroner by specialist practitioners from within the cadre of pathologists in England and Wales who undertake post-mortem work. The Ministry of Justice does not currently hold data on the number of practitioners carrying out this work in individual coroner areas, but we are undertaking a data collection exercise to better understand the spread of provision across the 74 areas.

The Government acknowledges the significant challenges currently affecting post-mortem pathology services across England and Wales. It is firmly committed to driving meaningful progress on this complex, cross-cutting issue as a matter of urgency. This includes engagement with relevant Ministerial colleagues to identify and implement a sustainable, long-term solution.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations she has received from the public on the use of reparations for those convicted of criminal offences.

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

The Department has interpreted ‘representations’ to mean correspondence sent to the Secretary of State for Justice or her Ministers. One piece of correspondence related to this issue was received by the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on (a) levels of pathologists engaged by the Isle of Wight coroner and (b) how those appointments were made.

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

Coroner services are funded and administered by one of 74 lead local authorities. Coronial post-mortem examinations are carried out on a fee paid basis at the request of the coroner by specialist practitioners from within the cadre of pathologists in England and Wales who undertake post-mortem work. The Ministry of Justice does not currently hold data on the number of practitioners carrying out this work in individual coroner areas, but we are undertaking a data collection exercise to better understand the spread of provision across the 74 areas.

The Government acknowledges the significant challenges currently affecting post-mortem pathology services across England and Wales. It is firmly committed to driving meaningful progress on this complex, cross-cutting issue as a matter of urgency. This includes engagement with relevant Ministerial colleagues to identify and implement a sustainable, long-term solution.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to increase the punishment for arson.

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

The crime of arson, where destruction or damage to property is committed by fire, is a horrific crime and should be investigated and punished with the full force of the law. The maximum penalty for arson is life imprisonment. The Government therefore does not intend to increase the maximum penalty for this offence. Sentencing for the offence is a matter for the independent Sentencing Council. In 2019 it produced guidelines for sentencing cases of arson.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what alternatives to custodial sentences they are considering for women with babies and young families, particularly for offences such as shop theft, and what rehabilitation measures are in place to prevent those women from reoffending.

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

This Government has a clear goal of reducing the number of women in prison and supporting more in the community. That is why we created the Women’s Justice Board. The Board’s initial focus is on early intervention and diversion; community solutions; and addressing issues specific to young women, pregnant women, and mothers with dependent children in the Criminal Justice System.

We are taking forward the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendations on short and suspended sentences, which will reduce the number of women in custody, including those with babies and young families. We have also accepted in principle the Review’s recommendation to increase the availability of Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle root causes of offending, particularly for repeat offenders.

Women’s specific Commissioned Rehabilitative Service providers have been appointed in every HMPPS region to deliver bespoke and specialist support to women on probation to address their offending behaviour. Additionally, the Government is investing £7.2 million in community support in 2025/26, with funding for women’s centres and other organisations focused on diverting women from prison and addressing their often-complex needs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in the context of children under the age of two who are separated from their mothers in prison, if she will publish (a) a list of types of setting in which those children are looked after and (b) the (i) number and (ii) proportion of children looked after by setting type.

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

Data on the number of babies accommodated in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) in England is published at Table 10.1 of the HMPPS Annual Digest 2023-2024:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2023-to-march-2024/hmpps-annual-digest-2023-to-2024#mother-and-baby-units-mbus-pregnant-prisoners-and-births.

The Annual Digest 2024 - 2025 is scheduled for publication at the end of July. Owing to our obligations under the Code of Practice for Statistics, we are unable to provide the latest data as this time, as they are intended for future publication.

Women who are pregnant, or who have children up to and around the age of 18 months, can apply for a place in an MBU. MBUs normally accommodate babies up until the age of 18 months, though in exceptional circumstances a child may remain beyond 18 months.

Data is not held on the number of mothers in prison who are separated from children under the age of two, or on the care arrangements for those children. While applications for MBU placements are recorded, there is no central record of children who are not placed in MBUs or the reasons for separation.

Care decisions are made by local authorities in accordance with their safeguarding responsibilities under the Children Act 1989 and the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.

We recognise that parental imprisonment is an adverse childhood experience. We are working closely with the Department for Education to determine how we identify these children effectively, and the best way to provide support for affected children and their parent in prison.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many mothers in prison (a) are currently separated from their children under the age of two and (b) have been separated from their babies and children under the age of two in the last 12 months.

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

Data on the number of babies accommodated in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) in England is published at Table 10.1 of the HMPPS Annual Digest 2023-2024:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2023-to-march-2024/hmpps-annual-digest-2023-to-2024#mother-and-baby-units-mbus-pregnant-prisoners-and-births.

The Annual Digest 2024 - 2025 is scheduled for publication at the end of July. Owing to our obligations under the Code of Practice for Statistics, we are unable to provide the latest data as this time, as they are intended for future publication.

Women who are pregnant, or who have children up to and around the age of 18 months, can apply for a place in an MBU. MBUs normally accommodate babies up until the age of 18 months, though in exceptional circumstances a child may remain beyond 18 months.

Data is not held on the number of mothers in prison who are separated from children under the age of two, or on the care arrangements for those children. While applications for MBU placements are recorded, there is no central record of children who are not placed in MBUs or the reasons for separation.

Care decisions are made by local authorities in accordance with their safeguarding responsibilities under the Children Act 1989 and the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.

We recognise that parental imprisonment is an adverse childhood experience. We are working closely with the Department for Education to determine how we identify these children effectively, and the best way to provide support for affected children and their parent in prison.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many babies and children under the age of two are (a) in Mother and Baby Units in prisons in England and (b) have been in Mother and Baby Units in prisons in England in the last twelve months.

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

Data on the number of babies accommodated in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) in England is published at Table 10.1 of the HMPPS Annual Digest 2023-2024:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2023-to-march-2024/hmpps-annual-digest-2023-to-2024#mother-and-baby-units-mbus-pregnant-prisoners-and-births.

The Annual Digest 2024 - 2025 is scheduled for publication at the end of July. Owing to our obligations under the Code of Practice for Statistics, we are unable to provide the latest data as this time, as they are intended for future publication.

Women who are pregnant, or who have children up to and around the age of 18 months, can apply for a place in an MBU. MBUs normally accommodate babies up until the age of 18 months, though in exceptional circumstances a child may remain beyond 18 months.

Data is not held on the number of mothers in prison who are separated from children under the age of two, or on the care arrangements for those children. While applications for MBU placements are recorded, there is no central record of children who are not placed in MBUs or the reasons for separation.

Care decisions are made by local authorities in accordance with their safeguarding responsibilities under the Children Act 1989 and the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.

We recognise that parental imprisonment is an adverse childhood experience. We are working closely with the Department for Education to determine how we identify these children effectively, and the best way to provide support for affected children and their parent in prison.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been dismissed as a result of gross misconduct since July 2024.

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

HMPPS publishes data on dismissals related to conduct and disciplinary matters as part of its annual Staff Equalities Report. The collection page can be found here: HMPPS annual staff equalities report - GOV.UK.

The 2024/2025 edition of the report is scheduled for publication on 27 November 2025. It will include total figures for all dismissals arising from conduct and disciplinary cases.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) convicted and (b) prosecuted for offences under section 41 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 in each month since July 2024.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a range of offences including immigration offences and those under the Nationality and Borders Act in the Outcomes by Offences data tool up to the end of 2024. The tool can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has spent on equipment for staff to work from home in each of the last three years.

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

The following table outlines the amounts the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has spent on equipment for staff to work from home in each of the last three financial years.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) convicted and (b) prosecuted for immigration offences in each month since July 2024.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a range of offences including immigration offences and those under the Nationality and Borders Act in the Outcomes by Offences data tool up to the end of 2024. The tool can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how often the presumption of contact was disapplied in family court proceedings where (a) allegations and (b) findings of domestic abuse were present in the last 12 months; and whether her Department plans to publish data on how Domestic Abuse Protection Orders are being used to safeguard (i) survivors and (ii) children during ongoing family court contact disputes.

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

Data is not held centrally on how often the presumption of parental involvement is disapplied in family court proceedings under either a) or b). The relevant data could only be obtained by an analysis of individual case files at a disproportionate cost.

Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, known as DAPOs, can be made in ongoing family proceedings to protect victims from domestic abuse or the risk of domestic abuse. DAPOs are being tested in selected areas and will be subject to evaluation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when her Department plans to publish its review of the presumption of parental contact in family courts; and whether that review will include consideration of disapplying the presumption in cases where domestic abuse has been evidenced.

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

The Review into the Presumption of Parental Involvement is now complete. The Review and the Government’s response and next steps will be published shortly.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when court room six at Shropshire Justice Centre will be re-opened.

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

The works to make courtroom six operational were completed on 7 June 2025, and the first sitting took place on 10 June 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civil cases tried in court had a jury in each of the last ten years, broken down by case type.

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

No central data is recorded on the numbers of juries convened for civil proceedings in England and Wales, nor the breakdown into types of case. Requests are passed to the jury summoning bureau as the need arises.

The use of juries in civil cases is highly exceptional, and the most common examples where a civil jury may still be used would be for claims relating to false imprisonment or malicious prosecution.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of criminal trials were heard before a jury in each of the last five years.

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

The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold information on the numbers and proportion of criminal trials heard before a jury. However, the vast majority of criminal cases are heard in the magistrates’ courts without juries – with 90% of all criminal cases being dealt with by magistrates. Of the remaining defendants that do progress to the Crown Court for trial, most plead guilty, meaning their cases do not go before a jury. Therefore, the most accurate proxy available for how many cases are heard by a jury in the Crown Court is the number of defendants who plead not guilty. The table below provides a breakdown of this data over the past five years:

Defendants dealt with in trial cases disposed of in the Crown Court, 2020-2024

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Office of the Public Guardian has spent on equipment for staff to work from home in each of the last three years.

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

Information on the cost of equipment provided specially for home working cannot be obtained without incurring a disproportionate cost, due to the way these costs are recorded.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trials by jury on levels of public confidence in the criminal justice system.

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

Sir Brian Leveson has published the first part of his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, setting out a number of recommendations on the use of jury trials in the Crown Court. Jury trials are a cornerstone of our justice system and will remain in place for the most serious cases. However, we must consider bold action to tackle the rising backlog. There is evidence that significant delays undermine confidence in the system. Over 90% of criminal cases are heard without a jury and deliver swift justice. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response in the autumn.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of unfilled magistrate vacancies on 9 July 2025.

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

We do not have a set number of magistrate vacancies. Magistrate recruitment targets are set on an annual basis covering 1 April to 31 March. As of 1 April 2025, there were 14,636 magistrates in post. We are aiming to recruit around 2,000 magistrates in 2025/26, and we are currently considering our ongoing resourcing needs in light of the planned reform of the criminal courts.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government plans to commission an independent review of training for (a) family court judges, (b) Cafcass officers and (c) expert witnesses on (i) coercive control, (ii) post-separation abuse and (iii) the misuse of legal processes by perpetrators.

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

The Government currently has no plans to commission an independent review of training for family court judges, Cafcass officers and expert witnesses.

The judiciary is independent of the Government; under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Lady Chief Justice has statutory responsibility for the training of the judiciary of England and Wales. This is fulfilled on behalf of the Lady Chief Justice by the Judicial College.

