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

Shabana Mahmood
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)
Josh Babarinde (LD - Eastbourne)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)

Conservative
Robert Jenrick (Con - Newark)
Shadow Secretary of State for 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
Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Alex Davies-Jones (Lab - Pontypridd)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Nicholas Dakin (Lab - Scunthorpe)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Wednesday 9th July 2025
Prisons: Early Release
Lords Chamber
Select Committee Docs
Tuesday 8th July 2025
15:30
Select Committee Inquiry
Tuesday 17th December 2024
Tackling drugs in prisons: supply, demand and treatment

The Justice Committee has launched an inquiry that will examine the scale and impact of drugs in prisons in England …

Written Answers
Friday 11th July 2025
Prisoners: Gambling
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the prevalence of gambling among …
Secondary Legislation
Thursday 26th June 2025
Criminal and Civil Legal Aid (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These Regulations amend the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/3098), (“the Procedure Regulations”), the Civil Legal Aid (Financial …
Bills
Wednesday 7th May 2025
Victims and Courts Bill 2024-26
A Bill to Make provision about the experience of victims within the criminal justice system; about the functions of the …
Dept. Publications
Thursday 10th July 2025
16:23

Policy paper

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
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

These Regulations amend the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/3098), (“the Procedure Regulations”), the Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources and Payment for Services) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/480) (“the Civil Means Regulations”), the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2790) (“the General Regulations”) and the Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/471) (“the Criminal Means Regulations”).
These Regulations amend paragraph 9 of Schedule 21 to the Sentencing Code. They create two additional statutory aggravating factors in the determination of the minimum term in relation to mandatory life sentences for murder.
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
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Petitions with most signatures
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11,274 Signatures
(622 in the last 7 days)
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6,750 Signatures
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6,331 Signatures
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Petition Debates Contributed
103,653
Petition Closed
4 May 2025
closed 2 months, 1 week 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
Mike Tapp Portrait
Mike Tapp (Labour - Dover and Deal)
Justice Committee Member since 21st October 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
Josh Babarinde Portrait
Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Justice Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Matt Bishop Portrait
Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Justice Committee Member since 17th March 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 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

2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the prevalence of gambling among the prison population; and what steps she is taking to help tackle gambling-related issues in prisons.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) co-commissioned, and subsequently published, an independent report to help inform our understanding of the prevalence of gambling harms among those in prison and on probation in the community. The report was undertaken from 2023-2024 and published in May 2025.

We are committed to rehabilitating those impacted by gambling and its harms, driven by good rehabilitative culture, positive relationships and pro-social staff. Alongside this, HMPPS delivers a broad range of interventions to address individuals’ criminogenic risks and needs, including accredited offending behaviour programmes.

The NHS also provides support for prisoners who are experiencing gambling addiction, and HMPPS is working in partnership with health and social care partners so that people in prison can access the equivalent standard and range of services to those they would receive in the community.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released under SDS40 since July 2024; and how many of those prisoners have subsequently committed another offence.

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.

Reoffending rates are published regularly on an annual and quarterly basis. The most recent rates are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics.

We have also published SDS40 release data alongside the quarterly Offender Management Statistics, in line with the Lord Chancellor’s commitment to transparency: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on prison officers by prisoners were recorded by HM Prison & Probation Service in each month since January 2025.

The information requested is not currently able to be shared. Accredited Official Statistics on assaults on staff from January 2025 onwards are subject to future publication through our Safety in Custody quarterly publication. The data from January - March 2025 will be published on 31 July 2025.

The latest available assaults data covers up to December 2024 and can be found via: Safety in custody statistics - GOV.UK.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using National Insurance numbers to proactively identify veterans in the criminal justice system in order to provide them with appropriate support.

There is no mechanism for identifying former Armed Forces personnel or any other category of individuals through National Insurance numbers. Those eligible are issued a National Insurance number for the administration of Social Security Benefits, National Insurance and tax only.

However, all newly received prisoners are asked if they have previously served in the Armed Forces as part of the screening process at reception. The Probation Service also uses a self-declaration form to identify former Armed Forces personnel.

Those who choose to report as former members of the Armed Forces are given access to specialist support that is available to them via the armed forces and military charities that work in prisons and in the community.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of veterans therapists' ability to access veteran inmates in Wales to provide PTSD treatment.

Healthcare in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Government, with seven Local Health Boards responsible for the planning and delivery of health services (including mental health therapy, such as PTSD) in prisons across Wales.

