Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. We work to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

David Lammy
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Justice)

Conservative
Robert Jenrick (Con - Newark)
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

Green Party
Siân Berry (Green - Brighton Pavilion)
Green Spokesperson (Justice)

Liberal Democrat
Jess Brown-Fuller (LD - Chichester)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Lord Keen of Elie (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Justice)
Kieran Mullan (Con - Bexhill and Battle)
Shadow Minister (Justice)
Ministers of State
Lord Timpson (Lab - Life peer)
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Sarah Sackman (Lab - Finchley and Golders Green)
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Alex Davies-Jones (Lab - Pontypridd)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jake Richards (Lab - Rother Valley)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Baroness Levitt (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Tuesday 25th November 2025
Select Committee Inquiry
Tuesday 28th October 2025
Written Answers
Tuesday 25th November 2025
Prison Officers: Migrant Workers
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prison officers in England and Wales hold work visas which are due to …
Secondary Legislation
Thursday 20th November 2025
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2025
This Order amends the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (“the 1975 Order”).
Bills
Tuesday 16th September 2025
Public Office (Accountability) Bill 2024-26
A Bill to Impose a duty on public authorities and public officials to act with candour, transparency and frankness; to …
Dept. Publications
Tuesday 25th November 2025
09:00

Ministry of Justice Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Nov. 11
Oral Questions
Nov. 12
Written Statements
Nov. 24
Adjournment Debate
View All Ministry of Justice Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Ministry of Justice does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Introduced: 1st April 2025

A Bill to Make provision about sentencing guidelines in relation to pre-sentence reports.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 19th June 2025 and was enacted into law.

Ministry of Justice - Secondary Legislation

The Sentencing Act 2020, as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, makes provision for special procedures to apply to community orders and suspended sentence orders in certain cases to be described in regulations. The Sentencing Act 2020 (Special Procedures for Community and Suspended Sentence Orders) Regulations 2023 (the “2023 Regulations”) and the Sentencing Act 2020 (Special Procedures for Community and Suspended Sentence Orders) Regulations 2024 (the “2024 Regulations”) describe certain such cases (“specified cases”).
This Order amends the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (“the 1975 Order”).
View All Ministry of Justice Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
Petition Open
1,584 Signatures
(274 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
62 Signatures
(40 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
4,868 Signatures
(35 in the last 7 days)
Petitions with most signatures
Petition Open
5,896 Signatures
(26 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
5,626 Signatures
(10 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
4,868 Signatures
(35 in the last 7 days)
Petition Debates Contributed

We call on the Government to urgently review the possible penalties for non-violent offences arising from social media posts, including the use of prison.

103,653
Petition Closed
4 May 2025
closed 6 months, 3 weeks ago

I am calling on the UK government to remove abortion from criminal law so that no pregnant person can be criminalised for procuring their own abortion.

View All Ministry of Justice Petitions

Departmental Select Committee

Justice Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Justice Committee
Andy Slaughter Portrait
Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Justice Committee Member since 11th September 2024
Neil Shastri-Hurst Portrait
Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Sarah Russell Portrait
Sarah Russell (Labour - Congleton)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Warinder Juss Portrait
Warinder Juss (Labour - Wolverhampton West)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Ashley Fox Portrait
Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Linsey Farnsworth Portrait
Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Pam Cox Portrait
Pam Cox (Labour - Colchester)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Tessa Munt Portrait
Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Justice Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Matt Bishop Portrait
Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Justice Committee Member since 17th March 2025
Tony Vaughan Portrait
Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Justice Committee Member since 27th October 2025
Vikki Slade Portrait
Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Justice Committee Member since 13th November 2025
Justice Committee: Previous Inquiries
Constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies The work of the Lord Chancellor Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on prison, probation and court systems Ageing prison population Joint Enterprise: Follow-Up Mesothelioma claims The work of the Lord Chief Justice The work of the Youth Justice Board Manorial rights The work of the Administrative Justice Forum Women offenders: follow-up session The work of the Secretary of State: one-off Work of the Court of Protection The work of the Judicial Appointments Commission The work of the Parole Board Impact of changes to civil legal aid under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 Prisons: planning and policies Scrutiny Hearing: Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints Older Prisoners: follow-up MOJ Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14 and related matters Criminal Cases Review Commission Follow up session on crime reduction policies and Transforming Rehabilitation Pre-appointment of new HM Chief Inspector of CPS Robbery Offences Guideline: Consultation Work of the Justice Committee during the 2010-2015 Parliament Health and safety offences, corporate manslaughter and food safety and hygiene offences guidelines consultation The work of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Work of HM Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service The work of the Attorney General Ministry of Justice report and accounts 2014-15 and related matters Work of Secretary of State for Justice Courts and tribunals fees and charges inquiry Young adult offenders inquiry Restorative justice inquiry Role of the magistracy inquiry Prison safety one-off evidence session Pre-appointment scrutiny Youth Justice Women Offenders Crown Dependencies: developments since 2010 Older prisoners Crime reduction policies: a co-ordinated approach? Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 EU Data Protection Framework Proposals Role of the Probation Service Court closures and other issues within the Minister's remit Operation of the Family Courts Access to Justice Draft Sentencing Guideline: Drug Offences and Burglary The Annual Report of the Sentencing Council Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council Ministry of Justice measures in the JHA block opt-out Prison reform inquiry Legal Services Regulation Criminal justice inspectorates and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Radicalisation in prisons and other prison matters Pre-appointment scrutiny of the Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission Law of homicide Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16 The Work of the Secretary of State Work of the Serious Fraud Office Children and young people in custody Disclosure of youth criminal records inquiry Implications of Brexit for the justice system inquiry Work of the Crown Prosecution Service HM Inspectorate of Prisons' relationship with the Ministry of Justice The Lord Chief Justice's report for 2015 Prison reform The work of the Law Commission The work of the sentencing council The Lord Chief Justice's report for 2017 inquiry The work of the Ministry of Justice Work of the Parole Board Young adults in the criminal justice system; and youth custodial estate Pre-legislative scrutiny: draft personal injury discount rate legislation inquiry Transforming Rehabilitation inquiry Prison Population 2022: planning for the future inquiry Employment tribunal fees Work of the Crown Prosecution Service Work of the Serious Fraud Office Work of the Victims' Commissioner Implications of Brexit for the Crown Dependencies inquiry Lord Chief Justice's report 2016 Government consultation on soft tissue injury claims Courts and tribunals fees follow-up Transforming Rehabilitation inquiry Pre-appointment hearing: Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints Personal injury: whiplash and the small claims limits inquiry Work of the Prison Service inquiry The work of the Lord Chancellor inquiry Work of the Victims' Commissioner inquiry Ageing prison population - inquiry Children and young people in custody - inquiry Prison governance inquiry HM Chief Inspector of Probation inquiry The work of the Solicitor General inquiry Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 inquiry Progress in the implementation of the Lammy Review's recommendations inquiry Pre-appointment hearing for HM Chief Inspector of Probation inquiry Court and Tribunal Reforms inquiry Work of the Attorney General inquiry Bailiffs: Enforcement of debt inquiry Serious Fraud Office inquiry Director of Public Prosecutions, Crown Prosecution Service - evidence session The Lord Chief Justice's Report for 2018 inquiry The role of the magistracy – follow up inquiry HMP Birmingham inquiry The implications of Brexit for the justice system: follow-up inquiry Pre-commencement hearing: Chair of the Parole Board inquiry Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 inquiry Pre-appointment hearing: Prisons and Probation Ombudsman inquiry The work of the Law Commission Criminal legal aid Disclosure of evidence in criminal cases inquiry Small claims limit for personal injury inquiry The transparency of Parole Board decisions and involvement of victims in the process HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on HMP Liverpool Private prosecutions: safeguards The Coroner Service The future of the Probation Service Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Victims Bill Public opinion and understanding of sentencing The prison operational workforce Whiplash Reform and the Official Injury Claim service Future prison population and estate capacity The use of pre-recorded cross-examination under Section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 Work of the County Court Regulation of the legal professions The Coroner Service: follow-up Probate Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending Tackling drugs in prisons: supply, demand and treatment Access to Justice Reform of the Family Court Ageing prison population Bailiffs: Enforcement of debt Children and young people in custody Court and Tribunal Reforms Criminal legal aid Work of the Crown Prosecution Service Director of Public Prosecutions Employment tribunal fees HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on HMP Liverpool HMP Birmingham The implications of Brexit for the justice system: follow-up Prison governance HM Chief Inspector of Probation Progress in the implementation of the Lammy Review's recommendations Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 The Lord Chief Justice's Report for 2018 Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 Work of the Parole Board Pre-appointment hearing for HM Chief Inspector of Probation Pre-commencement hearing: Chair of the Parole Board Prison Population 2022: planning for the future The role of the magistracy – follow up Serious Fraud Office Transforming Rehabilitation Transparency of Parole Board decisions Work of the Victims' Commissioner Work of the Attorney General The work of the Law Commission The work of the Ministry of Justice The work of the Solicitor General Work of the Serious Fraud Office Young adults in the criminal justice system The work of the Lord Chancellor Work of the Prison Service The Lord Chief Justice's report for 2017 inquiry

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to introduce Jade's Law.

The Government is committed to implementing Section 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which introduces an automatic restriction on the exercise of parental responsibility where one parent has been convicted and sentenced for the murder or voluntary manslaughter of the other. The provision will come into force on a day appointed via regulations made by the Secretary of State, following the development of the necessary procedural and legislative frameworks to support its effective delivery.

Officials are working with key delivery partners including Local Authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Police Chiefs Council and HMCTS across the criminal and family justice systems, to ensure effective implementation. This includes considering potential consequential amendments to the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and Criminal Procedure Rules 2020, as well as supporting Practice Directions and statutory guidance.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
11th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale of the economic impact of the third-party litigation funding sector, in particular in terms of jobs, growth and inward investment in the UK.

