Ben Maguire Alert Sample


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View the Parallel Parliament page for Ben Maguire

Information between 14th November 2025 - 24th November 2025

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Written Answers
Dental Services: Parish and Town Councils
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Friday 14th November 2025

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish guidance for (a) town and (b) parish councils on the steps they can take to encourage NHS dental providers to open new practices in areas with (i) limited and (ii) no access to NHS dentistry.

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

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist particularly in more rural areas such as North Cornwall.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. Dental practices are businesses and can decide how they operate, providing they remain compliant with the appropriate regulations. Providers are able to make choices about how they operate within the terms of the contract, including choice over the dental laboratory suppliers and premises they use providing they remain compliant.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local populations and to determine the priorities for investment including local incentives. NHS England has published guidance to support commissioners to take advantage of the opportunities offered to commission further and additional services through flexible commissioning which enables the responsible commissioner to tailor services to meet local population oral health needs. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/opportunities-for-flexible-commissioning-in-primary-care-dentistry-a-framework-for-commissioners/

ICBs are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

Dental Services: Rural Areas
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Friday 14th November 2025

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of communities in rural areas providing (a) subsidised premises and (b) other local incentives to support the establishment of new NHS dental practices in areas of extremely low NHS dentist availability.

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

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist particularly in more rural areas such as North Cornwall.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. Dental practices are businesses and can decide how they operate, providing they remain compliant with the appropriate regulations. Providers are able to make choices about how they operate within the terms of the contract, including choice over the dental laboratory suppliers and premises they use providing they remain compliant.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local populations and to determine the priorities for investment including local incentives. NHS England has published guidance to support commissioners to take advantage of the opportunities offered to commission further and additional services through flexible commissioning which enables the responsible commissioner to tailor services to meet local population oral health needs. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/opportunities-for-flexible-commissioning-in-primary-care-dentistry-a-framework-for-commissioners/

ICBs are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

Bank Services: Post Offices
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Monday 17th November 2025

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of reducing cheque deposit services at post offices on people in rural areas.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the important role the Post Office plays in providing essential banking services, particularly in rural areas. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance and pay bills at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK. Furthermore, the Post Office is required by the Department for Business & Trade to ensure that 95% of the total rural population across the UK is within 3 miles of their nearest Post Office.

Decisions about what services are available at the Post Office, such as cheque deposits, are made by the banks as part of their commercial arrangements.

Customers continue to have other options for paying in cheques, whether at local bank branches, by post, or digitally via mobile apps using cheque imaging technology.

Fisheries: Finance
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Tuesday 18th November 2025

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of recent (a) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and (b) other fisheries support schemes funding rounds on the equitableness of allocations between fishing business of different sizes including (a) larger, (b) smaller and (c) independent fishing businesses; and whether she will incorporate the lessons learned into future such funding rounds.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra carries out independent evaluation of all fishing and seafood sector grant schemes to ensure lessons are learned, including on the suitability of application processes. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) administered the Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) under the UK Seafood Fund (UKSF). Evaluation of the UKSF is ongoing and Cefas are currently supporting this. To improve access to the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme for all businesses, an annual cap was introduced to try to distribute support more equitably and enable more applicants to secure funding. Looking ahead, we will look to incorporate lessons learned into the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, and Defra officials are now in the process of engaging with industry to help with the design of the fund and to make the application process as fair for all stakeholders, including small inshore fishing businesses. We are aware that small inshore fishing businesses can require more time and support with funding applications, so these are factors we will take into consideration when setting up the fund.

