Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to facilitate a visit for Rt hon. and hon. Members of the Official Opposition to (a) HMP Long Lartin, (b) HMP Belmarsh, (c) HMP Manchester and (d) HMP Wandsworth; and when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 11 June 2025 from the Rt hon. Member for Newark.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The correspondence of 11 June will be responded to in due course.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what meetings ministers in her Department have had with their counterparts in (a) Albania, (b) Poland, (c) Romania, (d) Jamaica, (e) Lithuania, (f) Bulgaria and (g) Vietnam on the removal of foreign national offenders since 17 July 2024.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Increasing the numbers of foreign national offender returns from our prisons is a priority for this Government.
We are working with international partners wherever possible to help achieve this.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what meetings ministers have had with their counterparts in (a) Albania, (b) Poland, (c) Romania, (d) Jamaica, (e) Lithuania, (f) Bulgaria and (g) Vietnam on the removal of foreign national offenders since 17 July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Removing foreign national offenders to their countries of origin is a priority for this Government. We engage frequently with our international partners on the return of those with no right to be in the UK, both at ministerial and official level. In May, the Prime Minister announced an enhanced strategic partnership with Albania including cooperation on migration and justice issues. The Foreign Secretary discussed prisoner transfer and wider criminal justice cooperation with Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski on 19 December 2024. In Romania, Bulgaria, and Lithuania we have strong cooperation across law and justice issues. For example, our Ambassador to Bulgaria discussed Foreign National Offenders with Bulgarian Interior Minister Mitov in June this year. The Foreign Secretary discussed migration cooperation with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister on 11 July 2025.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been charged for assisting unlawful immigration under s25 Immigration Act 1971 in each month since July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
In general, charging decisions are made by the Crown Prosecution Service based on the circumstances of each case, and the likelihood of obtaining a conviction for the offence in question. In the twelve months from July 2024 to June 2025 153 individuals were charged with Section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been charged for knowingly assisting asylum seekers to enter the UK under s25A Immigration Act 1971 in each month since July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
In general, charging decisions are made by the Crown Prosecution Service based on the circumstances of each case, and the likelihood of obtaining a conviction for the offence in question. In the twelve months from July 2024 to June 2025 153 individuals were charged with Section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been charged for immigration offences in each month since July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
In general, charging decisions are made by the Crown Prosecution Service based on the circumstances of each case, and the likelihood of obtaining a conviction for the offence in question. In the twelve months from July 2024 to June 2025 446 individuals were charged with offences under the Immigration Act 1971, the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 and Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc Act) 2004.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
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.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
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.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings Ministers in her Department have had with their counterparts in (a) Albania, (b) Poland, (c) Romania, (d) Jamaica, (e) Lithuania, (f) Bulgaria and (g) Vietnam on the removal of foreign national offenders since July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to the removal of foreign criminals and those with no right to be in the UK. We have strong returns cooperation with countries across the globe and continuing to build on this cooperation is at the heart of our diplomatic engagement.
From 5 July 2024 to 4 July 2025, the Government has ensured the removal of 5,179 foreign national offenders, 14 percent more than the same period twelve months before, and almost a third up on the total for 2023, when the Rt Hon Gentleman was the minister responsible.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
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.