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.

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.

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.

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.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what the average daily office attendance rate was for Crown Prosecution Service staff in the most recent quarter for which figures are available.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain a central record of office attendance rates. Office attendance is monitored at a local level.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what dates he has officially visited HMP Chelmsford since his appointment; and whether he has met with the Governor to discuss the recent mistaken release.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Deputy Prime Minister met with the Governor of HMP Chelmsford on 24 October, the same day as the release in error of Hadush Kebatu. The Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending is planning to visit HMP Chelmsford in the coming months.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what dates he has officially visited HMP Wandsworth since his appointment; and whether he has met with the Governor to discuss the recent mistaken release.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending is planning to visit HMP Wandsworth in the coming weeks.

Found: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Gov ernment (2018 to 2021) and The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick