Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making support for parents in prisons a Key Performance Indicator.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Decisions on changes to prison key performance indicators, including whether to introduce new or more explicit measures focused on support for parents in prison, must balance the benefits of clearer accountability with the need to ensure performance frameworks remain proportionate, measurable and focused on outcomes.
Any proposed changes are considered alongside inspection evidence and operational priorities.
Families provision in prisons is currently monitored by the family ties performance measure. The Department will continue to consider how best to reflect the role of family and parental support in prison performance measures as we develop the prison performance framework.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to respond to the Ipsos MORI research project on the retributive benefit of prison before summer recess 2026.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Department is working to start an academic Peer Review of the Ipsos Mori Retribution survey ahead of publication to ensure it is analytically robust and the results are interpreted correctly. The process will begin in Summer this year.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether representatives of prison officers were consulted over the (a) design, and (b) procurement of new protective body armour.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to equipping up to 10,000 staff with protective body armour by March 2027. Work is continuing to support delivery against this commitment, ensuring it is implemented in a controlled and proportionate manner, with appropriate governance and oversight in place.
Both the Prison Officers Association and the Prison Governors Association were consulted in the initial stages about all aspects of the protective body armour project, including in relation to the product selection. Monthly engagement takes place with both unions to enable ongoing consultation.
HMPPS engages in quarterly discussions with recognised trade unions. These meetings form part of HMPPS’s formal engagement and allow unions to raise concerns on safety matters.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many bids were accepted for the contract to provide up to 10,000 sets of protective body armour for prison officers; and whether any provider of new sets of protective body armour for prison officers has previously provided similar equipment for use by police officers.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice has awarded a contract to Safariland UK LTD for 6,250 sets of Body Armour for Prison Officers. The Ministry of Justice received two bids from suppliers and accepted one.
This contract was tendered via a Bluelight Commercial Framework. This initial opportunity for this Framework was published by BlueLight Commercial on 8 July 2022 [Provision of General Patrol and Firearms Body Armour - Find a Tender] and then awarded on 16 March 2023 [Provision of General Patrol and Firearms Body Armour - Find a Tender]. The Ministry of Justice, following Cabinet Office guidelines to utilise frameworks where appropriate, conducted a further competition via this framework and subsequently published the award on 22 January 2026 [Supply of Protective Body Armour - Find a Tender].
The Bluelight Framework at the initial opportunity was available for all the market to bid for, so therefore open. The Ministry of Justice has followed all the guidelines and published notices in accordance with the regulations. The process was effective as Frameworks offer the shortest route to contract award and in line with Cabinet Office policy.
The requirements of the body armour for prison officers are ballistic, knife and spike and the product sourced meets the Home Office Standard [Body armour standard 2017: [CAST Publication number: 012/17 Body armour standard 2017 - GOV.UK]. The Home Office standard is frequently used by other Government agencies, so in that respect the Police will have similar body armour. For example, Safariland UK Ltd has supplied various Police forces and the Ministry of Defence Police with body armour that meets the Home Office Standard.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that the process of procuring up to 10,000 sets of protective body armour for prison officers is (a) open, (b) transparent, and (c) effective.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice has awarded a contract to Safariland UK LTD for 6,250 sets of Body Armour for Prison Officers. The Ministry of Justice received two bids from suppliers and accepted one.
This contract was tendered via a Bluelight Commercial Framework. This initial opportunity for this Framework was published by BlueLight Commercial on 8 July 2022 [Provision of General Patrol and Firearms Body Armour - Find a Tender] and then awarded on 16 March 2023 [Provision of General Patrol and Firearms Body Armour - Find a Tender]. The Ministry of Justice, following Cabinet Office guidelines to utilise frameworks where appropriate, conducted a further competition via this framework and subsequently published the award on 22 January 2026 [Supply of Protective Body Armour - Find a Tender].
The Bluelight Framework at the initial opportunity was available for all the market to bid for, so therefore open. The Ministry of Justice has followed all the guidelines and published notices in accordance with the regulations. The process was effective as Frameworks offer the shortest route to contract award and in line with Cabinet Office policy.
The requirements of the body armour for prison officers are ballistic, knife and spike and the product sourced meets the Home Office Standard [Body armour standard 2017: [CAST Publication number: 012/17 Body armour standard 2017 - GOV.UK]. The Home Office standard is frequently used by other Government agencies, so in that respect the Police will have similar body armour. For example, Safariland UK Ltd has supplied various Police forces and the Ministry of Defence Police with body armour that meets the Home Office Standard.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the tender for providing up to 10,000 sets of protective body armour for prison officers was made public, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice has awarded a contract to Safariland UK LTD for 6,250 sets of Body Armour for Prison Officers. The Ministry of Justice received two bids from suppliers and accepted one.
This contract was tendered via a Bluelight Commercial Framework. This initial opportunity for this Framework was published by BlueLight Commercial on 8 July 2022 [Provision of General Patrol and Firearms Body Armour - Find a Tender] and then awarded on 16 March 2023 [Provision of General Patrol and Firearms Body Armour - Find a Tender]. The Ministry of Justice, following Cabinet Office guidelines to utilise frameworks where appropriate, conducted a further competition via this framework and subsequently published the award on 22 January 2026 [Supply of Protective Body Armour - Find a Tender].
The Bluelight Framework at the initial opportunity was available for all the market to bid for, so therefore open. The Ministry of Justice has followed all the guidelines and published notices in accordance with the regulations. The process was effective as Frameworks offer the shortest route to contract award and in line with Cabinet Office policy.
The requirements of the body armour for prison officers are ballistic, knife and spike and the product sourced meets the Home Office Standard [Body armour standard 2017: [CAST Publication number: 012/17 Body armour standard 2017 - GOV.UK]. The Home Office standard is frequently used by other Government agencies, so in that respect the Police will have similar body armour. For example, Safariland UK Ltd has supplied various Police forces and the Ministry of Defence Police with body armour that meets the Home Office Standard.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is responsible for reforming the regulation of funeral directors.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Department of Health and Social Care will lead on co-ordinating cross‑government work to raise standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his department plans to recognise independent celebrants as part of marriage law reform.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the contribution that independent celebrants make to the wedding industry. We have been seeking their views, together with a range of others, in order to inform the development of a consultation. We will invite views as to allowing independent officiants to carry out legally binding weddings and the potential consequences of this as part of the consultation
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to conduct a public consultation on wedding reform.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Yes, we will be consulting on the reform of weddings law in England and Wales.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the new Deputy Prime Minister will have an office in 70 Whitehall office; how many staff he will have; and whether he plans to create an Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Answered by David Lammy - Deputy Prime Minister
The Deputy Prime Minister has an office in Dover House. He is supported by an Office of Deputy Prime Minister which coordinates work across Departments and supports the delivery of the Deputy Prime Minister’s priorities.