Fisheries: Finance
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Tuesday 18th November 2025

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the suitability of the application process for (a) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science funding and (b) other fisheries support schemes to small inshore fishing businesses including due to (i) time availability and (ii) other capacity constraints.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra carries out independent evaluation of all fishing and seafood sector grant schemes to ensure lessons are learned, including on the suitability of application processes. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) administered the Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) under the UK Seafood Fund (UKSF). Evaluation of the UKSF is ongoing and Cefas are currently supporting this. To improve access to the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme for all businesses, an annual cap was introduced to try to distribute support more equitably and enable more applicants to secure funding. Looking ahead, we will look to incorporate lessons learned into the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, and Defra officials are now in the process of engaging with industry to help with the design of the fund and to make the application process as fair for all stakeholders, including small inshore fishing businesses. We are aware that small inshore fishing businesses can require more time and support with funding applications, so these are factors we will take into consideration when setting up the fund.

Fisheries: South West
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Tuesday 18th November 2025

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of quota allocations for (a) bass, (b) horse mackerel and (c) other species for inshore fishers in (i) Cornwall and (ii) the South West.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK's allocations of quota stocks (including horse mackerel) are derived from fixed shares of total allowable catches (TACs), which the UK sets via negotiation with other coastal States. Our approach to setting TACs is based on the best available scientific advice and informed by close engagement with industry. The needs of inshore fishers in Cornwall and the wider South West, as well as other sectors of the fishing industry across the UK, are carefully considered when UK positions are developed for fisheries negotiations.

Bass is a non-quota stock and not subject to quota allocations. The catching of bass is subject to ICES advice on what can be sustainably removed, management measures and gear restrictions. Hook and line is the only authorised targeted fishery, within specific catch limits. Bass may also be landed as bycatch when caught in fixed gillnets or trawls and seines, also within specific catch limits. Other non-quota species are not subject to quota allocations.

Trials
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many trials have been delayed and court days lost because a prisoner has failed to be delivered to the Court by the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The question has been interpreted to mean ineffective trials that do not start on their intended start date and need rescheduling. Trials can become ineffective for many reasons, owing to the action or inaction of stakeholders responsible for producing prisoners to court, or of the courts themselves. Delays or failures to bring prisoners to court are one such reason.

Data on trial effectiveness at the criminal courts, by reason for ineffectiveness, is published as part of the Criminal court statistics quarterly series. Applying the “reason” filter in the pivot table in Trial Effectiveness at Criminal Courts document enables the reader to select reasons why trials have been ineffective. Tab 14 shows instances where the defendant’s not having been produced by Prisoner Escort and Custody Services led to an ineffective trial. This includes all instances where a prisoner was not produced on time, regardless of whether the contractor was at fault. The most recent publication can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2025.

Prisoners' Release
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Tuesday 18th November 2025

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been wrongly released from HM Prisons since July 2024 were still at large on 1 November 2025.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As the Deputy Prime Minister set out in his statement on 11 November, on that day we were aware of three releases in error from prison where the offenders were at large. We were also investigating a further case of a potential release in error on 3 November of a person who may have still been at large.

Lord Timpson in his statement on 13 November confirmed that the potential case was indeed a release in error and the individual was swiftly returned to policy custody on the same day and returned to prison the following morning and that one of the three releases in error has now been classified as a lawful release.

These are operational matters; the position changes quickly. We will not offer further running commentary on Releases in Error; further breakdowns will be published in the normal way through our regular statistics and Dame Lynne Owens will be looking at data and transparency as part of her independent investigation.

Children: Maintenance
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Tuesday 18th November 2025

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) missed or (b) partial child maintenance payments on (i) children and (ii) resident parents.

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

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is estimated to keep around 120,000 children out of poverty each year. CMS acknowledges the significant impact that missed or partial child maintenance payments can have on both children and resident parents.

Changes have been implemented to systems to identify at-risk cases allowing caseworkers to intervene at the earliest opportunity where a partial payment is made and before payments stop.

The CMS has taken steps to strengthen enforcement against non-resident parents who repeatedly fail to meet their child maintenance obligations. These powers allow the CMS to instruct an employer to deduct maintenance directly from the paying parent's wages, take money directly from a paying parent’s bank or building society account. If the paying parent is on certain benefits, deductions can be made at source.