Cafcass is an independent Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for its own training. Cafcass Family Court Advisers complete mandatory domestic abuse training including on using Cafcass’ Child Impact Assessment Framework which has guidance and tools for assessing when domestic abuse is a feature of the child’s case, including when coercive control is present. Family Court Advisers are also trained to follow Cafcass’ Domestic Abuse Practice Policy which sets out the actions they must undertake when working with children and adults who have experienced domestic abuse

The annex to Practice Direction 25B outlines the standards an expert witness in children proceedings must adhere to. These include that they are appropriately qualified (where relevant), have sufficient experience of the issue on which they are to give evidence and undertake continuous professional development. It is at the courts’ discretion whether to give permission for the instruction of an expert; this decision is based on all of the information available to the court, including whether the expert has undertaken suitable training and qualifications.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the evaluation of the Pathfinder pilot family courts will be published in full prior to any national policy changes based on its findings.

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

The Government commissioned formal evaluation of the Pathfinder pilots in North Wales and Dorset in two parts. The first part was a process evaluation and financial analysis which was published in March 2025. The second part examines the experiences of children and families and will be published later this year.

The two evaluation reports are already informing policy and operational changes; and monitoring and evaluation of Pathfinder is ongoing. A feasibility study, to identify options for further impact and economic evaluation of Pathfinder, is underway and will be published later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to (a) identify and (b) support people affected by the collapse of McClure solicitors.

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

We are aware that the collapse has had a serious impact on a substantial number of former clients of McClure solicitors, particularly in relation to Family Protection trusts and other estate planning arrangements. The responsibility for regulation of such law firms lies with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) which is independent of Government. Responsibility for regulating the legal profession rests with approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board. The SRA sets professional standards that solicitors (and firms) must adhere to.

Given the independence of the legal profession and its regulators, the Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of individuals affected in Wales.

I have discussed the McClure solicitors firm collapse with the leadership of the SRA and urged them to take robust action.

The SRA has investigated the conduct of those former partners of WW&J McClure. While these former partners are no longer on the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales, the SRA keeps any relevant concerns on record. Should any of these individuals apply to return to the profession in the future, the SRA may consider taking appropriate action at that point.  Further guidance can be found in the latest SRA update on WW&J McClure, available here: SRA | WW&J McClure and Jones Whyte | Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Further, the SRA has required a formal compliance plan from Jones Whyte (who took on clients’ cases when McClure collapsed) and is overseeing its implementation. This plan includes specific undertakings to prioritise client contact, act promptly on instructions, and ensure that the interests of former McClure clients are protected. The SRA continues to monitor the handling of former McClure client matters by Jones Whyte Solicitors and is working with relevant bodies to address concerns raised.

Former clients of McClure may be eligible to pursue compensation claims through Lockton, the brokers responsible for professional indemnity cover under the Law Society of Scotland’s Master Policy. Claims under this route require individuals to demonstrate negligence, and legal advice may be necessary. It is also important to note that legal representatives may charge fees for their services in such matters.

In addition, the Legal Ombudsman may be able to assist individuals who are dissatisfied with the service they have received from a regulated legal provider, including delays or failures in communication.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate has she made of the number of people in Wales who have had difficulty in dealing with their (a) property and (b) other investments placed in trusts following the collapse of McClure solicitors.

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

We are aware that the collapse has had a serious impact on a substantial number of former clients of McClure solicitors, particularly in relation to Family Protection trusts and other estate planning arrangements. The responsibility for regulation of such law firms lies with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) which is independent of Government. Responsibility for regulating the legal profession rests with approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board. The SRA sets professional standards that solicitors (and firms) must adhere to.

Given the independence of the legal profession and its regulators, the Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of individuals affected in Wales.

I have discussed the McClure solicitors firm collapse with the leadership of the SRA and urged them to take robust action.

The SRA has investigated the conduct of those former partners of WW&J McClure. While these former partners are no longer on the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales, the SRA keeps any relevant concerns on record. Should any of these individuals apply to return to the profession in the future, the SRA may consider taking appropriate action at that point.  Further guidance can be found in the latest SRA update on WW&J McClure, available here: SRA | WW&J McClure and Jones Whyte | Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Further, the SRA has required a formal compliance plan from Jones Whyte (who took on clients’ cases when McClure collapsed) and is overseeing its implementation. This plan includes specific undertakings to prioritise client contact, act promptly on instructions, and ensure that the interests of former McClure clients are protected. The SRA continues to monitor the handling of former McClure client matters by Jones Whyte Solicitors and is working with relevant bodies to address concerns raised.

Former clients of McClure may be eligible to pursue compensation claims through Lockton, the brokers responsible for professional indemnity cover under the Law Society of Scotland’s Master Policy. Claims under this route require individuals to demonstrate negligence, and legal advice may be necessary. It is also important to note that legal representatives may charge fees for their services in such matters.

In addition, the Legal Ombudsman may be able to assist individuals who are dissatisfied with the service they have received from a regulated legal provider, including delays or failures in communication.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has spent on equipment for staff to work from home in each of the last three years.

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

HM Courts and Tribunals Service provides equipment that enables staff to work across multiple locations, including from home where appropriate. This includes meeting legal obligations to provide reasonable workplace adjustments for staff who require them. All employees are expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

The Department does not record expenditure in a way that separately identifies costs specifically related to home working. Reviewing individual invoices to collate this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners eligible for release from prison on home detention curfew were released on home detention curfew (a) in the first month of eligibility and (b) at any time in each of the last three years.

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

The number of those released on home detention curfew (HDC) within 30 days of their HDC Eligibility Date in the latest published data period (between 01 October and 31 December 2024) in England and Wales was 2,827.

The number of those released on HDC each year is published in the Department’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ) publication. This information can be found in Table 3_A_14:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685492a1f812712f84581555/prison-releases-2024.ods

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has spent on equipment for staff to work from home in each of the last three years.

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

Obtaining this information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Legal Aid Agency has spent on equipment for staff to work from home in each of the last three years.