The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice and in the attractiveness of England and Wales as a jurisdiction to resolve disputes. Whilst we have not carried out a formal assessment of its precise economic contribution, we are seized of its importance to growth and the attractiveness of our legal services sector as well as the role it plays in extending access to justice. That is why we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all. We are considering the Civil Justice Council’s recent report on litigation funding, and we will outline next steps in due course.

Baroness Levitt
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives fellows to improving equality, diversity and social mobility in the legal profession; and what steps he taking to further these aims.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the contribution of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and its Fellows in improving equality, diversity and social mobility in the legal profession. I reflected this when I delivered a welcome address at the CILEX annual conference this month in Birmingham, noting that CILEX is a valuable engine of social mobility in the profession. Data showing the diversity of CILEX members is published by CILEX Regulation (CRL) in its biennial Diversity Data Survey. The most recent published survey is available here: https://cilexregulation.org.uk/diversity-data/.

The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. Under the Legal Services Act (LSA) 2007, the responsibility for regulating the sector sits with approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board (LSB). CRL is the independent regulatory body of CILEX. Encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession is one of nine regulatory objectives under the LSA 2007, which the LSB, approved regulators, and the Office for Legal Complaints, have a duty to promote.

Recent action by CRL includes publishing its first Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, issuing its next biennial Diversity Data Survey, expanding diversity reporting in enforcement, and revising qualifying employment and experience requirements to remove barriers. CRL is refreshing its EDI Strategy this year. Steps taken by CILEX include establishing the CILEX Foundation in 2021 to remove financial and social mobility barriers and launching the CILEX Judicial Academy in 2024 to help increase diversity within the judiciary by supporting lawyers – including CILEX professionals – aspiring to judicial careers.

While respecting independence, the Ministry of Justice maintains regular dialogue with the legal services representative bodies and regulators on a range of issues including improving equality, diversity, and social mobility in the profession.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of recruitment and retention of prison officers in England and Wales; and how many positions are vacant due to retirement, resignation or ill health.

We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prisons. We remain committed to ensuring prisons are sufficiently resourced and that we retain and build levels of experience.

Substantive recruitment efforts will continue at all prisons where vacancies exist or are projected, with targeted interventions applied to those prisons with the most need. We closely monitor staffing levels across the estate, including at a regional level, and look to provide short-term tactical support where possible. Where establishments feel that their staffing levels will affect stability or regime, there are a number of ways they can maximise the use of their own resource and seek support from other establishments in the short term, through processes managed nationally at Agency level.

HMPPS has a retention strategy in place which is linked to wider activities around employee experience, employee lifecycle, and staff engagement at work. Alongside the strategy a retention toolkit has been introduced which identifies local, regional, and national interventions against the drivers of attrition, which are utilised by establishments to ensure that they are embedding individual Retention Plans.

HMPPS publishes the following data as part of the HMPPS Workforce quarterly statistics for prison officers. This includes:

  • The number of prison officers appointed to HMPPS annually, consisting of direct new recruits and existing staff who converted to a band 3 officer grade;

  • Resignation rates cover the rate for those who voluntarily resigned from the organisation;

  • Leaving rates covers the rate for all leavers and all reasons for leaving, including deaths, resignation, dismissals and redundancies; and,

  • Reasons for leaving for prison officers.

This data can be accessed via the following link: HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: HM Prison & Probation Service workforce quarterly: September 2025 - GOV.UK:. Table 1 below gives an overview of Band 3-5 prison officer joiners, leavers, leaving rate and resignation rate: 2019/20 to 2024/25:

Table 1: Band 3-5 prison officer joiners, leavers, leaving rate and resignation rate: 2019/20 to 2024/25

12 months to end of…

Number of joiners

Number of leavers

Leaving rate

Resignation rate

Mar-20

2,317

2,852

12.2%

8.0%

Mar-21

2,410

2,116

9.2%

5.4%

Mar-22

3,845

3,386

14.5%

10.9%

Mar-23

4,314

3,331

14.6%

9.7%

Mar-24

4,821

3,170

13.2%

8.5%

Mar-25

2,416

3,047

12.5%

8.3%

Sep-25

1,971

2,622

10.9%

7.0%

HMPPS also publishes the difference between Staff in Post (SIP) and Target Staffing Figures (TSF) for Band 3 to 5 Prison Officers at establishment and national level in the Annex of the workforce quarterly publication (Table 4 of the Prison and Probation Officer Recruitment Annex, which can also be accessed via the link above). There was a difference of 1,225 FTE between the SIP and TSF for Band 3-5 prison officers in HMPPS at the end of September 2025. We are unable to attribute specific vacancies to reasons for leaving and as such, cannot calculate a breakdown of vacancies by reasons for leaving.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much HM Courts and Tribunals Service has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years.

The information requested can be found in the table below.

