Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total annual cost of administering the Community Payback scheme was in each of the last five years; and what the average cost per (a) sentence and (b) completed hour of unpaid work was in each of those years.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Financial Year | Total Community Payback Unpaid Work Spend (£) |
2021/22 | £47,340,492 |
2022/23 | £77,175,893 |
2023/24 | £89,614,915 |
2024/25 | £96,014,945 |
In terms of what the total cost covers, it is things such as staffing costs, fleet (vans) and tools.
We do not hold information on average cost per sentence in the format requested.
The average cost per hour of Unpaid Work credited was £17.15 (2022/23), £19.14 (2023/24) and £21.24 (2024/25). Data are not provided for the performance year 2021/22 as this is only a partial year of data following the reunification of the Probation Service.
The average cost per hour credited is calculated by dividing the total spend by the number of hours credited in each year.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of face-to-face civil legal aid provision for the residents of Norwich South constituency; when the provision was last reviewed; and what steps his Department is taking to improve local access to justice.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Legal aid is a vital part of the justice system and underpins our plans to build a justice system that works fairly for all parties.
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) continuously assesses the available supply of legal aid services throughout England and Wales across all categories of law. Details about volumes of contracted legal aid providers are published in the LAA’s official statistics (Tables 9.1–9.9). These figures help the LAA monitor the availability of services. Additionally, the LAA’s network of regional contract managers in England and Wales provide intelligence-led information regarding provision of legal aid based on contact with legal aid service providers. The LAA takes operational action, where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise.
For civil contracts, the LAA commissions legal aid services across larger geographic areas called procurement areas, rather than by local authority or parliamentary constituency. The relevant procurement area serving the Norwich South constituency varies depending on the type of civil law.
Constituents in Norwich South can access face to face services across all civil categories of law for which legal aid is available. All procurement areas serving Norwich South exceed the minimum required number of legal aid providers. The LAA is satisfied there is adequate provision of legal aid services in Norwich South.
We are committed to sustaining the long-term future of the legal aid sector and ensuring access to justice. That is why we are uplifting immigration and housing legal aid fees, areas identified by the Review of Civil Legal Aid as facing particularly acute challenges. This is a significant investment of £20 million a year once fully implemented – the first major increase since 1996.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has received reports regarding the treatment of disabled or seriously ill prisoners in Montserrat.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Secretary of State does not routinely receive formal reports specifically on the treatment of disabled or seriously ill prisoners in Overseas Territory prisons. However, he would be informed in cases where a prisoner is transferred to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
Ministry of Justice officials have visited HMP Brades, the prison in Montserrat, on several occasions over the past five years to review prison operations, including healthcare provision. This has helped inform the overall management of the establishment by the Superintendent and Governor.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to designate a national body with statutory responsibility for ensuring the adequate provision of nationwide burial sites; and what steps he is taking to ensure there are an adequate number of burial sites in the absence of such a body.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government does not have day-to-day operational responsibility for burial grounds, which are managed locally. There is no statutory duty on local authorities to make provision for burial, and it is a matter for each authority to allocate local resources in line with local priorities.
The Law Commission’s final report on its review of burial and cremation law was published on 18 March 2026. The report makes a number of recommendations on a future legislative framework for burial but does not propose the creation of a national body to oversee burial provision.
The Government will consider the Law Commission’s recommendations carefully and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of victim support services for women in Great Yarmouth, including access to crisis accommodation, counselling, and legal advice, and whether any additional funding has been provided.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date. We will be increasing funding for victim support services year on year, from 2026 to 2029, recognising the need to meet the rising cost pressures of delivery.
In addition, £6 million will be invested over the next two years to deliver free, independent legal advice for victims and survivors of adult rape across England and Wales, to help them understand their legal rights.
The Ministry of Justice provides all Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales with core grant funding to commission support services, such as counselling, for victims of all crime types. In addition, they receive ring-fenced funding for domestic and sexual abuse services. PCCs are best placed to understand their local communities, and to commission appropriate support to meet the needs of victims in their area.
The Department’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) provide grants to over 60 specialist organisations. Funded activities provide holistic, trauma-informed support to victims within the Norfolk area.
Under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, Tier 1 local authorities in England are required to assess local need for, and commission, support for victims of domestic abuse and their children within relevant safe accommodation, for example, refuges. To support delivery of the duty, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has provided £499 million to local authorities over the next three years.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to provide compensation or redress to applicants affected by long delays in the processing of probate applications.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises that probate applications are made at a difficult and emotional time for bereaved families and it is important that the service is delivered as efficiently as possible.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has significantly improved processing times, with most applications now processed within published service standards. While some cases take longer, this is often due to the complexity of the estate or where further information is required from personal representatives.
There are no current plans to introduce a general compensation scheme for delays. HMCTS keeps performance continually under review and has an established complaints process to consider any concerns on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the (a) financial and (b) emotional impact of probate delays on bereaved families.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises that probate applications are made at a difficult and emotional time for bereaved families and it is important that the service is delivered as efficiently as possible.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has significantly improved processing times, with most applications now processed within published service standards. While some cases take longer, this is often due to the complexity of the estate or where further information is required from personal representatives.
There are no current plans to introduce a general compensation scheme for delays. HMCTS keeps performance continually under review and has an established complaints process to consider any concerns on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 101253, in which categories of private‑law children cases Cafcass or the family courts apply a domestic‑abuse‑first assessment as the initial step in their safeguarding or case‑analysis process; and what other circumstances automatically trigger domestic‑abuse screening as the primary explanatory framework.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Practice Direction 12J (PD12J) sets out what the court should do in any case in which domestic abuse is alleged or admitted or there is other reason to believe that a child or party has experienced abuse perpetrated by another party or that there is a risk of such abuse.
Cafcass’ Domestic Abuse Practice Policy sets out the actions that Cafcass practitioners and managers must undertake when working with children and adults who have or may have experienced domestic abuse and for whom, therefore, the requirements and definitions of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and its accompanying statutory guidance apply. It is informed by Practice Direction 12J and by our understanding of the impact of domestic abuse and harmful parenting on a child and the child’s primary and protective carers. The protection of children from harm or further harm is the central and fundamental purpose of this policy.
Cafcass’ Domestic Abuse Practice Pathway and Guidance supports practitioners in applying a structured, sensitive approach to assessing domestic abuse in Family Court proceedings. It reflects the statutory responsibilities outlined in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and is aligned with the Cafcass Domestic Abuse Practice Policy (2025) and Practice Quality Standards.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department will publish the full list of case types, behavioural indicators, or presenting circumstances in which Cafcass or the family courts are instructed to prioritise domestic‑abuse considerations as the initial step in their assessment; and to specify the statutory or policy basis for each such trigger.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Practice Direction 12J (PD12J) sets out what the court should do in any case in which domestic abuse is alleged or admitted or there is other reason to believe that a child or party has experienced abuse perpetrated by another party or that there is a risk of such abuse.
Cafcass’ Domestic Abuse Practice Policy sets out the actions that Cafcass practitioners and managers must undertake when working with children and adults who have or may have experienced domestic abuse and for whom, therefore, the requirements and definitions of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and its accompanying statutory guidance apply. It is informed by Practice Direction 12J and by our understanding of the impact of domestic abuse and harmful parenting on a child and the child’s primary and protective carers. The protection of children from harm or further harm is the central and fundamental purpose of this policy.
Cafcass’ Domestic Abuse Practice Pathway and Guidance supports practitioners in applying a structured, sensitive approach to assessing domestic abuse in Family Court proceedings. It reflects the statutory responsibilities outlined in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and is aligned with the Cafcass Domestic Abuse Practice Policy (2025) and Practice Quality Standards.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the current average processing time is for probate applications; and how that compares to each of the last five years.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice publish regular data on probate timeliness and open caseload in our quarterly family court statistics bulletin: Family Court Statistics Quarterly - GOV.UK.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service has invested in more staff in 2026, alongside system, process improvements and a programme of upskilling to improve the processing time for applications and maintain the low level of outstanding caseload.