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

This information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specific (a) Sikh and (b) Jewish options for a person’s ethnic group in data collection conducted by her Department.

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

Public bodies usually collect ethnicity data in line with the ethnicity harmonised standard, which is developed by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The Ministry of Justice collects ethnicity data in line with the ethnicity harmonised standard.

The current harmonised standard is based on the 2011 Census questions used across the UK; those questions were updated for the 2021 and 2022 Censuses. The current standard does not include specific “Sikh” and “Jewish” categories for a person’s ethnic group.

The ONS is reviewing the harmonised standard to ensure this remains appropriate and meets the needs of both data users and respondents. This will include a public consultation later this year.

We await the outcome of this review.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department holds data on the number of (a) cycle and (b) car parking spaces at each (i) Crown and (ii) Magistrate Court.

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

HMCTS holds data on the number of car parking spaces at each Crown and Magistrates’ Court, which can be found in the attached spreadsheet. HMCTS does not hold equivalent data on the number of cycle parking spaces at each Crown and Magistrates’ Court.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when her Department plans to publish the next Safety in custody statistics.

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

Safety in Custody statistics are published quarterly, with the next publication due on 31 July 2025. This will cover deaths in prison custody to June 2025, and self-harm and assaults in prison custody to March 2025.

The statistics will be available at the following link: Safety in custody statistics - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the probation service in Lancashire.

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

Lancashire is part of the North West region of the Probation Service. The North West region has developed a Quality Improvement Plan that prioritises and focuses improvement activity. It includes actions derived from internal audits and reports by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation. Progress is regularly monitored, assured and supported by regional and national, Performance, Assurance and Risk functions.

Data on probation performance are published at regional and national level. Performance statistics for Probation Delivery Units in Lancashire in 2023-24 are shown in the table below:

Note:

1. These data are the aggregated outcomes from the four Probation Delivery Units in Lancashire (PDU Central Lancashire; PDU East Lancashire; PDU North West Lancashire; PDU Blackburn and Darwen).
2. PS04 SL028 Unpaid work stand downs performance is not available at PDU level for this area.
3. PS05 SL031 (Accredited programme starts [targeted]) and PS05 SL033 (Accredited programme completions [targeted]): performance for these measures are not available at PDU level. A number of cases are assigned to an organisational level PDU in the region, and are therefore not reflected in these geographic PDUs. This has been marked by “[x]”.

Outcomes for the North West Region and National probation (including scorecard rating) can be found at: Community Performance Annual, update to March 2024 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on staff at prisons have been recorded in each month since 1 December 2024.

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

Assaults on staff by month can be found on the bottom row on table 8e in the Safety in Custody Summary Tables, available at the following link: Safety-in-custody-summary-q4-2024_final_table.xlsx.

The Safety in Custody statistics are updated quarterly, and the next update will be published on 31 July.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number of foreign nationals in prisons who are on remand in the community since 2019, broken down by (a) year, (b) nationality and (c) offence committed.

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

If a foreign national accused of a crime is held on remand, they are detained in custody ahead of trial and sentencing and will not be in the community. We are therefore not able to provide a response to this question as currently worded.

The Ministry of Justice does publish information on the number of Foreign National Offenders in prison which includes the number of Foreign Nationals in prison on remand. The latest available published data can be found at Table 1_Q_9 in the attached link: prison-population-31-Mar-2025.ods.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many stab vests have been issued to prison officers since June 2025.

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

Following the Lord Chancellor’s announcement on 3 June that we will be mandating Protective Body Armour (PBA – commonly referred to as "stab vests") for use in Separation Centres, Close Supervision Centres and Segregation Units in the Long-term High Secure Estate, we are working to ensure that PBA will be made and issued as quickly as possible.

Staff continue to have the ability to wear PBA (with other personal protective equiment) when necessary.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the response to the Legal Aid Agency data breach on the implementation of the means test review proposals.

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

This is an unprecedented event and an evolving situation, and every effort is being made to restore systems following the criminal attack on our services. The impact on the system has affected implementation and delivery of intended legal aid fee uplifts in both crime and civil – we are working at pace to operationalise those commitments. More generally, the Government continues to give consideration to the financial criteria that governs legal aid eligibility.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to take steps to protect digital ownership.

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

The Government is taking steps to protect digital ownership by introducing the Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill. This Bill confirms that digital assets such as crypto-tokens can be recognised as personal property under the law of England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. This clearer legal recognition will provide greater certainty and legal protection for individuals and businesses who hold or transact with these assets, including in cases of theft, insolvency, inheritance, and when used as security for loans.

Justice is a devolved matter in Scotland, which has a distinct legal tradition in property law. The Scottish Government has been consulting separately on the recognition of digital assets as property under Scots law.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much their Department has spent on translating documents into languages other than (a) English and (b) other native UK languages in each year since 2023; and what these languages were.

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

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users for whom English is not their first language and those who require visual and tactile services, under the provision of the Equality Act.

Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

In FY 23/24 the total contracted spend was £915,037.52.

In FY 24/25 the total contracted spend was £1,003,283.32.

In FY 25/26 so far, the total contracted spend is £256,707.82.

The languages in this data exclude written translations into English, Welsh and Braille.