CMS can also apply to the courts for a Liability Order which legally means the debt is legally recognised, allowing CMS to take further enforcement actions such as:

    • Bailiff action
    • Charging orders on property
    • Disqualification from holding a driving licence.
    • Committal to prison in extreme cases.

As part of a broader strategy, to ensure consistent financial support for children, the government is reforming the system to eliminate Direct Pay and expand the Collect and Pay service to improve compliance and reduce financial hardship for resident parents and children.

Children: Maintenance
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Tuesday 18th November 2025

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen enforcement against non-resident parents who repeatedly fail to meet their child maintenance payment obligations.

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

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is estimated to keep around 120,000 children out of poverty each year. CMS acknowledges the significant impact that missed or partial child maintenance payments can have on both children and resident parents.

Changes have been implemented to systems to identify at-risk cases allowing caseworkers to intervene at the earliest opportunity where a partial payment is made and before payments stop.

The CMS has taken steps to strengthen enforcement against non-resident parents who repeatedly fail to meet their child maintenance obligations. These powers allow the CMS to instruct an employer to deduct maintenance directly from the paying parent's wages, take money directly from a paying parent’s bank or building society account. If the paying parent is on certain benefits, deductions can be made at source.

CMS can also apply to the courts for a Liability Order which legally means the debt is legally recognised, allowing CMS to take further enforcement actions such as:

    • Bailiff action
    • Charging orders on property
    • Disqualification from holding a driving licence.
    • Committal to prison in extreme cases.

As part of a broader strategy, to ensure consistent financial support for children, the government is reforming the system to eliminate Direct Pay and expand the Collect and Pay service to improve compliance and reduce financial hardship for resident parents and children.

Property Transfer: Money Laundering
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Thursday 20th November 2025

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of implementing a pilot scheme for banks to provide standardised anti-money laundering checks for use in property transactions.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The requirements for anti-money laundering checks in property transactions are set out in the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs). The MLRs are not prescriptive in setting out precisely how banks and other regulated firms should undertake anti-money laundering checks, but instead require firms to take a proportionate approach commensurate with their assessment of the risk. Each bank will therefore have its own policies and procedures within this broader framework. The Government keeps the MLRs under periodic review to ensure that requirements remain effective and proportionate for all regulated sectors.

Veterans: Identity Cards
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to undertake a Data Protection Impact Assessment on the integration of the digital Veteran Card with GOV.UK One Login.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department has undertaken a full Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for the digital Veteran Card service, which has been signed off by the One Login Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Data Protection Officer (DPO). Further to this, the DPIA has been reviewed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Veterans: Identity Cards
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Data Protection Act 2018 and Article 5 of the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the safeguards to ensure that personal data gathered through the digital Veteran Card service is not shared across Government departments without the explicit consent of the veteran.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department has conducted a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) for the digital Veteran Card, approved by the One Login Senior Responsible Officer and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Data Protection Officer, in consultation with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). A Data Sharing Agreement governs processing between the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ensures that data is only used for its intended and agreed purpose.

Personal data is stored locally on the veteran’s mobile device and is only shared when the veteran actively chooses to present their digital card. There is no automatic cross-government data sharing. Veterans retain full control of their data and can delete their card at any time.

Veterans: Identity Cards
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department will assess the potential merits of allowing non-digital verification routes for veterans who do not wish to use GOV.UK One Login in order to obtain a digital Veteran Card.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Individuals must prove their identity through GOV.UK One Login if they would like a digital Veteran Card. They can do this by verifying their identity via the GOV.UK One Login app, web, or at the Post Office. There are currently no plans to introduce a fully non-digital verification route for obtaining a digital Veteran Card because this is designed to be a digital service. For those who do not wish to use or are unable to verify their identity with GOV.UK One Login, it remains possible to apply for a physical Veteran Card by completing a paper application form and submitting it by post.

Duchy of Cornwall: Housing
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of mechanisms for homeowners to seek recourse when land held by the Duchy of Cornwall reverts to Duchy ownership following the insolvency of housing developers.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Homeowners will have such rights of recourse against insolvent corporate developers as exist under the corporate insolvency regime. The Duchy’s policy is to give an appropriate person or body the opportunity to purchase the property formerly owned by insolvent housing developers. Interested parties may also have the right to apply to Court for a vesting order under a variety of routes (the Trustee Act, Law of Property Act or Companies Act for example).

For communal or shared land, the Duchy co-operates to see the land is disposed of to interested parties directly or via a vesting order.

Duchy of Cornwall: Housing
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to improve transparency for homeowners on the terms under which (a) communal and (b) shared land may revert to the Duchy of Cornwall in the event of developers' insolvency.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Homeowners will have such rights of recourse against insolvent corporate developers as exist under the corporate insolvency regime. The Duchy’s policy is to give an appropriate person or body the opportunity to purchase the property formerly owned by insolvent housing developers. Interested parties may also have the right to apply to Court for a vesting order under a variety of routes (the Trustee Act, Law of Property Act or Companies Act for example).

For communal or shared land, the Duchy co-operates to see the land is disposed of to interested parties directly or via a vesting order.

Crown Court
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Crown Courts in each of the six circuits in England and Wales are not used for five days per week.

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

The Ministry of Justice publish quarterly data concerning the open caseload at the Crown Court by geographic breakdown including region and individual courthouse. That data can be found in the ‘Receipts, disposals and open cases in the Crown Court’ tool which is available at the following link: Criminal court statistics quarterly: April to June 2025 - GOV.UK. Quarterly caseload data is published at the end of the following quarter, following a process of data validation and analysis. Therefore, the data for July – September will be published at the end of December, and data for November (as requested) will be published at the end of March 2026.

While over two-thirds of trials currently listed in the Crown Court have hearing dates set within the coming 12 months, a relatively small proportion have allocated dates further out. This can be for many reasons, but is always allocated under independent judicial direction and supervision. The furthest future trial dates by Region are set out as follows:

  • London: December 2029
  • Midlands: August 2028
  • North East: August 2028
  • North West: August 2028
  • South East: April 2029
  • South West: May 2028
  • Wales: February 2027

To improve timeliness in the courts and bring swifter justice for victims, the previous Lord Chancellor asked Sir Brian Leveson to chair an Independent Review of Criminal Courts, to propose once-in-a-generation reform. The first part of the Review has now been published. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response.

The information requested around courtroom usage could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Crown Court operates from 84 buildings across England and Wales, with a core estate of over 500 courtrooms. Most are jury-enabled and suitable for trials, with the remainder supporting other judicial work, such as interlocutory hearings. The wider HMCTS estate — including magistrates’, civil, family, and tribunal rooms — can also be used for Crown Court business when required. As a result, the precise number of rooms available for Crown Court use at any given time is variable.

HMCTS’s priority is to ensure all funded sitting days are fully utilised each financial year through active courtroom management. Estate capacity is not a limiting factor: last year, we sat 107,771, representing over 99% of our allocation, and we remain on track to deliver all allocated days this year.

Temporary unavailability may arise due to maintenance, but also due to overspill from other trials, alternative judicial activities (such as, box work, civil, family and tribunals hearings, or coroner’s court work), or other legitimate uses (including meetings and video-link sessions). However, these factors do not prevent the Crown Courts from sitting at their funded allocation.

Crown Court
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases were waiting to be heard in Crown Courts in each circuit in England and Wales on 11 November 2025.

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

The Ministry of Justice publish quarterly data concerning the open caseload at the Crown Court by geographic breakdown including region and individual courthouse. That data can be found in the ‘Receipts, disposals and open cases in the Crown Court’ tool which is available at the following link: Criminal court statistics quarterly: April to June 2025 - GOV.UK. Quarterly caseload data is published at the end of the following quarter, following a process of data validation and analysis. Therefore, the data for July – September will be published at the end of December, and data for November (as requested) will be published at the end of March 2026.