A strong partnership exists between HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in Wales, the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales, underpinned by a 2019 agreement. Regular strategic meetings and local partnership boards ensure that prisoners can access appropriate interventions, including mental health support, through coordinated efforts between prison services and healthcare providers.

HMPPS delivers a range of initiatives to support veterans including via third sector organisations, who provide a prison in-reach service to veterans whilst in custody.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the probation service in the West Midlands.

Performance ratings for prisons in the West Midlands are published by the Ministry of Justice as part of the Annual Prison Performance Ratings. The 2023-24 ratings can be found at: Prison Performance Ratings: 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

The performance of the Probation Service in the West Midlands is published as part of the Community Performance Annual publication. The 2023-24 edition can be found at: Community Performance Annual, update to March 2024 - GOV.UK.

The ratings for 2024-25 for both prisons and probation will be published on 31 July 2025.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions for manslaughter there have been in (a) Lancashire, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Liverpool in cases involving suicide where domestic abuse was a contributing factor.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for manslaughter by Police Force Area in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool. The latest data is available up to December 2024. This can be downloaded at the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to provide the number of convictions for manslaughter involving suicide where domestic abuse was a contributing factor, as this information is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings Database.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) male and (b) female ex-offenders found employment within six months of release in the West Midlands in the latest period for which data is available.

The latest data available (April 2023-March 2024) shows that 13.0% of females and 21.8% of males in the West Midlands region were employed six months after release from custody, a gap of 8.8 percentage points. This represents 30 females and 715 males from sample sizes of 230 and 3,280 respectively.

We know that women face additional barriers to employment, including greater prevalence of trauma, substance misuse issues and being more likely to be a primary carer for children. In recognition of these additional challenges, New Futures Network, the prison service’s specialist employment team, has a dedicated employment broker for the women’s prison estate.

In addition, an expert in education and employment for women with convictions has been appointed to the cross-government Partnership Delivery Group, which supports our recently established Women’s Justice Board. The Board will set the vision for and deliver on our ambition to have fewer women in custody.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign national offenders are currently released on license.

Data about the number of Foreign National Offenders (FNO) on post-release supervision is published regularly as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly bulletin, with figures included under table 6.9 of the Probation chapter. The series, which includes data from the 31 March 2024, can be accessed via https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the effectiveness of the right to be forgotten in the Data Protection Act 2018, in the context of people acquitted of crimes.

We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the provisions in the Data Protection Act 2018 in respect of people acquitted of crimes. The ‘right to be forgotten’ is not an absolute right and whether there is a need for an organisation to retain data about a person’s acquittal is likely to be context specific.

Organisations in the UK that process personal data must comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). Oversight and enforcement of these data protection laws, including the ‘right to be forgotten’, is carried out independently of the government by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO, as the UK’s independent data protection regulator, provides comprehensive guidance on its website.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff in her Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.

The Ministry of Justice uses the term international remote working (IRW) to describe working remotely outside the UK. IRW is defined as when an employee wants to undertake the full responsibilities of their role remotely from abroad, for a short-term and fixed period. Employees may request to work their full responsibilities from abroad in exceptional circumstances e.g. supporting a family member overseas who needs urgent and immediate help, for a maximum of 30 calendar days in a rolling 12-month period.

On 3 July 2025, the Ministry of Justice had 11 employees who had permission to work remotely outside the UK. These are for the following countries:

  1. British Virgin Islands
  2. Germany
  3. Greece
  4. Hungary
  5. Italy
  6. Lithuania
  7. Netherlands
  8. Poland
  9. Republic of Ireland
  10. United States of America

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
1st Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to expand access to community-based rehabilitation services.

The Probation Service will receive up to £700 million more by 2028/29, a 45 percent increase on current spending. It will see tens of thousands more offenders tagged, monitored and rehabilitated. We are currently in the process of re-procuring our commissioned rehabilitative services contracts. Our new contracts will improve on our current offering with expanded and improved consistency of service availability in both custody and community. However, decisions on the future scale of accessibility to these services will be determined by departmental funding allocation decisions following the Spending Review.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
1st Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) violent offenders and (b) people convicted of grievous bodily harm resulting in life-changing injuries are not inappropriately released early under existing early release schemes; and what review mechanisms are in place to assess whether the charge classification accurately reflects the severity of the offending behaviour in such cases.

This Government was left an unconscionable inheritance with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we had no choice but to take decisive actions to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.

We changed the release point for certain standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40% (‘SDS40’) and increased the maximum Home Detention Curfew period from 6 months to 12 months. Both of these policies have extensive exclusion criteria, including sexual offences irrespective of sentence length and certain serious violent offences.

Harm caused is one of the two core factors always taken into account when sentencing. The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for bringing the right charge in all serious cases and there are established mechanisms for appealing unduly lenient sentences.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisons have rats: and what steps she taking to tackle this.

This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has specialist contractors to tackle any rodent activity, when it occurs.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) suspects were tried and (b) convicted people were sentenced in absentia in the last 12 months.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on trials, convictions and sentencing outcomes at criminal courts in England and Wales (latest data to December 2024), available from the Criminal Justice Statistics page.

However, it is not possible to provide the number of people sentenced in their absence, as this is not held. Nor is it possible to provide data on the nationality of convicted defendants who were sentenced in their absence, as this information is not collected. This information may be held in court records, but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) foreign and (b) dual national offenders were (i) tried and (ii) sentenced in absentia in the last 12 months.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on trials, convictions and sentencing outcomes at criminal courts in England and Wales (latest data to December 2024), available from the Criminal Justice Statistics page.

However, it is not possible to provide the number of people sentenced in their absence, as this is not held. Nor is it possible to provide data on the nationality of convicted defendants who were sentenced in their absence, as this information is not collected. This information may be held in court records, but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much her Department spent on equipment for civil servants to work from home in each of the last three years.

Obtaining this data would require manually reviewing and reclassifying purchases made across multiple systems and procurement channels. Given the broad range of equipment types and purposes — particularly across a large and complex estate such as the Ministry of Justice — this process would be highly resource-intensive and result in a disproportionate cost to the Department.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of people who abscond abroad before (i) trial and (ii) sentencing in the most recent period for which data is available; and how many and what proportion of these people were (A) dual and (B) foreign nationals.

The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold information on the numbers of people who abscond abroad before trial and sentencing or absconding abroad by dual/foreign nationals. To obtain the data to answer this question would involve a manual interrogation of court records which would result in a disproportionate cost to the department.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to resolve ongoing issues with accessing the legal aid portal.

This is an unprecedented event involving sophisticated organised crime. Every effort is being made to restore systems following the criminal attack on our services. The Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services have been taken offline to negate the threat and prevent further exposure of legal aid providers and users. We will not reopen the system until the appropriate steps have been taken to enable us to do so. We have been able to return some to internal use, enabling an improved ability to support criminal legal aid applications and payments.

The Government are committed to ensuring that operational delivery of legal aid continues. We have put in place contingency plans to ensure that those most in need of legal support can continue to access the help that they need and that those providing vital legal services can be confident they will continue to receive payments whilst systems are offline.

Emergency legislation came into force on 27 June enabling the LAA to implement enhanced business continuity arrangements, including increased delegation of decision making to legal aid providers. These enhanced measures are designed to support legal aid providers and prevent a significant case backlog while contingency measures are in place.

The recent data breach is the result of serious criminal activity, but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of underinvestment under the last Conservative Government. By contrast, since taking power this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing Enhanced Combination Orders for more offences.

Enhanced Combination Orders are a disposal available in Northern Ireland. They are not available in England and Wales. Justice is devolved to Northern Ireland.


In England and Wales, as part of a community order, the Sentencing Framework gives courts the flexibility to choose and balance a range of requirements such as unpaid work and treatment, with the intention of punishing the offender, providing reparation to the community, and addressing any rehabilitative needs which may otherwise increase the likelihood of reoffending.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to tackle the levels of radon gas at HMP Dartmoor.

Elevated radon readings were first found at Dartmoor in 2020. HMPPS has been monitoring radon levels to manage exposure to prisoners and staff.

Dartmoor has been temporarily closed since August 2024 after monitoring results were higher than expected. We are working with specialist radon experts to investigate whether we can re-open the prison safely.

The health and safety of prisoners and staff is our top priority.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on staff by prisoners have taken place at (a) HMP Downview and (b) HMP High Down in Banstead in the last 12 months.

The latest data on assaults on staff, broken down by prison, covers the year up to December 2024. It is published in table 8e of the Safety in Custody summary tables to December 2024, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-december-2024.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many biological males are held in HMP Downview.

As of 1 July, seven prisoners were being held on E Wing, the separate unit for transgender women at HMP/YOI Downview. There were no transgender women being held in other parts of the prison.

