Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department collects data on document handling errors or lost filings in County Court civil cases.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The information requested is not held centrally. The terms “document handling errors” and “lost filings” are broad and may encompass a wide range of issues, making it difficult to provide a specific or reliable answer. HMCTS is reducing the risk of administrative errors in civil claims through work to digitalise processes.
The Deputy Prime Minister has announced further modernisation of civil justice with £50 million investment to continue digitalising the County Court.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of defendants changing a plea from not guilty to guilty at a late stage in proceedings on victims of offences of controlling or coercive behaviour under the Serious Crime Act 2015; whether he has assessed the extent to which current sentencing arrangements might incentivise late changes of plea; and whether he plans to review sentencing guidance on reductions for late guilty pleas in such cases.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
We recognise that guilty pleas made earlier in the process can save victims and witnesses from the concern of having to give evidence, particularly in cases involving controlling or coercive behaviour or domestic abuse. Even if an offender pleads later in the process, this can still save victims from giving potentially traumatic evidence, but the later plea is reflected by a lower reduction in the sentence, as set out in guidelines produced by the Sentencing Council.
In Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of Criminal Courts, he made a number of recommendations relating to early guilty pleas, including a recommendation to increase the maximum reduction in sentence for a guilty plea from 33% to 40% with the aim of increasing the number of defendants pleading earlier in the process. We will set out our full response to Sir Brian’s remaining recommendations, alongside Part 2 of his review, in due course.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will have discussions with his counterparts in the European Union on case number INFR(2021)2001 relating to Poland's obligations in relation to the Brussels IIa Regulation.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Government has no plans to discuss this infringement case with Ministers from EU countries. Officials in the Ministry of Justice and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have been in contact with officials in the European Commission, which issued the infringement notice. Ministers and officials continue to raise relevant international child abduction cases with the Polish authorities at every appropriate opportunity.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the quality and timeliness of services provided to victims of crime by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the 2012 Scheme) does not prescribe a time limit for applications to be decided.
Most applications are decided within 12 months. Each case must be considered on its own facts. In most cases, CICA requires information from third parties such as the police and medical authorities in order to decide a claim.
Some applications will by necessity take longer to decide. This could be where information is not available due to ongoing court proceedings, where CICA needs time to assess the long-term impact of complex injuries (e.g. brain injuries), or where there is an application for loss of earnings (which requires at least 28 weeks of loss).
CICA understands the importance of its role in giving recognition, redress and closure to its applicants. It works closely with a range of victims’ organisations including those that are members of its biannual Stakeholder Engagement Forum. This continues to provide valuable insights which help to inform how it can further improve its service.
On 4 August 2025 I visited CICA staff at their offices in Glasgow to see for myself and better understand the work that they do, both to process applications and to make future improvements to their service. I hope it will reassure you that throughout my visit, it was very clear to me that staff are committed to making the compensation application process as straightforward as possible and to minimise its potential for re-traumatisation of victims. Clear and sensitive communication is a clear priority. I was struck on my visit by the organisation’s clear dedication to supporting victims through their application journey.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department holds data on the outstanding caseload in the County Court in England and Wales.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
No data is held regarding outstanding caseloads in the County Court in England and Wales. Civil cases do not progress through the court system in a linear way. The vast majority of civil cases settle, are resolved by default judgment, or conclude outside of a final court hearing. Only about 3% of cases are disposed of at a final hearing. Given this, and the fact that civil claims are often driven by party behaviour, an outstanding caseload figure would not provide a fair or meaningful reflection of County Court demand or performance.
I can confirm County Court performance is improving, with the median time taken from claim issue to hearing falling for all tracks. The median time taken for small claims to go to trial was 36.1 weeks in October to December 2025, 6.4 weeks faster than the same period in 2024. The median time taken for fast/intermediate/multi track claims to go to trial was 9.3 weeks faster than the same period last year, at 57.4 weeks in the current quarter.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70519, on Public Inquiries, what has been the total public cost to date of the Andrew Malkinson Inquiry.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The total cost of the Malkinson Inquiry from its commencement in October 2023, up to the end of the financial year 2025/26 is £2.9 million.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of sentencing guidelines on hare coursing.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. There are currently no specific guidelines for hare coursing offences. However, in 2025 the Council consulted on a draft guideline for certain offences relating to hare coursing under the Night Poaching Act 1828, Game Act 1831 and Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Subject to approval from the Lady Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor, the Council plans to issue a final version of the guideline, for use by the courts, later this year.
Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary, taking into account the circumstances of the offence and the offender. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders. As well as imposing a sentence, sentencing courts may also impose ancillary orders on offenders, such as dog disqualification orders under section 66 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which aim to help prevent future re-offending.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to restore pre-Brexit entitlement to cross-border civil legal claims; and what assessment he has made of the level of cost and time of pursuing such claims following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The UK has ratified the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention, which entered into force for the UK on 1 July 2025. The EU is also party to this Convention, and UK participation has therefore significantly strengthened the UK-EU framework for the recognition and enforcement of cross-border civil claims. Being a Party to the Convention provides greater certainty for UK citizens and businesses and reduces costs and delays in relevant cross‑border disputes.
The Government remains committed to working with the EU and other international partners, including through the Hague Conference on Private International Law, as well as with the UK legal sector to deliver practical benefits for our citizens and businesses. We continue to promote the mutual benefits of closer cooperation in civil and commercial matters, as noted in the UK-EU Summit Common Understanding of May 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions the Deputy Prime Minister has had with the President of the Maldives since 1 January 2026.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Deputy Prime Minister has not held discussions with the President of the Maldives since 1 January 2026.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he met President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria during his visit to the UK on 31 March 2026.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Secretary of State for Justice did not meet President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria during his visit to the UK on 31 March 2026.