While over two-thirds of trials currently listed in the Crown Court have hearing dates set within the coming 12 months, a relatively small proportion have allocated dates further out. This can be for many reasons, but is always allocated under independent judicial direction and supervision. The furthest future trial dates by Region are set out as follows:

  • London: December 2029
  • Midlands: August 2028
  • North East: August 2028
  • North West: August 2028
  • South East: April 2029
  • South West: May 2028
  • Wales: February 2027

To improve timeliness in the courts and bring swifter justice for victims, the previous Lord Chancellor asked Sir Brian Leveson to chair an Independent Review of Criminal Courts, to propose once-in-a-generation reform. The first part of the Review has now been published. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response.

The information requested around courtroom usage could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Crown Court operates from 84 buildings across England and Wales, with a core estate of over 500 courtrooms. Most are jury-enabled and suitable for trials, with the remainder supporting other judicial work, such as interlocutory hearings. The wider HMCTS estate — including magistrates’, civil, family, and tribunal rooms — can also be used for Crown Court business when required. As a result, the precise number of rooms available for Crown Court use at any given time is variable.

HMCTS’s priority is to ensure all funded sitting days are fully utilised each financial year through active courtroom management. Estate capacity is not a limiting factor: last year, we sat 107,771, representing over 99% of our allocation, and we remain on track to deliver all allocated days this year.

Temporary unavailability may arise due to maintenance, but also due to overspill from other trials, alternative judicial activities (such as, box work, civil, family and tribunals hearings, or coroner’s court work), or other legitimate uses (including meetings and video-link sessions). However, these factors do not prevent the Crown Courts from sitting at their funded allocation.

Crown Court: Trials
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Wednesday 19th November 2025

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how far in advance Crown Court trial dates are being set for each of the six circuits in England and Wales.

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

The Ministry of Justice publish quarterly data concerning the open caseload at the Crown Court by geographic breakdown including region and individual courthouse. That data can be found in the ‘Receipts, disposals and open cases in the Crown Court’ tool which is available at the following link: Criminal court statistics quarterly: April to June 2025 - GOV.UK. Quarterly caseload data is published at the end of the following quarter, following a process of data validation and analysis. Therefore, the data for July – September will be published at the end of December, and data for November (as requested) will be published at the end of March 2026.

While over two-thirds of trials currently listed in the Crown Court have hearing dates set within the coming 12 months, a relatively small proportion have allocated dates further out. This can be for many reasons, but is always allocated under independent judicial direction and supervision. The furthest future trial dates by Region are set out as follows:

  • London: December 2029
  • Midlands: August 2028
  • North East: August 2028
  • North West: August 2028
  • South East: April 2029
  • South West: May 2028
  • Wales: February 2027

To improve timeliness in the courts and bring swifter justice for victims, the previous Lord Chancellor asked Sir Brian Leveson to chair an Independent Review of Criminal Courts, to propose once-in-a-generation reform. The first part of the Review has now been published. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response.

The information requested around courtroom usage could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Crown Court operates from 84 buildings across England and Wales, with a core estate of over 500 courtrooms. Most are jury-enabled and suitable for trials, with the remainder supporting other judicial work, such as interlocutory hearings. The wider HMCTS estate — including magistrates’, civil, family, and tribunal rooms — can also be used for Crown Court business when required. As a result, the precise number of rooms available for Crown Court use at any given time is variable.

HMCTS’s priority is to ensure all funded sitting days are fully utilised each financial year through active courtroom management. Estate capacity is not a limiting factor: last year, we sat 107,771, representing over 99% of our allocation, and we remain on track to deliver all allocated days this year.

Temporary unavailability may arise due to maintenance, but also due to overspill from other trials, alternative judicial activities (such as, box work, civil, family and tribunals hearings, or coroner’s court work), or other legitimate uses (including meetings and video-link sessions). However, these factors do not prevent the Crown Courts from sitting at their funded allocation.

Housing: Cornwall
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Friday 21st November 2025

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will hold discussions with representatives of the legal sector in Cornwall on the consultation entitled Home buying and selling reform, published on 20 October 2025.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 6 October 2025, the government published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here.

Officials in my Department are actively engaging with stakeholders as part of the consultation process, and they would welcome discussions with representatives of the legal sector in Cornwall.

Housing: Databases
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Friday 21st November 2025

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed introduction of (a) digital property logbooks and (b) open property data on (i) cyber-security and (ii) fraud.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 6 October 2025, the government published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here.

We recognise that robust security and privacy standards will be essential in an increasingly digitalised market. Subject to the outcome of the consultations, we will work with industry to establish and maintain security protocols and approval criteria for providers.



Early Day Motions Signed
Thursday 23rd October
Ben Maguire signed this EDM on Friday 5th December 2025

Warm Homes Plan

37 signatures (Most recent: 5 Dec 2025)
Tabled by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
That this House is deeply disappointed by the Government’s decision to delay the publication of the Warm Homes Plan; understands this means vulnerable households were been left without the anticipated support to upgrade homes and cut energy bills in winter 2024-25 and now again, for winter 2025-26; notes that the …
Tuesday 2nd December
Ben Maguire signed this EDM on Wednesday 3rd December 2025

Tenth anniversary of Storm Desmond

18 signatures (Most recent: 4 Dec 2025)
Tabled by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
That this House recognises the tenth anniversary of Storm Desmond and remembers the severe impact that it had on communities across Cumbria, which experienced unprecedented rainfall, extensive flooding, widespread disruption and significant damage to homes, businesses, farms and critical infrastructure; understands that many residents, emergency services, voluntary groups and local …
Monday 27th October
Ben Maguire signed this EDM on Monday 1st December 2025

Buying community energy locally

87 signatures (Most recent: 4 Dec 2025)
Tabled by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
That this House recognises the many social, economic and environmental benefits that community energy schemes create; notes that the number of such schemes would grow greatly if they were enabled to sell their clean power directly to households and businesses in their communities; welcomes the Minister for Energy Security and …
Monday 24th November
Ben Maguire signed this EDM on Tuesday 25th November 2025

Gambling executives' profits

31 signatures (Most recent: 1 Dec 2025)
Tabled by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
That this House notes with deep concern the scale of personal wealth being accumulated by senior executives and owners of the UK’s gambling industry, including an individual annual pay award exceeding £150 million at a time when millions of families are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis; recognises that the profits …
Monday 24th November
Ben Maguire signed this EDM on Monday 24th November 2025

Fly-tipping and illegal waste dumping by criminal gangs

40 signatures (Most recent: 1 Dec 2025)
Tabled by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
That this House expresses deep concern at the growing scale of industrial fly-tipping by criminal gangs; regrets that the Environment Agency is not equipped to deal with illegal dump sites or tackle the work and impact of organised criminal gangs illegally dumping huge quantities of waste; is deeply concerned that …
Friday 4th October
Ben Maguire signed this EDM on Monday 24th November 2025

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

65 signatures (Most recent: 24 Nov 2025)
Tabled by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
That this House applauds the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, enshrining in law the ability of animals to experience joy and feel suffering and pain; notes the science-based campaign For Life On Earth, with its Beagle Ambassador, rescued laboratory dog Betsy; is shocked to see the continuing harrowing exposés that …
Wednesday 12th November
Ben Maguire signed this EDM on Friday 21st November 2025

Cumulative disruption proposals and the right to protest

92 signatures (Most recent: 3 Dec 2025)
Tabled by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
That this House expresses deep alarm at recent proposals to require senior police officers to take into account any so-called cumulative disruption caused by past or planned future protests when considering whether to impose conditions on protests; notes these powers represent a significant expansion of state authority to ration the …