We are reviewing allocation policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes in our approach in due course.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
1st Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of (a) staffing and (b) caseloads in the probation service.

This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, but we are gripping the situation and have taken immediate action. Both staffing levels and caseload are regularly monitored and analysed, and we remain committed to providing manageable workloads for staff. Recruitment and retention, along with our long-term plans for a sustainable Probation Service through targeting the most vital work are a priority.


Following recent recruitment campaigns the Probation Service has seen an increase in staffing levels (from 20,412 FTE to 21,022 FTE between March 2024 and March 2025). We are committed to onboarding 1,300 trainee Probation Officers in 2025/26, in addition to the 1,057 onboarded in 2024/25, and have secured £8 million in the Spring Statement to invest in new technology for front line staff.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
26th Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the delay in introducing 'Hillsborough Law'.

Families have waited decades to get justice done and we are fully committed to bringing legislation forward.

Having consulted with those groups and their representatives, it is clear more time is required to draft the best version of a Hillsborough Law.

We will continue to work with those families to ensure they receive the justice they deserve.

Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to improve (a) working conditions and (b) infrastructure for prison officers.

We recognise that the serious problem of over-occupancy which we inherited has meant that conditions for those living and working in prisons are not those we would expect. We are determined to rectify this. The steps we are taking include action in response to the independent Sentencing Review and our prison building programme. Together, these measures are designed to balance demand for prison places with supply over the longer term.

Our 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy makes a commitment to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places: we aim to do this by 2031. This involves the construction of four new prisons, including the recently delivered HMP Millsike, as well as the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate and temporary accommodation.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to meet with those harmed by sodium valproate.

This is the responsibility of the Secretary of State at DHSC, whose department is meeting with these stakeholders.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on her Department.

In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy.

The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible.

The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.

We are encouraged by the references in the Economic Prosperity Deal to potential future agreements to increase digital and services trade between the United States and the United Kingdom. My Department will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking through the criminal justice system to help tackle violence against women and children.

The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. We are aiming to publish our new, cross-government strategy later this year.

We will use a wide variety of tools to target perpetrators and tackle the root causes of abuse and violence. The Ministry of Justice has already taken action by:

  • Launching a pilot of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in selected areas, to strengthen protections for victims by consolidating the strongest elements of existing protective measures into a single, flexible order.
  • Preparing for the introduction of free Independent Legal Advisors for victims of adult rape this year, to help victims understand and uphold their legal rights through the criminal justice process.
  • Introducing new criminal offences which capture creating sexually explicit deepfakes, and spiking.
  • Announcing family court reforms, such as expanding our Pathfinder programme in the family court, improving the experience of domestic abuse victims and their children at court.
  • Commissioning the Independent Review of Criminal Courts to improve court timeliness - including for victims of VAWG.
Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reducing the retirement age for prison officers in line with (a) police officers and (b) firefighters.

We recognise the unique and challenging role that prison officers play in protecting the public and reducing reoffending. The Lord Chancellor has requested advice from officials on the pension age of prison officers, and we will continue to engage with trade unions as this is considered.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the appropriateness of the retirement age for prison officers given the (a) mental and (b) physical health challenges of the role.

We recognise the unique and challenging role that prison officers play in protecting the public and reducing reoffending. The Lord Chancellor has requested advice from officials on the pension age of prison officers, and we will continue to engage with trade unions as this is considered.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has reviewed the validity of its insurance policies for HMP Downview, in the context of the imprisonment of biological males at that prison.

In line with HM Treasury’s guidance Managing Public Money, HMPPS does not buy general commercial insurance to protect against risk.

In line with HM Treasury guidance, HMP/YOI Downview has not taken out commercial insurance on the basis that it is better value for money for the taxpayer to cover its own risks.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the level of violence against prison officers in prisons.

Reducing the levels of violence in prisons is a key priority and we are working hard to make prisons as safe as possible.

In response to recent serious assaults on our brave and hardworking prison officers, we are mandating the use of Protective Body Armour in the highest risk units and this summer we will trial the use of tasers by specialist staff in adult male prisons.

To protect our staff from serious assaults, PAVA – a synthetic pepper spray – is available in the adult male closed estate and a limited rollout in three Youth Offender Institutions is planned to commence in the summer period, to be used as a last resort in response to an immediate threat of serious harm. We are also committed to removing wet shave razors, that can be used as weapons. Electric shavers are in 31 priority sites in the adult male closed estate and this rollout continues.

