MoJ: All Documents

Written Question

Armed Forces: Disclosure of Information

Friday 13th February 2026

Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing a statutory duty of candour on (a) military intelligence and (b) Special Forces.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Bill will apply to all public authorities, including military intelligence and the Special Forces.

We have worked closely with representatives across Government on the policy in this Bill – including the impact that a duty of candour would have on military intelligence and Special Forces.

We are clear that the duty of candour applies to all public authorities, including intelligence services, however, the duty of candour and processes for disclosure may need to apply in a different way to ensure that secure information is handled correctly.

We are clear that nothing should undermine our national security.

We are continuing to work closely across government with families, stakeholders and the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee to bring forward amendments that meet those aims. We will update the House in due course.

Written Question

Forced Marriage

Friday 13th February 2026

Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many illegal marriages have been recorded in each year since 2010, broken down by local authority area.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice does not hold this data.

Written Question

Prisons: Discrimination

Friday 13th February 2026

Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many charges were laid under Prison rule 51 relating specifically to aggravation towards a protected characteristic of (a) race, (b) religion and (c) belief in the last year where data exists; and how many of those charges were proven.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Prison Rule 51 sets out the offences of which an adult prisoner can be found guilty, including those which relate to aggravation towards a protected characteristic. The information on the breakdown of which protected characteristics these offences against discipline relate to can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Data on Adjudication outcomes related to these offences can be found in the Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK, which are published quarterly.

Written Question

Prisons: Visits

Friday 13th February 2026

Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which faith-based (a) charities and (b) organisations are permitted to visit prisons.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice recognises the vital contribution that charities and wider third sector organisations make to supporting prisoner rehabilitation.

Decisions as to which individuals or organisations may enter, or work in, a prison are taken by the prison governor. These decisions take account of the proposed role, security requirements, and other operational factors.

The Ministry of Justice does not maintain a central database of every organisation contributing to the work of prisons in England and Wales, as there is no operational need to do so.

Select Committee