The languages translated into from English (United Kingdom) are:

Albanian (Albania)

Amharic (Ethiopia)

Arabic (Classical)

Arabic (Egypt)

Arabic (Modern Standard) Middle Eastern

Arabic (Modern Standard) North African

Arabic (Morocco)

Armenian (Armenia)

Bangla (Bangladesh)

Bosnian (Latin, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Bulgarian (Bulgaria)

Burmese

Burmese (Myanmar)

Catalan (Catalan)

Chinese (Simplified)

Chinese (Traditional)

Croatian (Latin, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Czech (Czech Republic)

Danish (Denmark)

Dari (Afghanistan)

Dutch (Netherlands)

Estonian (Estonia)

Filipino (Philippines)

Finnish (Finland)

French (Belgium)

French (France)

Georgian (Georgia)

German (Austria)

German (Germany)

Greek (Greece)

Gujarati (India)

Hebrew (Israel)

Hindi (India)

Hungarian (Hungary)

Icelandic (Iceland)

Indonesian (Indonesia)

Italian (Italy)

Japanese (Japan)

Kinyarwanda (Rwanda)

Kiswahili (Kenya)

Korean (Korea)

Kurdish (Bahdini)

Kurdish (Sorani)

Latvian (Latvia)

Lingala (Congo DRC)

Lithuanian (Lithuania)

Macedonian (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)

Malay (Malaysia)

Malayalam (India)

Maltese (Malta)

Mirpuri (Central Asia)

Mongolian (Cyrillic, Mongolia)

Nepali (Nepal)

Norwegian, Bokmål (Norway)

Norwegian, Nynorsk (Norway)

Oromo (Ethiopia)

PahariPotwari (Central Asia)

Pashto (Afghanistan)

Persian (Afghanistan)

Persian (Iran)

Polish (Poland)

Portuguese (Brazil)

Portuguese (Portugal)

Punjabi (India)

Punjabi (Pakistan)

Romanian (Romania)

Romany (Europe)

Russian (Russia)

Serbian (Cyrillic, Serbia)

Serbian (Latin, Serbia)

Shona (Latin, Zimbabwe)

Sinhala (Sri Lanka)

Slovak (Slovakia)

Slovenian (Slovenia)

Somali (Somalia)

Spanish (Argentina)

Spanish (Latin America)

Spanish (Mexico)

Spanish (Spain)

Swedish (Sweden)

Tajik (Cyrillic, Tajikistan)

Tamazight (Latin, Algeria)

Tamil (India)

Tetum (Timor)

Thai (Thailand)

Tigrinya (Eritrea)

Turkish (Turkey)

Ukranian (Ukraine)

Urdu (Islamic Republic of Pakistan)

Uzbek (Latin, Uzbekistan)

Vietnamese (Vietnam)

Wolof (Senegal)

Yoruba (Nigeria)

The Languages translated into from English (United States) are:

Arabic (Egypt)

Hungarian (Hungary)

Polish (Poland)

Romanian (Romania)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to take steps to reduce the waiting time for appeal hearings in the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support).

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

We are working to reduce the outstanding caseload across the Social Entitlement Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, which includes the Social Security and Child Support jurisdiction. This is key to reducing the waiting time for tribunal hearings.

HMCTS continues to invest in improving tribunal productivity through the recruitment of additional Judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems and the use of remote hearing technology.

Data on Tribunals performance is published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. Receipts, disposals and the outstanding caseload for individual Chambers in the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have applied for appointment as a (a) First-Tier Tribunal Judge (Immigration and Asylum) and (b) Upper Tribunal Judge (Immigration and Asylum) in the last 12 months; and how many of those applications (i) were successful, (ii) were rejected and (iii) are outstanding.

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

We are maintaining investment in the annual recruitment of about 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all courts and tribunals.

Recruitment was completed in 2024 for salaried and fee-paid judges of the FTT, including for the IAC, and for salaried and fee-paid judges of the Upper Tribunal IAC. Deployment to a specific FTT chamber is the responsibility of the Senior President of Tribunals.

The independent Judicial Appointments Commission publishes data once recruitment is completed: https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/completed-exercises/.

Information on the number of judges in post, leavers, new appointments and promotions is published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/judicial-diversity-statistics.

Recruitment exercises which commenced in 2024 for the First-tier Tribunal, including the IAC, are ongoing, with recommendations due later this year. Further recruitment will commence later in 2025. There is no ongoing or currently planned recruitment to the Upper Tribunal IAC.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to rebuild the existing case management system or develop a new system, following the Legal Aid Agency data breach.

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

This has been an unprecedented event and every effort is being made to restore services following the criminal attack on our systems. The Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services have been taken offline to negate the threat and prevent further exposure of legal aid providers and users. We have been able to return some systems to internal use, enabling an improved ability to support criminal legal aid applications and payments.

We cannot confirm a specific timescale for full service restoration. In the interim, the LAA will continue to provide updates as soon as they are available and will work closely with representative bodies to ensure any extended or refined contingency measures support providers and their clients to the maximum extent. All updates, including contingency arrangements, are published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber security incident webpage Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident - GOV.UK.

Contingency measures have been implemented to ensure that access to legal aid remains available and that providers are receiving payments. This included the implementation of emergency legislation on 27 June. The new legislation provides for increased delegation of powers to providers and removes civil client contributions. The average payment scheme already operating in civil legal aid will continue.

The LAA retains all data impacted by this incident. There is no evidence of data being permanently lost or destroyed. However, while systems are offline some data is not accessible. Access will be restored as part of service restoration.

The recent data breach is the result of serious criminal activity, but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of underinvestment under the last Conservative Government. By contrast, since taking power this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans for the Legal Aid Agency’s case management system to be fully operational, following the recent data breach.

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

This has been an unprecedented event and every effort is being made to restore services following the criminal attack on our systems. The Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services have been taken offline to negate the threat and prevent further exposure of legal aid providers and users. We have been able to return some systems to internal use, enabling an improved ability to support criminal legal aid applications and payments.

We cannot confirm a specific timescale for full service restoration. In the interim, the LAA will continue to provide updates as soon as they are available and will work closely with representative bodies to ensure any extended or refined contingency measures support providers and their clients to the maximum extent. All updates, including contingency arrangements, are published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber security incident webpage Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident - GOV.UK.

Contingency measures have been implemented to ensure that access to legal aid remains available and that providers are receiving payments. This included the implementation of emergency legislation on 27 June. The new legislation provides for increased delegation of powers to providers and removes civil client contributions. The average payment scheme already operating in civil legal aid will continue.

The LAA retains all data impacted by this incident. There is no evidence of data being permanently lost or destroyed. However, while systems are offline some data is not accessible. Access will be restored as part of service restoration.

The recent data breach is the result of serious criminal activity, but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of underinvestment under the last Conservative Government. By contrast, since taking power this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to develop a new case management system following the Legal Aid Agency data breach.

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

This has been an unprecedented event and every effort is being made to restore services following the criminal attack on our systems. The Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services have been taken offline to negate the threat and prevent further exposure of legal aid providers and users. We have been able to return some systems to internal use, enabling an improved ability to support criminal legal aid applications and payments.

We cannot confirm a specific timescale for full service restoration. In the interim, the LAA will continue to provide updates as soon as they are available and will work closely with representative bodies to ensure any extended or refined contingency measures support providers and their clients to the maximum extent. All updates, including contingency arrangements, are published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber security incident webpage Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident - GOV.UK.

Contingency measures have been implemented to ensure that access to legal aid remains available and that providers are receiving payments. This included the implementation of emergency legislation on 27 June. The new legislation provides for increased delegation of powers to providers and removes civil client contributions. The average payment scheme already operating in civil legal aid will continue.

The LAA retains all data impacted by this incident. There is no evidence of data being permanently lost or destroyed. However, while systems are offline some data is not accessible. Access will be restored as part of service restoration.

The recent data breach is the result of serious criminal activity, but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of underinvestment under the last Conservative Government. By contrast, since taking power this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department retains access to all data held in the case management systems impacted by the Legal Aid Agency data breach.

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

This has been an unprecedented event and every effort is being made to restore services following the criminal attack on our systems. The Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services have been taken offline to negate the threat and prevent further exposure of legal aid providers and users. We have been able to return some systems to internal use, enabling an improved ability to support criminal legal aid applications and payments.

We cannot confirm a specific timescale for full service restoration. In the interim, the LAA will continue to provide updates as soon as they are available and will work closely with representative bodies to ensure any extended or refined contingency measures support providers and their clients to the maximum extent. All updates, including contingency arrangements, are published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber security incident webpage Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident - GOV.UK.

Contingency measures have been implemented to ensure that access to legal aid remains available and that providers are receiving payments. This included the implementation of emergency legislation on 27 June. The new legislation provides for increased delegation of powers to providers and removes civil client contributions. The average payment scheme already operating in civil legal aid will continue.

The LAA retains all data impacted by this incident. There is no evidence of data being permanently lost or destroyed. However, while systems are offline some data is not accessible. Access will be restored as part of service restoration.

The recent data breach is the result of serious criminal activity, but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of underinvestment under the last Conservative Government. By contrast, since taking power this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of deaths referred to the Isle of Wight coroner involved a Marine Accident Investigation Branch inquiry in each of the last five years; when each case was (a) opened and (b) completed; and whether an inquest has been held for each case.

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

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is an independent organisation; the Ministry of Justice does not collect this information centrally.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the of the ability of the Criminal Cases Review Commission to operate in a timely and effective manner.

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

The Lord Chancellor has appointed Dame Vera Baird DBE KC to carry out a thorough review of the operation of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, to increase public confidence in the organisation and the important work it undertakes investigating potential miscarriages of justice.

The terms of the reference for the review can be viewed at: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/48553/documents/254582/default/.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 55645 on Legal Aid Scheme: Rural Areas, what data her Department holds on the average (a) travel distance and (b) waiting time for residents to access in-person legal aid services in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas.

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

Citizens in England and Wales should be able to access legal aid services regardless of where they live, provided they meet the relevant eligibility criteria. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services, and it monitors the numbers of providers in each procurement area and across all categories of law. It takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise and works closely with the Ministry of Justice on policy solutions concerning the supply of legal aid.

Greater use of technology can enable people to access a wide range of specialist advice from across the country. For example, legal advice for education, discrimination, housing and debt issues is always available through the Civil Legal Advice telephone service, wherever you are in England and Wales.

As part of the £24 million increase for criminal solicitors implemented in 2024, the Ministry of Justice is paying for travel time for solicitors who work or commute to work in a small number of scheme areas with fewer than two legal aid providers, as well as the Isle of Wight.

The Department continues to monitor office locations and travel distances between providers and clients as part of its assessment of geographical coverage.

The Government’s grant funding of over £6 million going to 60 frontline organisations in 2025/26 funds charitable, benevolent or philanthropic organisations delivering legal support and information services in relation to a range of social welfare legal problems. Organisations include some local Citizen’s Advice centres, Shelter and Law Centres, who provide legal support services across England and Wales, including in rural areas, with some organisations also providing outreach services. Online services delivered by organisations like AdviceNow also provide support and information to individuals in relation to civil, family and tribunal matters regardless of location. The Advicenow website includes information about how to get legal aid in relevant areas of law and signposts users to further information and support.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 55645 on Legal Aid Scheme: Rural Areas, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the legal aid procurement model on improving access to legal aid services in rural areas.

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

Citizens in England and Wales should be able to access legal aid services regardless of where they live, provided they meet the relevant eligibility criteria. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services, and it monitors the numbers of providers in each procurement area and across all categories of law. It takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise and works closely with the Ministry of Justice on policy solutions concerning the supply of legal aid.

Greater use of technology can enable people to access a wide range of specialist advice from across the country. For example, legal advice for education, discrimination, housing and debt issues is always available through the Civil Legal Advice telephone service, wherever you are in England and Wales.

As part of the £24 million increase for criminal solicitors implemented in 2024, the Ministry of Justice is paying for travel time for solicitors who work or commute to work in a small number of scheme areas with fewer than two legal aid providers, as well as the Isle of Wight.

The Department continues to monitor office locations and travel distances between providers and clients as part of its assessment of geographical coverage.

The Government’s grant funding of over £6 million going to 60 frontline organisations in 2025/26 funds charitable, benevolent or philanthropic organisations delivering legal support and information services in relation to a range of social welfare legal problems. Organisations include some local Citizen’s Advice centres, Shelter and Law Centres, who provide legal support services across England and Wales, including in rural areas, with some organisations also providing outreach services. Online services delivered by organisations like AdviceNow also provide support and information to individuals in relation to civil, family and tribunal matters regardless of location. The Advicenow website includes information about how to get legal aid in relevant areas of law and signposts users to further information and support.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 55645 on Legal Aid Scheme: Rural Areas, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the £6 million legal support grant funding reaches legal aid deserts in rural areas.

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

Citizens in England and Wales should be able to access legal aid services regardless of where they live, provided they meet the relevant eligibility criteria. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services, and it monitors the numbers of providers in each procurement area and across all categories of law. It takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise and works closely with the Ministry of Justice on policy solutions concerning the supply of legal aid.

Greater use of technology can enable people to access a wide range of specialist advice from across the country. For example, legal advice for education, discrimination, housing and debt issues is always available through the Civil Legal Advice telephone service, wherever you are in England and Wales.

As part of the £24 million increase for criminal solicitors implemented in 2024, the Ministry of Justice is paying for travel time for solicitors who work or commute to work in a small number of scheme areas with fewer than two legal aid providers, as well as the Isle of Wight.

The Department continues to monitor office locations and travel distances between providers and clients as part of its assessment of geographical coverage.

The Government’s grant funding of over £6 million going to 60 frontline organisations in 2025/26 funds charitable, benevolent or philanthropic organisations delivering legal support and information services in relation to a range of social welfare legal problems. Organisations include some local Citizen’s Advice centres, Shelter and Law Centres, who provide legal support services across England and Wales, including in rural areas, with some organisations also providing outreach services. Online services delivered by organisations like AdviceNow also provide support and information to individuals in relation to civil, family and tribunal matters regardless of location. The Advicenow website includes information about how to get legal aid in relevant areas of law and signposts users to further information and support.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans for courts to sit at weekends and other times outside of normal sitting hours and sitting days to clear the backlog of cases awaiting trial.

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

Courts are already sitting at, or close to, maximum judicial capacity in almost every jurisdiction, with record investment this year, and a record allocation of sitting days in the Crown Court. It is worth remembering that judicial maximum does not equal the maximum the system can run. The Government must be mindful of managing the wider system capacity - the availability not just of judges to sit in the Crown court but of the lawyers, prosecutors, legal aid and defence barristers that underpin the rest of the system.

Existing allocations can and will be accommodated within existing court operating hours. Magistrates’ courts already routinely sit on Saturdays and bank holidays.

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Found: The MR has been working with the OPRC, the MoJ and HMCTS to create a truly integrated pre-court and

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Found: Committee report (2025) that the Department should work with others including LAs and the Ministry of Justice

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Found: The Ministry of Justice holds overall policy responsibility for SLAPPs, including oversight of future

Found: Safeguarding and VAWG, Home Office and Alex Davies-Jones MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice

Found: Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice relating to the follow up on PAC reports

Found: There is information that links the MoJ and DfE, or education and child health insights that link DfE

Found: Data from the Ministry of Justice indicates most contested residence cases still overwhelmingly award

Found: transnational repression are the Home Office, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Ministry of Justice

Found: 2024), link xli Ofcom, “A safe life online for woman and girls” (February 2025), link xlii Ministry of Justice

Found: UK WPS NAP is owned by the Ministry of Defence and FCDO, with some actions assigned to the Ministry of Justice

Found: & Development Office (FCDO) and the Ministry of Defence, with input from the Home Office, Ministry of Justice

Found: also recognises a ‘domestic’ dimension of WPS, and “includes input from the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice

Found: When the Home Office, the Department for Education, the Department of Health, the Ministry of Justice

Found: collaboration with a wider range of departments – the Northern Ireland office, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice

Found: Development Office (FCDO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), with input from the Home Office, Ministry of Justice

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Found: The Ministry of Justice is expanding capacity in the asylum appeal system.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve (a) enforcement and (b) arrears recovery in child maintenance cases where the paying parent resides abroad.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) can only be used where the receiving parent, paying parent and any qualifying children are all habitually resident in the United Kingdom (UK). The CMS does not have jurisdiction where this does not apply.

The process for handling cases where the paying parent may be non-resident in the UK is managed according to a range of international treaties under the umbrella term REMO (Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders).

The UK has arrangements with a number of other countries and territories that allow a parent with care to claim maintenance from a non-resident parent resident in one of those countries. REMO can be used to register and enforce child maintenance orders internationally, or for example, when the paying parent is habitually resident in the UK but has assets and/or income in another country. If the paying parent has moved to an EU country, The CMS may be able to enforce collection of outstanding child maintenance arrears.

The CMS works closely with the Ministry of Justice, with whom the process is managed by, and the CMS's caseworkers are trained to signpost parents to that department for advice.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution of 23 June 2025, Official Report, column 823, what steps her Department is taking to enable face-to-face meetings for PIP appeal hearings more accessible.

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

The oral contribution refers to the PIP assessment process and outlines our commitment to audio recording assessments.

Appeals are lodged directly with, and administered by, HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Making appeal hearings more accessible is therefore a matter for HMCTS and MoJ.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) asylum seekers and (b) recent arrivals were charged with (i) rape and (ii) sexual assault in each of the last five years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Available data on the age, ethnicity, gender and region of individuals prosecuted and convicted at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Ministry of Justice Outcomes by Offences data tool, can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page, which is available online here:

Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK

However, this data is not broken down by nationality or immigration status.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals were arrested for sexual offences in each of the last five years, broken down by nationality.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Available data on the age, ethnicity, gender and region of individuals prosecuted and convicted at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Ministry of Justice Outcomes by Offences data tool, can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page, which is available online here:

Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK

However, this data is not broken down by nationality or immigration status.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people arrested for sexual offences were foreign nationals in the last 12 months.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Available data on the age, ethnicity, gender and region of individuals prosecuted and convicted at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Ministry of Justice Outcomes by Offences data tool, can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page, which is available online here:

Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK

However, this data is not broken down by nationality or immigration status.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on introducing duty of candour legislation.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government remains committed to implementing a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which will place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities, and criminal sanctions for those who refuse to comply in certain circumstances.

The Cabinet Office and Ministry of Justice are the lead Departments in Government for this matter. Ministry of Defence officials continue to liaise with colleagues across Government on this important issue.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specific (a) Sikh and (b) Jewish options for a person’s ethnic group in data collection conducted by his Department.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

The Scotland Office does not hold information in relation to the ethnicity of staff.

All staff that join the Scotland Office, do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government, who remain the employers. All information in relation to protected characteristics, including the ethnicity of staff is held and managed by the employing departments.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specific (a) Sikh and (b) Jewish options for a person’s ethnic group in data collection conducted by her Department.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

My Department is not an employer in its own right and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provide employment services on our behalf, including setting ethnicity data categories for collection.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within her Department.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Apprenticeships are available to new and existing Wales Office staff and my Department promotes these opportunities through Ministry of Justice (MoJ) intranet bulletins and Wales Office staff newsletters. When vacancies arise, the Department also considers if posts may be advertised as apprenticeships.

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Found: Plymouth with 30,000 trees planted as part of a cross- Government social value contract with the Ministry of Justice

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Found: Caicos Islands HMP Grand Turk 12 x Escort Handcuffs – 9 LIFT 12 x Handcuff Key (9 Slider) Ministry of Justice

Found: The GCA also had transactions with the Department for Transport, Housing Ombudsman Service, Ministry of Justice

Found: 50.769 Predecessor Body Land at Jenner Road Crawley Brownfield 0.284 Predecessor Body MoJ

Found: Transport; Department for Work and Pensions; HM Revenue and Customs; Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Justice

Found: Business Partners and quarterly at the MoJ risk advisory group, chaired by MoJ Risk Centre of Excellence

Found: Business Partners and quarterly at the MoJ risk advisory group, chaired by MoJ Risk Centre of Excellence

Found: final annual report as she is leaving NHSBT for a promotion to Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice

Found: Registered Intermediary at the Ministry of Justice.

Found: (MoJ).

Found: outside bodies or individuals which might, to their knowledge, conflict with the work of the Ministry of Justice

Found: Currently NS&I is administering business-to-business activities for Ministry of Justice (Office of Accountant

Found: Currently NS&I is administering business-to-business activities for Ministry of Justice (Office of Accountant

Found: (MoJ).

Found: (MoJ).

Found: This approach has been adapted for the Ministry of Justice and other government departments.

Found: This approach has been adapted for the Ministry of Justice and other government departments.

Found: From: HM Prison and Probation Service and Ministry of Justice Published 17 July 2025 Get

Found: The MoJ will work with the Parole Board’s IPP Taskforce to explore whether the frequency of oral hearings

Found: decided appeals 92.6% 87.4% 1 Please note there is a difference between FTT appeals recorded by Ministry of Justice

Found: recognised by many external bodies. 2024 Audit and Risk Awards ● Our client team for the Ministry of Justice

Found: GIAA for internal audit services • payments totalling £22,959 (2023-24: £0) were made to the Ministry of Justice

Found: Director • Disclosure and Barring Service: Non-Executive Director and Chair of Audit Committee • Ministry of Justice

Found: further trials of new ways of engaging with those in the prosecution process and engaged with the MoJ

Found: London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority [2018] UKEAT/0116/17/LA and McCloud and others v Ministry of Justice

Found: for survivors and bereaved relatives of major disasters like the Manchester Arena attack: Ministry of Justice

Found: for survivors and bereaved relatives of major disasters like the Manchester Arena attack: Ministry of Justice

Found: The College would also need to formally seek approval from the Ministry of Justice to remain in Central

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

Found: From: Ministry of Justice and Prison Service Pay Review Body Published 22 July 2025 Get

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

Found: From: Ministry of Justice and Senior Salaries Review Body Published 22 July 2025 Get emails

Found: The GCA also had transactions with the Department for Transport, Housing Ombudsman Service, Ministry of Justice

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

Found: British Sign Language 5-year plan: Ministry of Justice

Found: In another case study,4 the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) wanted to explore how to more effectively resettle

Found: Official Official Setting a 2030 vision for resettlement from prison into the community (Ministry of Justice

Found: From: Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service Published 17 July 2025 Get

Found: specified in Part 1 of the Act; “Legal Aid Agency” or “LAA” means the Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice

Found: of the Lord Chancellor acting in her capacity as the Secretary of Justice on behalf of the Ministry of Justice

Found: The strategy, underpinned by the Human Rights Act 1998 (Ministry of Justice 1998), the Disability Discrimination

Found: The Ministry of Justice, the government department at the heart of the justice system, is committed

Found: The Ministry of Justice, the government department at the heart of the justice system, is committed

Found: guidance for police is clear and comprehensive, and it produced BSL content to support it. 4.13 Ministry of Justice

Found: the Counter -Terrorism Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (CTARC), which sits within the Ministry of Justice

Found: GIAA for internal audit services • payments totalling £22,959 (2023-24: £0) were made to the Ministry of Justice

Found: Northern Ireland (accessible version) - GOV.UK 12 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and Ministry of Justice

Found: including the Home Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Ministry of Justice

Found: In the EM the Cabinet Secretary states that a response from the Ministry of Justice is expected in relation