All new staff receive violence reduction training and prisoners who pose a raised risk of violence are supported through a case management approach to address the underlying causes of their violence. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 doubled the maximum penalty to two years’ imprisonment for those who assault prison officers.

We publish Safety in Custody statistics quarterly covering deaths, self-harm and assaults in prison custody in England and Wales. Statistics on assaults on staff can be found in Table 4 of the Safety in Custody summary tables to December 2024.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many violent attacks on prison officers on prison estates have occurred in each of the last 10 years.

Reducing the levels of violence in prisons is a key priority and we are working hard to make prisons as safe as possible.

In response to recent serious assaults on our brave and hardworking prison officers, we are mandating the use of Protective Body Armour in the highest risk units and this summer we will trial the use of tasers by specialist staff in adult male prisons.

To protect our staff from serious assaults, PAVA – a synthetic pepper spray – is available in the adult male closed estate and a limited rollout in three Youth Offender Institutions is planned to commence in the summer period, to be used as a last resort in response to an immediate threat of serious harm. We are also committed to removing wet shave razors, that can be used as weapons. Electric shavers are in 31 priority sites in the adult male closed estate and this rollout continues.

All new staff receive violence reduction training and prisoners who pose a raised risk of violence are supported through a case management approach to address the underlying causes of their violence. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 doubled the maximum penalty to two years’ imprisonment for those who assault prison officers.

We publish Safety in Custody statistics quarterly covering deaths, self-harm and assaults in prison custody in England and Wales. Statistics on assaults on staff can be found in Table 4 of the Safety in Custody summary tables to December 2024.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing the rules to allow prison officers who retire after failing their annual physical fitness test to receive their full pension.

Prison officers are members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS), for which the policy is owned by HM Treasury and applied to the scheme by Cabinet Office.

Like all public sector pension schemes, a member of the CSPS can consider taking retirement at any time after reaching the age of 55 (increases to 57 from 2028).

If there is an underlying medical condition which significantly impacts a prison officer from carrying out their role, they may be considered for Ill Health Retirement.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison officers aged 60 or over were dismissed from service after failing an annual fitness test in each of the last 5 years.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
1st Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether recordings of court proceedings from October 2023 onwards are available for transcription for a period of one year.

Crown Court transcripts are available for a minimum of one year dependent upon the nature of the disposal.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
1st Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making (a) court transcription services (i) cheaper and (ii) more accessible for the families of victims and (b) court recordings directly available to those families.

Bereaved families of victims of murder, manslaughter, and fatal road offences can request a free transcript of the judge’s sentencing remarks. Following the conclusion of a one-year pilot, on 22 May the Lord Chancellor announced that we are continuing the provision of free transcripts of sentencing remarks for victims of rape and other sexual offences on an ongoing basis.

More widely, we are actively considering how to make court transcripts more accessible, and we continue to explore the potential for using AI to produce transcripts more quickly and at a lower cost.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does does not currently have the technical capability to share audio files. Addressing this or expanding the provision of free transcripts would have operational and resource implications for HMCTS and the judiciary at a time when the system is under considerable pressure.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
1st Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to automatically limit a surviving parent's parental responsibility over their child in cases where one parent has unlawfully killed the other.

Section 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 provides that where one parent kills the other, the Crown Court will be required to restrict the exercise of their parental responsibility for any children they shared at the point of sentence.

The measure will protect children and shield carers from the further distress that might come with making an application to restrict the exercise of parental responsibility at what will already be the most difficult of circumstances. We are now working with key partners including Local Authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Police Chief’s Council and HMCTS, ahead of commencement, to establish the best system for this change. This includes developing any relevant changes to the criminal and family procedure rules as well as broader guidance for practitioners and families.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
27th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions were brought for workplace sexual harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in each of the last five years.

Statistics collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the criminal offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 do not separately identify perpetrators prosecuted, convicted or sentenced to crimes involving sexual harassment, or the location of where the offence took place.

Collating such information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
27th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to legal support for parents involved in international child abduction cases.

Legal aid is available under the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), for legal advice and representation in cases of international abduction where a child has unlawfully been brought to England and Wales from another country. Both the applicant and respondent may be eligible, subject to passing the relevant eligibility tests and providing the required documentation.

For example, an applicant seeking the return of their child is eligible for non-means and non-merits tested legal aid for legal representation, where they reside in a country which has signed the 1980 Hague Convention, and have made an application to the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit. The respondent is eligible for legal aid but is subject to means and merits testing.