Translation:

FY

Translation

FY21-22

£ 51,231.54

FY22-23

£ 113,487.07

FY23-24

£ 140,829.23

FY24-25

£ 126,433.75

FY25-26

£ 78,995.19

Total

£ 510,976.78

Interpreting:

FY

Interpreting

FY21/22

£ 22,225,742.45

FY22/23

£ 27,362,968.49

FY23/24

£ 31,022,423.14

FY24/25

£ 32,390,150.55

FY25/26

£ 20,517,115.66

Total

£ 133,518,400.29

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers whilst maintaining high standards of service delivery.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
18th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for all appeals involving Surrey County Council the number of cases in which the Tribunal issued a) a notice proposing that the local authority be barred from further participation and b) a barring order preventing the local authority from taking further part in the appeal, reported separately for 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 to date.

This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
11th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the policy paper published on 9 November by the Bar Council, Tackling violence against women and girls – why family courts are key.

The Government has read the Bar Council’s policy paper with interest and agrees that the family courts play a key role in our commitment to halve incidences of violence against women and girls over the next decade.

We agree with the Bar Council that proper data and analysis is an essential first step. The Government funded the recently published Family Court Review and Reporting Mechanism pilot, led by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and will publish a response to the report by the end of the year.

This Government also recognises that legal aid is a vital part of the justice system, supporting the ability of individuals to access publicly funded legal assistance to uphold their legal rights. Legal aid is available for certain private family matters such as child arrangements if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused, subject to providing the required evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests. Last year we spent £854 million on the provision of family legal aid and we continue to keep the policy under review.

With our partners across the family justice system, we are committed to long-term reform of the family courts to better support and protect victims of domestic abuse and serious violence and their children. Central to this is our new Pathfinder model, which uses a more investigative and less adversarial approach for private law proceedings relating to children and is now operating in nine court areas, with expansion to a tenth in January 2026.

The Government will be publishing our new, cross-government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy as soon as possible.

Baroness Levitt
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve the process in which domestic abuse cases reach the family court in a) the north west and b) Warrington.

This Government is committed to improving the experience of victims of domestic abuse in the family courts across England and Wales, including in the north west and Warrington.

In early 2026, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) plans to roll out a new digital service for applications for non-molestation orders and occupation orders. This service will make it easier and quicker for applicants to submit applications for these protective orders via an online portal.

Additional support is available to litigants in person via CourtNav, a free online tool operated by RCJ Advice, a citizens advice and law centre dedicated to improving access to justice. CourtNav guides individuals through applying for non-molestation and occupation orders, assisting with drafting applications and supporting statements. Applicants also have the option to have their application checked by a legal adviser, who can help identify the most appropriate course of action.

To streamline the process, the CourtNav system can automatically direct applications to HMCTS’s digital service. This enables information entered in CourtNav to transfer directly into the HMCTS system, ensuring better integration and efficiency when applications are submitted to the court.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 86689, what information his Department holds on the number of court cases that (a) did not progress and (b) were delayed due to the non-attendance of professional witnesses in 1). England and 2). Greater Manchester in the last 12 months.

An ineffective trial is a trial that does not go ahead on the scheduled trial date, and so a further listing is required. This can be due to action or inaction by one or more of the prosecution, the defence or the court. If a trial is deemed ineffective due to the witness being absent, this would indicate that the trial has been delayed.

The Ministry of Justice publishes ineffective trials statistics by reason including trials that are rescheduled due to “prosecution witness absent – professional/expert” here: Criminal court statistics quarterly: April to June 2025 - GOV.UK. These statistics can be filtered by Local Criminal Justice Board to isolate figures for Greater Manchester. We do not have access to data on ineffective trials due to the absence of a defence professional witness.

The Ministry of Justice cannot provide data on cases that “did not progress” due to the non-attendance of professional witnesses. This information would only be held in the individual court records for cases that are discontinued, and examination of these records would be of disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prison officers in England and Wales hold work visas which are due to expire in 2026; and what assessment they have made of the effect of this on the morale of staff and good order within the prison estate.

The Ministry of Justice holds data pertaining to employees who have limited leave to remain. This data includes all employees, past or present, for whom this would be the case, but there is no functionality to withdraw any ex-employees from the data other than manually checking every file. To provide an accurate response to the question would be of disproportionate cost.

We are clear that net migration, as a whole must, come down. We will of course provide support to those affected by the changes to Immigration Rules, and anyone with a Skilled Worker visa can be considered for an extension where possible.

We are working with Home Office colleagues to consider the impact of the reforms and options to ensure the safety and stability of our prisons. We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prison regimes.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prison officers in England and Wales were recruited from (1) the Commonwealth, and (2) the European Union, in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many of these earn in excess of £41,700 a year.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold the requested data in a single central system. Information on nationality, new joiners, and salary is recorded across separate administrative systems, and linking these datasets accurately would incur disproportionate cost.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they conduct fingerprint checks on (1) prisoners, (2) convicts and (3) those on remand, upon being released from prison.

His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not require fingerprint checks to be conducted routinely at the point of release for prisoners, convicted individuals, or those held on remand. Where biometric data, such as fingerprints, is available, it will be checked as part of identity assurance during release procedures. The same discharge policy applies to remand prisoners who are released following a court appearance.

Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review which will consider whether current discharge processes are robust and make recommendations in due course.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
18th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of universal access to Welsh language TV for prisoners in Wales.

His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in Wales regularly assesses the availability of S4C, the Welsh language public service broadcasting channel, across the prison estate in Wales through engagement with each prison’s nominated Welsh language champion, and site visits undertaken by regional assurance teams.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
14th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much HM Prison and Probation Service has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years.

The information requested can be found in the tables below.

Translation:

FY

Translation

FY21-22

£ 83,462.46

FY22-23

£ 137,213.31

FY23-24

£ 280,071.34

FY24-25

£ 328,526.54

FY25-26

£ 142,303.32

Total

£ 971,576.97

Interpreting:

FY

Interpreting

FY21/22

£ 133,776.35

FY22/23

£ 125,495.41

FY23/24

£ 163,546.08

FY24/25

£ 161,212.42

FY25/26

£ 105,987.79

Total

£ 690,018.05

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers whilst maintaining high standards of service delivery.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
18th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people needing homelessness relief from local authorities on release from prison.

We are taking a number of steps to reduce numbers of those being released from prison homeless, including measures to improve joint processes and guidance across prisons, probation and local authorities. Overall statutory responsibility for housing and homelessness lies with local authorities in both England and Wales.

We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other Departments through the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to develop a new long-term cross-government strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.

We deliver our Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) to support prison leavers who are subject to probation supervision and at risk of homelessness, by offering up to 12 weeks of basic transitional accommodation to provide a stable base on release.

We employ 50 prison-based Strategic Housing Specialists, including nine across the female estate, to support prisons to reduce homelessness on release by working in partnership with probation teams and Local Authorities.

Published figures relating to offender accommodation outcomes can be found here: Offender Accommodation Outcome Statistics - GOV.UK.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
18th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners were (a) released into homelessness and (b) homeless three months after release in each quarter since January 2022.

We are taking a number of steps to reduce numbers of those being released from prison homeless, including measures to improve joint processes and guidance across prisons, probation and local authorities. Overall statutory responsibility for housing and homelessness lies with local authorities in both England and Wales.

We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other Departments through the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to develop a new long-term cross-government strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.

We deliver our Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) to support prison leavers who are subject to probation supervision and at risk of homelessness, by offering up to 12 weeks of basic transitional accommodation to provide a stable base on release.

We employ 50 prison-based Strategic Housing Specialists, including nine across the female estate, to support prisons to reduce homelessness on release by working in partnership with probation teams and Local Authorities.

Published figures relating to offender accommodation outcomes can be found here: Offender Accommodation Outcome Statistics - GOV.UK.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
18th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many transgender young people are currently held in mixed gender settings within the Children and Young People Estate at HMP & YOI Downview.

HMP & YOI Downview is not part of the Children and Young People Estate. No children or young people are accommodated there.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
19th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Sahayb Abu v Secretary of State for Justice [2025] EWHC 3026 (Admin), how much his Department has paid Mr Denny De SIlva in (a) damages, (b) other compensation, (c) ex gratia or out-of-court payments and (d) legal costs.

I refer the Right Hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 17 November to Question 89422.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will issued sentencing guidelines for people convicted of supporting Hamas during university protests.

The Government is absolutely clear that support for proscribed organisations is unacceptable. Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) makes it an offence to invite support for; recklessly express support for; or arrange a meeting in support of a proscribed organisation. Section 13 of TACT makes it an offence to wear clothing or carry articles in public, which arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation, and publish an image of an item of clothing or other article, such as a flag or logo in the same circumstances. Proscription offences can carry a maximum penalty of up to 14 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.

While everyone is entitled to their political opinions, and higher education providers have duties to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech and academic freedom within the law, any discussions and protests must be lawful. Inciting others to violence or terrorism is not protected speech. In these instances, we would expect university leaders to take robust action, particularly where there are concerns that a criminal act may have been committed, including reporting crimes to the police.

The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, including determining whether an offence has been committed or not, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, which are operationally independent. Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary.

Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. All sentencing courts in England and Wales must follow any sentencing guidelines which are relevant to the offender’s case, unless it is in the interests of justice not to do so (by virtue of section 59 of the Sentencing Code). The court must give reasons when departing from the guidelines.

The Sentencing Council has issued a package of guidelines on terrorism offences, including the s.12 TACT offence of support of a proscribed organisation, which provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is. The guidelines also include non-exhaustive lists of aggravating and mitigating factors which can result in an upward or downward adjustment in the sentence. The guidelines can be found online at the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
11th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government when and how they intend to respond to the report by the Children's Commissioner "A production line of pointlessness": Children on custodial remand, published on 11 November.

The Government recognises the importance of the Children’s Commissioner’s report and shares concerns about the number of children remanded to custody. We have taken steps to address this, including publishing the Youth Remand Concordat earlier this year to help all partners meet their statutory responsibilities and work effectively together throughout the bail and remand process. We are also supporting local authorities to tackle this issue, for example, by continuing to fund the Greater Manchester remand pilot to enable regional pooling of remand funding, supporting the development of alternatives to custodial remand. Reducing unnecessary remands to custody remains a priority, and we will set out further plans in due course.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
18th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department intends to reinstate rules against the release of prisoners on Fridays.

The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk.

There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information.

By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
18th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released on Fridays since the suspension of standing rules against the release of prisoners on Friday.

The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk.

There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information.

By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
18th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, under what powers his Department waived rules against the release of prisoners on Friday.

The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk.

There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information.

By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
18th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department waived rules against the release of prisoners on Fridays.

The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk.

There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information.

By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
14th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many possession claims relating to Section 21 notices are currently awaiting court hearing; and what the average waiting time is for those hearings.

A Section 21 notice provides for an accelerated court process, usually without a hearing. However, if the application is not in order or the tenant challenges the claim a hearing may be scheduled.

The Civil Procedure Rules stipulate that possession claims should be listed within 4 to 8 weeks of a claim being issued.  The most recent published statistics, covering the period July to September 2025 show that the median time from claim to order is 7.6 weeks.

The Government has set out its roadmap for implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Private landlords will not be able to serve new Section 21 notices on their tenants on or after 1 May 2026.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on possession claims at: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
19th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases of trustee mismanagement of asset protection trusts were investigated by his Department in each of the last three years.

The trustees of a trust hold assets for the benefit of others (the beneficiaries of the trust) under the terms of the trust document.

The general law of trusts enables the beneficiaries of a trust to hold the trustees to account to the extent permitted by the trust instrument or in legislation. In appropriate cases, it may be possible for the beneficiaries to have the trustees removed and replaced.

The decision as to whether to take action against the trustees is, in the absence of a crime, for the beneficiaries affected, and disputes are determined by the courts rather than investigated by Government.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
11th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that biological male prisoners are not held in women's prisons.

Almost all transgender prisoners are already allocated in line with their biological sex. Over 95% of transgender women are held in men's prisons, and the majority of those in the women's estate are held on E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview, a separate unit where they cannot access the wider regime unless risk assessed as being safe to do so and they are supervised by staff.

No transgender women who retain their birth genitalia and/or have any history of sexual or violent offences can be held in the general women’s estate unless an exemption is granted by a Minister.

The small number of transgender women who are held in the general women's estate are there because they have been risk-assessed as being safe to do so, and because there is a compelling reason to hold them there (which can include risks to them from a placement elsewhere).

We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy following the For Women Scotland vs. The Scottish Ministers Supreme Court ruling and will be able to say more about this in due course.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
10th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 16 July (HL9057), whether they now have a timeframe for bringing section 138 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 into effect.

This Government is committed to implementing the provisions in section 138, as soon as practicable.

These provisions will be commenced by regulations at an appropriate time, having regard to any impact on the wider criminal justice system.

Baroness Levitt
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support burial authorities in carrying out memorial safety inspections that protect public safety while ensuring compliance with the Ministry of Justice guidance Managing the Safety of Burial Ground Memorials (2009).

While the Department is responsible for burial law and policy, the Government does not have day-to-day operational responsibility for burial grounds, which lies instead with providers.

The Government’s guidance documents Managing the safety of Burial Ground Memorials and Guide for Burial Ground Managers set out best practice for memorial safety inspections, including guidance that laying memorials flat should only occur where necessary and following a risk assessment. The documents also advise burial authorities to make every effort to contact families before taking action, where this does not compromise safety.

Burial authorities are expected to follow this guidance when carrying out inspections. Any concerns or complaints about how inspections have been conducted can be raised directly with the relevant burial authority.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of burial authorities’ adherence to the guidance that laying memorials flat should be used only where necessary following a risk assessment.

While the Department is responsible for burial law and policy, the Government does not have day-to-day operational responsibility for burial grounds, which lies instead with providers.

The Government’s guidance documents Managing the safety of Burial Ground Memorials and Guide for Burial Ground Managers set out best practice for memorial safety inspections, including guidance that laying memorials flat should only occur where necessary and following a risk assessment. The documents also advise burial authorities to make every effort to contact families before taking action, where this does not compromise safety.

Burial authorities are expected to follow this guidance when carrying out inspections. Any concerns or complaints about how inspections have been conducted can be raised directly with the relevant burial authority.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to encourage burial authorities to make every effort to contact families before taking action to lay memorials flat where this can be done safely.

While the Department is responsible for burial law and policy, the Government does not have day-to-day operational responsibility for burial grounds, which lies instead with providers.

The Government’s guidance documents Managing the safety of Burial Ground Memorials and Guide for Burial Ground Managers set out best practice for memorial safety inspections, including guidance that laying memorials flat should only occur where necessary and following a risk assessment. The documents also advise burial authorities to make every effort to contact families before taking action, where this does not compromise safety.

Burial authorities are expected to follow this guidance when carrying out inspections. Any concerns or complaints about how inspections have been conducted can be raised directly with the relevant burial authority.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
17th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support available for victims of prisoners mistakenly released from prison.

The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme is a service for the victims of offenders who are convicted of a specified violent, sexual or terrorism offence and are sentenced to twelve months or more imprisonment. Victims who decide to receive the service are allocated a Victim Liaison Officer who will keep the victim updated on key stages throughout the sentence, including if the offender is released from prison in error and when the offender is returned to custody.

Whilst the Victim Contact Scheme is not a support service, Victim Liaison Officers are responsible for directing and referring victims to sources of additional support where this is appropriate, including national and location victim support services. Under the Victims’ Code, all victims are entitled to be given information about and be referred to victim support services by the police to help them cope and recover from the impact of a crime.

Through the Victims and Courts Bill, we will be updating the legislative framework that establishes the Victim Contact Scheme to bring victims currently served by different post-conviction communication schemes into the Victim Contact Scheme and provide a new route for other victims to request information via a dedicated helpline.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
10th Nov 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is possible for the Welsh Ministers to make His Majesty’s Probation and Prison Service liable to be required to comply with Welsh language standards, pursuant to the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, without the Secretary of State’s consent.

It is for Welsh Ministers to specify, in regulations under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, the bodies which the Welsh Language Commissioner may require to comply with Welsh language standards. Where Welsh Ministers seek to provide for standards to apply specifically to a Minister of the Crown, they must obtain the consent of the relevant Secretary of State.

HM Prison & Probation Service has a Welsh Language Scheme (2024-27) which outlines its Welsh language obligations. The scheme, which applies in England as well as Wales, has been approved by the Welsh Language Commissioner, who regulates compliance with Welsh language requirements under the Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the total cost of (a) translation and (b) interpretation services in the prison system for each of the last five years.

The requested information has been provided in the tables below.

Translation:

FY

Translation

FY21-22

£ 83,462.46

FY22-23

£ 137,213.31

FY23-24

£ 280,071.34

FY24-25

£ 328,526.54

FY25-26

£ 142,303.32

Total

£ 971,576.97

Interpreting:

FY

Interpreting

FY21/22

£ 133,776.35

FY22/23

£ 125,495.41

FY23/24

£ 163,546.08

FY24/25

£ 161,212.42

FY25/26

£ 105,987.79

Total

£ 690,018.05

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers whilst maintaining high standards of service delivery.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the number of prison officers who do not have English as a first language.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the total cost of (a) translation and (b) interpretation services in the court system for each of the last five years.

The information requested can be found in the tables below.

Translation:

FY

Translation

FY21-22

£ 51,231.54

FY22-23

£ 113,487.07

FY23-24

£ 140,829.23

FY24-25

£ 126,433.75

FY25-26

£ 78,995.19

Total

£ 510,976.78

Interpreting:

FY

Interpreting

FY21/22

£ 22,225,742.45

FY22/23

£ 27,362,968.49

FY23/24

£ 31,022,423.14

FY24/25

£ 32,390,150.55

FY25/26

£ 20,517,115.66

Total

£ 133,518,400.29

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers whilst maintaining high standards of service delivery.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
12th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list the titles of all the events organised by Civil Service networks in his Department since 2017.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Department only holds details of events organised by Ministry of Justice staff networks.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
12th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has (a) implemented a domestic abuse policy for staff and (b) trained line managers to effectively respond to staff who are experiencing domestic abuse.

This Department is committed to supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse.

We provide comprehensive advice to these employees and their managers including how to identify abuse, actions which colleagues and managers can take, and links to organisations providing advice and support. Our guidance also covers the actions of perpetrators and how disciplinary action would be implemented.

In August 2025, the Ministry of Justice People and Capability Group launched refreshed pan-Ministry of Justice domestic abuse guidance and support for employees and their managers. This guidance recognises the employer’s duty of care to their employees, making clear what support is available with a clear commitment from the organisation and senior leaders to take the issue seriously.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been imprisoned for growing cannabis in every year since 2010.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

The offences should be selected by using the HO offence code filter and selecting:

  • 09221 - Production of or being concerned in production of a controlled drug - class B (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives)

  • 09226 - Production or being concerned in production of a controlled drug - class C (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives) (historic)

  • 09241 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class B (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives)

  • 09246 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class C (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives) (historic)

  • 09230 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class A (cocaine)

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been imprisoned for supplying cannabis in every year since 2010.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

The offences should be selected by using the HO offence code filter and selecting:

  • 09221 - Production of or being concerned in production of a controlled drug - class B (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives)

  • 09226 - Production or being concerned in production of a controlled drug - class C (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives) (historic)

  • 09241 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class B (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives)

  • 09246 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class C (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives) (historic)

  • 09230 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class A (cocaine)

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been imprisoned for supplying cocaine in every year since 2010.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

The offences should be selected by using the HO offence code filter and selecting:

  • 09221 - Production of or being concerned in production of a controlled drug - class B (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives)

  • 09226 - Production or being concerned in production of a controlled drug - class C (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives) (historic)

  • 09241 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class B (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives)

  • 09246 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class C (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives) (historic)

  • 09230 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class A (cocaine)

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies are taking to (i) develop and (ii) use artificial intelligence approaches to British Sign Language.

Providing British Sign Language (BSL) translations of pre-recorded audio and video content on public services is a legislative Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AAA criterion. As outlined in the Government Service Standard, all digital government services must as a minimum meet Level AA. AAA is best practice.

Through the Service Standard and Service Assessments, the Government Digital Service encourages Departments to incorporate BSL into service design. In May this year, DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) launched the UK Government’s first British Sign Language (BSL) online translation service for candidates booking their theory test online. DVSA held a series of user research session with BSL users, with one participant calling the service ‘life-changing’.

There are opportunities to use AI to accelerate the creation of accessible content across public services. If public bodies trial the use of AI in approaches to BSL, they would be required to conform with both WCAG and the Service Standard, and must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.

Regardless of if AI generated, services must also make sure any BSL video is culturally appropriate by working with the BSL community, testing it, or getting feedback.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
12th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of violence in women's prisons.

Violence in prisons may be caused, or triggered, by a range of factors, including personal characteristics such as existing patterns of behaviour, substance misuse or traumatic life experiences. Factors particularly relevant to the women’s estate include trauma, relational complexities and separation from children.

Information on the rate of assaults in female establishments in the 12 months to June 2025 can be found at the following link: Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to September 2025 Assaults and Self-harm to June 2025 - GOV.UK.

The Managing Women in Crisis Working Group in His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) was established to increase understanding of complex behaviour in this group of prisoners, and to consider how best to support them. This includes developing guidance and training for staff. In addition, HMPPS’s Women’s Estate Case Advice and Support Panel supports establishments in the management of women with complex needs. It aims to help reduce risk and to enable women to progress in their sentences.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
12th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Statement in the House on 11 November 2025, how many personnel from his Department will form the digital rapid response unit.

We plan to allocate up to 15 members of staff to the digital rapid response unit. We will keep this resource allocation under review.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason HMP Dartmoor remains closed in the context of the shortage of prison spaces.

Following the temporary closure of HMP Dartmoor in August 2024, after detection of elevated levels of radon gas, we have been working with specialist radon experts to investigate and assess options to allow us to reopen the prison safely.

The decision on reopening will be made based on the viability of the site, the effectiveness of works to reduce levels of radon, and value for money. We need to be satisfied that reopening the prison is justified in the light of a range of considerations, including compliance with legislative requirements, operational viability, and the cost of mitigation measures.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department currently has an English proficiency requirement for prison officers.

The prison officer recruitment process assesses English language proficiency at multiple stages, without requiring a separate English test or formal qualifications such as GCSEs at the point of application. The process for recruiting prison officers across all Public Sector Prisons is the same for all applicants, both UK and non-UK nationals, with candidates appointed based on merit, in line with the fair and open Civil Service recruitment principles.

Once candidates have passed the application and online test stages, they are assessed via His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s centralised Online Assessment Centre (OAC), which is conducted by trained human assessors who evaluate candidates in real time. Candidates undertake a written assessment, role-play exercises and a structured interview, all designed to assess whether they possess the written and spoken communication skills required for the prison officer role.

The centralised OAC process upholds consistent standards across all applicants and cannot be bypassed through automated or multiple-choice responses alone. This approach ensures that any difficulties in understanding instructions or in expressing responses clearly are identified and reflected in the assessment outcome. The assessment process also includes fitness and medical checks, which are applied to the same standard for all candidates, regardless of nationality.

We continuously evaluate our assessment process for all stages of prison officer recruitment to ensure best practice and integrate improvements appropriately as new tools and methodologies become available. Future changes to the assessment process will continue to assess a candidate’s English proficiency against the communication skills required for the prison officer role and will remain aligned with professional attainment levels used across comparable professions.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the prison population do not have (a) English and (b) another native UK languages as a first language in each of the last five years; and what languages such prisoners did speak as a first language.

The information requested is not centrally recorded.

Collecting it would involve a search of the records of each prisoner in England and Wales over the last five years. It could not, therefore, be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals in prison.

The number of foreign national offenders in prison is published as part of the Offender Management Quarterly statistics series. The series can be accessed with the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the current total amount of (a) compensation and (b) civil claim payments made to families of prisoners who have died in custody while serving a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection.

The information requested is not held centrally. Information relating to payments relating to civil claims following the death in custody of prisoners is not broken down by sentence-type.

It remains a priority for the Government that all those on IPP sentences receive the support they need to progress towards safe release from custody or, where they are being supervised on licence in the community, towards having their licence terminated altogether. Guidance has been provided to all prison staff and partner agencies to raise the importance of recognising the heightened level of risk of self-harm and suicide amongst IPP prisoners and an IPP Safety Toolkit has been developed, with a range of resources to promote learning and to help front-line staff support and engage those serving the IPP sentence effectively.

Jake Richards
Assistant Whip