Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many transgender prisoners with convictions for (a) sexual and (b) violent offences are housed within the general female prison estate; and how many of those prisoners have been granted a Ministerial exemption to remain there in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
As of 1 December, there were no transgender women, including individuals with Gender Recognition Certificates, in the general women's prison estate with any convictions for sexual offences and five or fewer transgender women with convictions for violent offences. (Where statistics include a total of five or fewer, the exact figure is not given, for data protection reasons.)
The individuals with convictions for violent offences received Ministerial exemptions to be held in the general women's estate under the previous Government. No exemptions have been provided by this Government since it came into power.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any offenders currently detained in (a) separation and (b) close supervision centres are challenging their detention.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
There are no ongoing judicial review challenges made with regards to separation centres and no ongoing challenges that have reached the courts with regards to close supervision centres.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons Jonathan Hall KC’s review into Separation Centres has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish that review.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Government is carefully considering the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC and will publish his report in due course.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the proposed removal of the right to trial by jury for offences carrying a maximum sentence of less than three years will apply retrospectively to defendants who have already entered a plea of not guilty and elected for jury trial.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Ministers will introduce detailed proposals to Parliament as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to visit HMP Wandsworth.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Ministers regularly visit prisons across the country. Any plans to visit specific prisons will be notified to the relevant Members of Parliament in advance.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has spent on the construction of new Crown Court courtrooms with full jury facilities in the last year.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In the last full financial year (2024/25), the Department has spent £3,131,757 on property projects that include creating new jury enabled Crown courtrooms. Some of these courtrooms are flexible use and can be used for multiple purposes. This figure includes all property costs, such as design and development, as well as construction costs.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many murder, manslaughter and rape cases were dealt with in the Crown court in the past 12 months.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In the 12 months to June, there were 114,325 cases disposed of at the Crown Court for all offences, 3,615 for rape, 483 for murder and 49 for manslaughter – rape accounts for 3.0%, and murder and manslaughter combined make up less than 0.1% of all disposals at the Crown Court in the period.
This is a further breakdown of Crown Court workload statistics, Table C1, published in Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly here.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of Crown court cases are for murder, manslaughter and rape.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In the 12 months to June, there were 114,325 cases disposed of at the Crown Court for all offences, 3,615 for rape, 483 for murder and 49 for manslaughter – rape accounts for 3.0%, and murder and manslaughter combined make up less than 0.1% of all disposals at the Crown Court in the period.
This is a further breakdown of Crown Court workload statistics, Table C1, published in Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly here.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have absconded from or failed to return to open prisons in the past 12 months.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Open prisons play an important role in preparing individuals for safe resettlement into the community, and Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) is a key part of that process. We have robust risk assessments and monitoring in place to minimise absconds and failures to return. When a prisoner absconds, police are immediately notified, with the majority of absconders being recaptured and returned to custody.
Those who abscond face serious consequences, including being returned to closed prison conditions where they may serve up to two additional years on conviction. Prisoners subject to parole decisions will likely face longer before they are released.
Data on absconds and failures to return from release on temporary licence are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK. Information on these for open prisons specifically can be generated through the ‘Escapes Data Tool’. Data for April 2025 onwards will form part of a future publication.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Sahayb Abu v Secretary of State for Justice [2025] EWHC 3026 (Admin), how much his Department has paid Mr Denny De SIlva in (a) damages, (b) other compensation, (c) ex gratia or out-of-court payments and (d) legal costs.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
I refer the Right Hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 17 November to Question 89422.