Legal aid is also available to an applicant who is seeking to prevent the unlawful removal of a child (if they are a parent or have parental responsibility for the child) from the United Kingdom or to secure the return of a child who has been unlawfully removed from the United Kingdom, where the relevant proceedings are taking place in England and Wales. Funding is subject to passing the means and merits tests.

The Government provides funding to Reunite International, a charity that operates a 24-hour telephone advice line offering information and practical support to parents, guardians and family members in international child abduction cases. Reunite also offer a mediation service, which can provide an alternative means of resolving an international child abduction case.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number of Palestine Action members who have been acquitted by a jury for activity relating to protests against arms sales to Israel.

Data collated by the Ministry of Justice regarding the activity of the criminal court does not identify if a defendant is a Palestine Action member or if the offence was for activity relating to protests against arms sales to Israel. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 June 2025 on Security, HCWS729, whether any Palestine Action members have been acquitted by a jury for those activities.

Data collated by the Ministry of Justice regarding the activity of the criminal court does not identify if a defendant is a Palestine Action member or if the offence was for activity relating to protests against arms sales to Israel. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many (a) current and b) pending court cases a Palestine Action member is facing charges for protests against arms sales to Israel.

Data collated by the Ministry of Justice regarding the activity of the criminal court does not identify if a defendant is a Palestine Action member or if the offence was for activity relating to protests against arms sales to Israel. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) current and (b) pending court cases there are on activities listed in her Written Statement of 23 June 2025 on Security, HCWS729.

Data collated by the Ministry of Justice regarding the activity of the criminal court does not identify if a defendant is a Palestine Action member or if the offence was for activity relating to protests against arms sales to Israel. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
27th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safeguards in preventing harm to children during court-ordered contact arrangements.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of safeguarding children during court-ordered contact arrangements.

The legislation which governs child arrangements cases makes a child’s welfare paramount and presumes a child’s welfare is furthered by the involvement of both parents, unless there is evidence of a risk of harm. Following the recommendation from the ‘Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases’ report, the Ministry of Justice has carried out a thorough review of the presumption of parental involvement, which will be published shortly.

Where an individual believes that a wrong decision or an unjust decision (due to serious procedural or other irregularity in the proceedings in the lower court) has been made by the courts, there are routes of appeal and individuals can apply to have a Child Arrangements Order varied or discharged.

In some cases, to ensure children’s safety, courts order contact at Child Contact Centres. These are primarily accredited centres run by the National Association of Child Contact Centres, which operate under rigorous safeguarding standards. These include secure premises with controlled access, trained staff present during supervised contact, and comprehensive risk assessments tailored to each family's circumstances.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
27th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with (a) judicial and (b) safeguarding bodies on improvements to child protection in private law family proceedings.

The Family Justice Board, which is co-chaired by ministers from the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education and is regularly attended by the President of the Family Division, the Chief Executives of Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, the Chief Social Worker, and Ofsted, monitors performance across the family justice system and considers relevant strategic issues, including safeguarding of children in family proceedings. At the March meeting, the Board discussed findings from the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s report on intra-familial child sexual abuse.

The Board also plays a role in the delivery of key priorities aimed at improving outcomes for children and families such as the Pathfinder private law model, now operating in six court areas. Pathfinder was designed in collaboration with the judiciary and safeguarding partners and aims to improve the experience and outcomes for children and parents involved in private family law proceedings, including those who have experienced domestic abuse.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to speed up the sentencing of people found guilty of domestic violence.

As part of our landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, we are committed to strengthening the justice system’s response to domestic violence.

Most domestic abuse cases are heard in magistrates’ courts where cases move more swiftly than the Crown Court. Despite this, we recognise that some cases are taking longer to work through the system, particularly in more serious cases that reach the Crown Court.

This Government inherited a justice system in crisis. That is why we have asked Sir Brian Leveson to lead an Independent Review of the Crown Courts, which will propose bold and ambitious measures to deliver swifter justice for victims of serious crimes, including victims of domestic abuse.

In parallel, we are actively exploring the merits of specialist domestic abuse court models as recommended in the Sentencing Review. In November, we launched Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in pilot areas to improve victim safety, and we have committed to rolling out domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms to improve frontline responses.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted for carrying cannabis in England and Wales in the last 12 months.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for possession of cannabis 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.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury