Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made on reducing the number of prisoners on remand through the use of electronic tags.

We continue to work closely with partners across the criminal justice system to inform them of the availability and capability of electronic monitoring conditions for court bail as an alternative to remand in custody.

In August 2023, we published a new Electronic Monitoring Court Bail Protocol to support effective and efficient practice and to improve the confidence of criminal justice system stakeholders in using electronic monitoring. In March 2024, we distributed posters to be displayed in all magistrates’ and Crown Courts in England and Wales highlighting how electronically monitored conditions and technologies can be used flexibly in response to specific risks. In addition, we are investing £53 million over four years from April 2024 to expand the Bail Information Service to all courts and prisons to support timely decisions on remand including the use of electronic monitoring where appropriate.

Data relating to the progress made on reducing the number of prisoners on remand through the use of electronic tags is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice.