Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for paying for prisoners with addictions released on the early release scheme to continue their recovery in alcohol and drug rehabilitation centres.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This Government inherited prisons days from collapse and had to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. SDS40 is a temporary measure to provide relief to the system, and following the Independent Sentencing Review, we have now introduced the Sentencing Bill to Parliament. This will introduce a new Progression Model, as a key part of delivering a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis.
We know that continued engagement with drug and alcohol treatment both within and beyond custody is vital to reduce reoffending. It is crucial that those released early can access support effectively within the community, especially as the first few weeks of release are high-risk for relapse, overdose and reoffending.
Responsibility for the funding and commissioning of substance misuse treatment lies with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS Wales. The Ministry of Justice works very closely with health partners to ensure accessible pathways for offenders which meet their needs, including Residential Rehabilitation which can be an effective treatment option for some. This includes recruiting Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide, who strengthen links between prisons, treatment providers and probation, alongside secure laptops across prisons to enable prisoners to virtually meet with community treatment providers prior to their release. We have also established the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel, chaired by Lord Timpson, which brings together leading experts to identify opportunities to strengthen the Ministry of Justice’s approach.
The latest data from August 2025 shows that 54% of adults released with an ongoing substance misuse need engaged in treatment within 3 weeks of release, an increase from 38% in April 2021.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve probation services in the East Midlands.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
We are committed to supporting probation staff and value their hard work, commitment and dedication. Following HM Inspectorate of Probation’s (HMIP) inspection of probation services in the East Midlands, their report identified areas of improvement, making 11 recommendations. 10 of these recommendations have been accepted in full, with the 11th being partially accepted. An action plan has been agreed with HMIP and delivery against that action plan is reviewed regularly by the Area Executive Director.
To address workload pressures, we have implemented initiatives such as “Probation Reset” and “Impact” and launched the “Our Future Probation Service” programme, which aims to ensure that workloads for probation staff are sustainable by deploying new technologies, reforming processes and ensuring prioritisation of probation staff time. By the final year of the spending review period, there has been a commitment to increase funding by up to £700 million for the Probation Service. Recruitment remains a priority, with significant numbers of probation officer trainees onboarded in 2024/25 and a commitment to onboard a further 1,300 in 2025/26 nationally.
These efforts are supported by a new wellbeing support model across HMPPS, including regional plans such as the Midlands wellbeing strategy, to ensure staff are supported in delivering their vital public safety responsibilities.
Asked by: Helen Grant (Conservative - Maidstone and Malling)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, by what date he plans to introduce free independent legal advice for adult rape victims.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government continues to progress the manifesto commitment to introduce free independent legal advice (ILA) for victims of adult rape, to help them understand and feel confident in their legal rights.
ILAs will be able to help victims with issues including understanding their rights, understanding what constitutes a reasonable Third-Party Material or digital material request, assisting with complaint applications, compensation claims, and the Victim’s Right to Review scheme.
We will be making further announcements about our plans for the rollout of this service in due course.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary on improving the terms and conditions for magistrates.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As magistrates are volunteers, they do not have formal terms and conditions. However, their role is governed by the Lord Chancellor’s Directions, which set out expectations and guidance for their role. While these Directions are issued by the Lord Chancellor, they are developed with input from, and in coordination with, the independent Judiciary.
The Lord Chancellor regularly meets with the Lady Chief Justice and senior judiciary to discuss courts, tribunals, the magistracy, and the wider justice system. It is standard practice not to comment on the specifics of Minister-judiciary conversations.
Magistrates can claim expenses for loss of earnings, travel and subsistence in support of their judicial duties. The Ministry of Justice will consult on, and publish, an updated Magistrates Expenses policy in 2026.
Training of the judiciary is a judicial responsibility. Magistrates are supported with an extensive training programme, provided by the Judicial College, across their first 12-15 months in post, including a three day in person induction course at the outset. All newly appointed magistrates are also supported by a mentor. Continuation training and regular appraisals are provided for magistrates on an ongoing basis.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to amend the presumption of parental involvement when a parent has been convicted of abuse or violent crimes.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has announced that it will repeal the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989 when Parliamentary time allows.
We are committed to ensuring that the child’s welfare remains at the heart of the courts’ decision-making, and that each case considers the individual child and their family circumstances. Courts will continue to make decisions in line with the remaining provisions in the Children Act, the Human Rights Act 1998, ECHR considerations, and caselaw, with the child’s welfare remaining the paramount consideration.
The measure to repeal the presumption forms a key part of broader family court reforms, which include the expansion of the Pathfinder courts. These reforms aim to ensure that any decisions centre the child’s welfare and are based on a robust assessment of potential risks.
Alongside this announcement, we have published the Review of the Presumption of Parental Involvement and the accompanying reports from the three commissioned research projects.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of safeguards to prevent the misuse of private prosecutions for vexatious purposes.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises that vexatious private prosecutions are a serious problem. There are established mechanisms for dealing with vexatious applications. In deciding whether to issue a summons for an individual or organisation to bring a private prosecution, magistrates will review whether the application is vexatious and will decline the application if it is. Defendants who wish to challenge the grant of a summons for a private prosecution against them can do so by requesting a judicial review of the decision or applying to the High Court to quash the summons.
Fairness and transparency are the cornerstones of our justice system and there is a clear need to set consistent standards amongst private prosecutors. We think there is scope to do more to ensure such high standards.
That is why the Government launched a consultation into the regulation of private prosecutors which closed earlier this year. We will set out next steps shortly.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of sentences for people convicted of crimes involving breaches of trading standards.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice has made no assessment of sentencing for offending involving breaches of trading standards.
Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, including discharges, fines, community sentences, suspended sentences and custodial sentences.
When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to her oral contribution during the Second Reading of the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill, Official Report, column 997, what recent progress his Department has made on the review of the data that his Department holds on disparities in the justice system; when he plans to complete the review; and whether he plans to take further steps to assess (a) the underlying causes and (b) effectiveness of policy on disparities in the justice system.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The previous Lord Chancellor commissioned a review of the latest data on sentencing disparities and its causes. I will provide more information on this in due course.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that private prosecutions are not misused for vexatious purposes.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises that vexatious private prosecutions are a serious problem. There are established mechanisms for dealing with vexatious applications. In deciding whether to issue a summons for an individual or organisation to bring a private prosecution, magistrates will review whether the application is vexatious and will decline the application if it is. Defendants who wish to challenge the grant of a summons for a private prosecution against them can do so by requesting a judicial review of the decision or applying to the High Court to quash the summons.
Fairness and transparency are the cornerstones of our justice system and there is a clear need to set consistent standards amongst private prosecutors. We think there is scope to do more to ensure such high standards.
That is why the Government launched a consultation into the regulation of private prosecutors which closed earlier this year. We will set out next steps shortly.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the recommendations in the report by the Magistrates' Association entitled Magistrates Matter, published on 5 June 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is dedicated to ensuring all magistrates feel valued for their work. We have considered the Magistrates’ Association report on improving recognition of magistrates and its recommendations for Ministers and the Senior Judiciary. We work closely with the Magistrates’ Association, and we will consider their recommendations carefully.