Ben Maguire - Select Committee Information

Calendar
Monday 1st December 2025 1 p.m.
Home Affairs Committee - Oral evidence
Subject: Football Policing
At 1:30pm: Oral evidence
Lord Mann, Independent Adviser on Antisemitism
At 2:30pm: Oral evidence
Craig Guildford - Chief Constable at West Midlands Police
Mike O’Hara - Assistant Chief Constable at West Midlands Police
Simon Foster - Police and Crime Commissioner at West Midlands Police
At 3:30pm: Oral evidence
Sarah Jones MP - Minister of State for Policing and Crime Prevention at Home Office
Richard Clarke - Director General, Public Safety Group at Home Office
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Tuesday 25th November 2025 2 p.m.
Home Affairs Committee - Oral evidence
Subject: Combatting New Forms of Extremism
At 2:30pm: Oral evidence
Dr Jane Horton - Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, School of Law and Social Justice at University of Liverpool
Leo Ratledge - Co-Director at Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
At 3:30pm: Oral evidence
Kenny Bowie - Director for Strategy and MPS Oversight at Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime
Councillor Sara Conway - Councillor at Joint Chair of the Local Government Association’s Special Interest Group on Countering Extremism
Professor John Denham - Professor at University of Southampton and member of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law's Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice
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Tuesday 9th December 2025 2 p.m.
Home Affairs Committee - Private Meeting
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Select Committee Documents
Tuesday 11th November 2025
Oral Evidence - Home Office, Home Office, and Home Office

Home Affairs Committee
Tuesday 18th November 2025
Written Evidence - Dr Allysa Czerwinsky, Research Fellow in AI Trust and Security, University of Manchester
COM0049 - Combatting New Forms of Extremism

Combatting New Forms of Extremism - Home Affairs Committee
Tuesday 18th November 2025
Written Evidence - Dr Ashley A. Mattheis, Lecturer of Digital Media and Culture at The University of Manchester
COM0050 - Combatting New Forms of Extremism

Combatting New Forms of Extremism - Home Affairs Committee
Tuesday 18th November 2025
Written Evidence - The Runnymede Trust
HAR3321 - Harnessing the potential of new digital forms of identification

Harnessing the potential of new digital forms of identification - Home Affairs Committee
Tuesday 18th November 2025
Correspondence - Letter from the Minister for Policing and Crime relating to Police Governance Reform 13.11.2025

Home Affairs Committee
Wednesday 19th November 2025
Correspondence - Letter to the Permanent Secretary relating to the oral evidence session on 11 November 18.11.2025

Home Affairs Committee
Tuesday 18th November 2025
Oral Evidence - techUK, Tony Blair Institute, London School of Economics, Open Rights Group, Big Brother Watch, and Liberty

Harnessing the potential of new digital forms of identification - Home Affairs Committee
Monday 24th November 2025
Correspondence - Letter from the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner relating to the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League fixture 20.11.2025

Home Affairs Committee
Monday 24th November 2025
Correspondence - Letter from the Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police relating to the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League fixture 21.11.2025

Home Affairs Committee
Tuesday 25th November 2025
Correspondence - Letter from the Minister of State for Policing and Crime relating to the Independent review into public order and hate crime legislation 14.1.2025

Home Affairs Committee
Monday 1st December 2025
Correspondence - Letter from the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls relating to DBS Checks for Pedicabs and HCPs 27.11.2025

Home Affairs Committee
Monday 1st December 2025
Correspondence - Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls relating to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 27.11.2025

Home Affairs Committee
Monday 1st December 2025
Correspondence - Letter from the Minister of State for Policing and Crime relating to the use of animals in science 27.11.2025

Home Affairs Committee
Monday 1st December 2025
Oral Evidence - Lord Mann, Independent Adviser on Antisemitism, West Midlands Police, West Midlands Police, Simon Foster, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Home Office, and Home Office

Home Affairs Committee
Tuesday 25th November 2025
Oral Evidence - University of Liverpool, Child Rights International Network (CRIN), University of Southampton and member of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law’s Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law, Strategy and MPS Oversight, Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), and Local Government Association’s Special Interest Group on Countering Extremism

Combatting New Forms of Extremism - Home Affairs Committee