Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has received representations on the sentencing of Lucy Connolly.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Sentencing decisions in individual cases are entirely a matter for the independent judiciary, based on the facts of the case before them. It would not be appropriate for Government Ministers to comment on individual cases.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce the average time from death to inquest on the Isle of Wight.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There has been significant pressure on accommodation for inquest hearings and in terms of staffing in the Isle of Wight coroner area. To address this, the refurbishment of a court is now nearing completion; and the Isle of Wight Council is currently recruiting for two additional Assistant Coroners. I anticipate that, once in place, these measures will help address the issue of inquest backlog. The Chief Coroner is also engaging directly with the Senior Coroner and local authority on this issue.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible, and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to support victims of domestic abuse in (a) Fylde and (b) other rural and coastal areas.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of domestic abuse, including those in rural and coastal areas such as Fylde, can access the support they need. Through the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, we are strengthening the rights of all victims and improving their access to services, such as consulting on a new and improved Victims’ Code, or introducing a duty on local commissioners to better collaborate when commissioning victim support services.

The Ministry of Justice provides funding to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to commission local victims support services tailored to community needs, allowing PCCs in rural and coastal communities to best support victims in their area. This includes Lancashire PCC, which currently funds 15 domestic abuse organisations, five of which cover the Fylde constituency and other rural areas. These include;

1. Victim Support – National organisation with services across England, including Lancashire and Fylde.

2. Fylde Coast Women’s Aid (FCWA) – Explicitly supports victims of domestic abuse in Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde.

3. Empowerment – Provides a range of services across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre, including mental health, advocacy, and domestic abuse support.

4. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Covers the Fylde coast area, including Fylde.

5. Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board – Oversees health services across the region, including Fylde and other rural areas.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 47817 on Ministry of Justice: Equality, if she will publish all documentation associated with the training on creating inclusive virtual teams.

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

Training materials associated with the Ministry of Justice’s course Creating Inclusive Virtual Teams are subject to copyright and confidentiality considerations.

The documentation includes proprietary material provided by third-party training providers under licence and therefore cannot be published in full.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will increase sentences for offences committed with a knife.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling knife crime is a priority and this Government is determined to do all it can to break the deadly cycle of violence that devastates the lives of individuals, families and communities.

The maximums available for existing knife offences include up to 4 years’ imprisonment for carrying a knife or threatening with an offensive weapon being 4 years’ imprisonment. Where someone is actually harmed by a knife or offensive weapon, there are a range of offences that the offender may be charged with, such as causing grievous bodily harm. These can result in lengthy sentences, up to life imprisonment. Sentencing in individual cases are a matter for our independent judiciary.

We will be reforming the sentencing framework in line with most of the recommendations made by the Independent Sentencing Review in May 2025 to ensure that our prisons never run out of space again, which would place the public at unconscionable risk.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that criminal (a) prosecution and (b) sentencing is applied consistently.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Charging decisions are a matter for the independent Crown Prosecution Service and sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary, based on the circumstances of individual cases.

Equality before the law is a fundamental principle of our justice system. This Government will protect and defend this.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average price quoted was for court transcripts for victims in each of the last five years.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Management information held about transcript requests is limited, and the information requested is not held centrally.

Victims usually request the judge’s sentencing remarks, which summarise the case against the defendant made at trial, the impact on victims and families and outline how the judge has come to a conclusion about the sentence handed down. This typically costs around £45 to £50.

However, bereaved families of victims of murder, manslaughter and fatal road offences can request a free transcript of the judge’s sentencing remarks. On 22 May we announced that, following the conclusion of a one-year pilot at the end of May, we are continuing the scheme that enables victims of rape and other sexual offences to apply for a free copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on the enforcement of third party litigation funding agreements following the PACCAR judgement.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the critical role litigation funding plays in ensuring access to justice.

I have engaged with relevant stakeholders on the enforcement of third party litigation funding agreements and the wider market following the PACCAR judgment via my officials.

The Government is due to receive the Civil Justice Council’s (CJC) report on litigation funding in summer 2025, which will inform further decisions on policy and legislation. As part of their review, the CJC conducted a consultation with key stakeholders in relation to third party litigation funding.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress her Department is making on reducing the (a) cost and (b) time to taken to produce court transcripts for victims who request them.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Bereaved families of victims of murder, manslaughter and fatal road offences can request a free transcript of the judge’s sentencing remarks. On 22 May we announced that, following the conclusion of a one-year pilot at the end of May, we are continuing the scheme that enables victims of rape and other sexual offences to apply for a free copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks.

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 cost effectively.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in Abbasi and another v Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2025] [UKSC 15] on 16 April, what discussions they have had with the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales and other senior jurists about the use of lifelong anonymity orders and gagging orders in the Family Court under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government extends its deepest sympathies to parents and families affected by these difficult circumstances.

At this stage, no formal discussions have taken place with the Lady Chief Justice or other senior jurists. While we will not comment on decisions made by the independent judiciary, we accept the need for greater transparency in family courts while also – where appropriate - protecting the identities of the children and families involved.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a response to the consultation Introducing fees in the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal; and what assessment have they made of introducing fees for employment tribunal and appeal applications.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The consultation “Introducing fees in the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal” was published in January 2024 under the previous government. Given the consultation was conducted under a different administration, the Government does not intend to produce a response to this consultation.

The Government is currently considering its position regarding the introduction of fees for employment tribunal and appeal applications. Any such changes would be considered in the context of new employment legislation and the fees regime for all courts and tribunals.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of criminal cases delayed in the legal system; and what is the impact of these delays on the wider criminal justice system and on public trust in the justice system.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Open caseload and cases awaiting trial in England and Wales, and in London.

Source: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2024 - GOV.UK.

• The open caseload reflects the workload in the courts at any time. It will never be zero, as it reflects the volume of cases that are active in the courts at a particular point, including those cases that have been recently received, those close to being disposed, those which are complex and take time to complete and those that may be delayed.
• The Ministry of Justice publishes a range of timeliness measures concerning the duration of key stages across the criminal justice system. Available here: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2024 - GOV.UK.
• We recognise the distressing impact that long waiting times can have on victims, particularly those who are vulnerable.
• We continue to seek ways to improve all victims’ and witnesses’ experience of the Criminal Justice System. The Victims and Prisoners Act will improve awareness of and compliance with the Victims’ Code, making sure that victims know about their rights in the Code, and that agencies deliver them.

Measures to tackle the criminal courts caseload

This government inherited a record and rising crown court backlog. Justice delayed risks becoming justice denied.

For this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 110,000 sitting days this year, 4,000 higher than the last Government funded.

As part of our commitment to bearing down on the caseload we have increased magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 months to 12 months’ imprisonment for single triable-either way offences. This will free up capacity in the Crown Court, ensuring it is reserved for the more serious and complex cases.

However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve. This is why we have commissioned an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of longer-term reform and the efficiency of processes in the criminal courts.

In the meantime, we are piloting dedicated Case Coordinator posts in the Crown Court to see if this can reduce ineffective hearings and trials.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many criminal cases are currently awaiting trial in England and Wales; and what is the comparable figure at this point in each of the last three years.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Open caseload and cases awaiting trial in England and Wales, and in London.

Source: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2024 - GOV.UK.

• The open caseload reflects the workload in the courts at any time. It will never be zero, as it reflects the volume of cases that are active in the courts at a particular point, including those cases that have been recently received, those close to being disposed, those which are complex and take time to complete and those that may be delayed.
• The Ministry of Justice publishes a range of timeliness measures concerning the duration of key stages across the criminal justice system. Available here: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2024 - GOV.UK.
• We recognise the distressing impact that long waiting times can have on victims, particularly those who are vulnerable.
• We continue to seek ways to improve all victims’ and witnesses’ experience of the Criminal Justice System. The Victims and Prisoners Act will improve awareness of and compliance with the Victims’ Code, making sure that victims know about their rights in the Code, and that agencies deliver them.

Measures to tackle the criminal courts caseload

This government inherited a record and rising crown court backlog. Justice delayed risks becoming justice denied.

For this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 110,000 sitting days this year, 4,000 higher than the last Government funded.

As part of our commitment to bearing down on the caseload we have increased magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 months to 12 months’ imprisonment for single triable-either way offences. This will free up capacity in the Crown Court, ensuring it is reserved for the more serious and complex cases.

However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve. This is why we have commissioned an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of longer-term reform and the efficiency of processes in the criminal courts.

In the meantime, we are piloting dedicated Case Coordinator posts in the Crown Court to see if this can reduce ineffective hearings and trials.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many criminal cases are currently awaiting trial in London and how they propose to deal with the backlog in trials.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Open caseload and cases awaiting trial in England and Wales, and in London.

Source: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2024 - GOV.UK.

• The open caseload reflects the workload in the courts at any time. It will never be zero, as it reflects the volume of cases that are active in the courts at a particular point, including those cases that have been recently received, those close to being disposed, those which are complex and take time to complete and those that may be delayed.
• The Ministry of Justice publishes a range of timeliness measures concerning the duration of key stages across the criminal justice system. Available here: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2024 - GOV.UK.
• We recognise the distressing impact that long waiting times can have on victims, particularly those who are vulnerable.
• We continue to seek ways to improve all victims’ and witnesses’ experience of the Criminal Justice System. The Victims and Prisoners Act will improve awareness of and compliance with the Victims’ Code, making sure that victims know about their rights in the Code, and that agencies deliver them.

Measures to tackle the criminal courts caseload

This government inherited a record and rising crown court backlog. Justice delayed risks becoming justice denied.

For this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 110,000 sitting days this year, 4,000 higher than the last Government funded.

As part of our commitment to bearing down on the caseload we have increased magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 months to 12 months’ imprisonment for single triable-either way offences. This will free up capacity in the Crown Court, ensuring it is reserved for the more serious and complex cases.

However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve. This is why we have commissioned an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of longer-term reform and the efficiency of processes in the criminal courts.

In the meantime, we are piloting dedicated Case Coordinator posts in the Crown Court to see if this can reduce ineffective hearings and trials.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the cost to the Courts and Tribunal Service of the provision of language interpreters in (1) 2020–21, (2) 2021–22, (3) 2022–23, and (4) 2023–24, broken down by language those interpreters were translating from.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The total spend by HM Courts and Tribunals Service on translation and interpretation in each of the last four financial years was:

HMCTS does not hold expenditure information disaggregated by language, or to differentiate a) translation, and b) interpretation, so the total expenditure has been provided.

These figures include cover expenditure on the interpretation of official languages of the United Kingdom, including Welsh, as well as to provide equality for those with conditions that can be defined as a disability under the Equality Act, such as sign language interpretation.

These figures do not include any translation or interpretation spend covered by Legal Aid Agency central funds as these are not included in the accounts for HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total cost to the Courts and Tribunal Service of the provision of language interpreters whose first language was not English in (1) 2020–21, (2) 2021–22, (3) 2022–23, and (4) 2023–24.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The total spend by HM Courts and Tribunals Service on translation and interpretation in each of the last four financial years was:

HMCTS does not hold expenditure information disaggregated to a) translation, and b) interpretation, so the total expenditure has been provided.

These figures include cover expenditure on the interpretation of official languages of the United Kingdom, including Welsh, as well as to provide equality for those with conditions that can be defined as a disability under the Equality Act, such as sign language interpretation.

These figures do not include any translation or interpretation spend covered by Legal Aid Agency central funds as these are not included in the accounts for HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have received from the Judicial College regarding the compulsory digital training on domestic abuse introduced for family judges, magistrates, and legal advisers in October 2021; including on (1) how many individuals have completed the training, (2) how frequently the training is delivered or refreshed, and (3) what evaluations, if any, have been conducted on its effectiveness in supporting judicial understanding of domestic abuse in the family courts.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

I refer the noble Baroness to the answer I gave to question HL7248 on 19 May: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of Social Security and Child Support Tribunal hearings had a language interpreter provided to appellants whose first language was not English by the Courts and Tribunal Service in (1) 2021–22, (2) 2022–23, and (3) 2023–24.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Ministry of Justice does not hold the information requested.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of Social Security and Child Support Tribunal hearings were overturned in favour of the claimant in (1) 2020–21, (2) 2021–22, (3) 2022–23, and (4) 2023–24, broken down by (a) venue, (b) regional office, and (c) UK nation.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Decisions on benefits - typically, on a person’s entitlement to benefit, or its rate of payment - can be overturned on appeal for a variety of reasons. For instance, further evidence, including oral testimony, may be provided at the hearing. HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot comment on decisions made by independent tribunal judiciary.

Information about overturn rates for appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) is published on gov.uk. The most recent statistics, for the period October to December 2024, was published on 13 March 2025 and is copied below.

Notes:

1. At venue level, some venues either did not record any cases disposed of at hearing in certain years or were closed for some of the years reported. These values are shown as '..' instead of a number.

2. From April 2023 the SSCS Tribunal started to list cases using a new Scheduling and Listing solution. This, alongside HMCTS migrating to a new Strategic Data Platform, has resulted in some cases heard and decided using this new listing solution not currently being included in the data above. Revised data will be published as soon as they are available.

3. Data are not available for Northern Ireland as appeals for Northern Ireland are administered by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service.

4. Decisions in favour are those cases where the decision of the first-tier agency is revised in favour of the appellant.

5. Venues which did not record any hearings in the specified period have not been included in the data.

6. The regions to which the venues are attached are specific to this dataset and may not match other reports.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 22 April (HL Deb col 550), what is their expected timescale when they say that the publication of the proposed 'Hillsborough Law' is being taken forward “at pace”.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Families have waited decades to get justice 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.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

How many biological males are held in women's prisons.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

No transgender women who retain their birth genitalia, 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 number of transgender women prisoners in the general women's estate is in the low single figures.

This is as a result of decisions taken by past Justice Secretaries, and the current Government has not moved any transgender women into the general women’s estate since taking office.

We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy following the recent Supreme Court ruling. We will ensure that we are fully compliant with this ruling, which has brought long overdue and much needed clarity to this question.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign national offenders are in (a) the community and (b) prison as of 31 March 2025, broken down by nationality.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) in prison and the number of Foreign National Offenders supervised by the Probation Service as part of its Offender Management Statistics Quarterly. For the purposes of these statistics offenders supervised in the community include those subject to a court order or post release supervision by the Probation Service.

The requested data can be found:

• Prison population (based on the prison population as of 31 March 2025; latest available published data) can be found at Table 1_Q_12 in the attached link: prison-population-31-Mar-2025.ods.

• Offenders supervised by the Probation Service (on 31 December 2024; latest available published data) can be found at Table 6_9_Caseload_Nationality in the attached link: probation-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods. Probation data for the 31 March will not be available until 31 July when we publish data for 2025 Q1.

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. Between 5 July 2024 and 18 May 2025 more FNOs have been returned than in the same period 12 months prior under the previous Government. We are also investing £5 million in 82 new FNO Specialist roles in prisons to speed up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help support victims through the criminal justice system.

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

The Victims’ Code is a practical and useful guide for victims of crime to understand what they can expect from the criminal justice system and minimum service they should receive.

We will consult on a new Victims’ Code.

We also provide funding for victim support services to help victims recover from the impact of crime.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether all venues where Social Security and Child Support Tribunal hearings are held are accessible.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Social Security and Child Support Tribunal facilities provide a wide range of accessibility features such as step free building access, audio hearing capability, video hearing capability, fixed or portable hearing loops, facilities accessible by wheelchair and rooms that allow line of sight between the Judge and wheelchair user.

While not every accessibility feature is available in every tribunal hearing room, we are committed to ensuring tribunals are accessible to all users and aim to list cases at suitable venues when there are access needs. If a user has a disability that means they cannot access HMCTS information and services, they can request reasonable adjustments by phone, in person or in writing. If a user needs support in the hearing room, HMCTS will also discuss this with the judge hearing the case. Judges are committed to making sure everyone can give their best evidence, and everyone has a fair hearing.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to review sentencing for (a) careless driving that leads to (i) serious injury and (ii) death and (b) other driving offences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Safety on our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out next steps on this in due course.

Provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 increased the maximum penalty from 14 years’ imprisonment to life for the offences of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, and causing death by dangerous driving. These measures came into force on 28 June 2022 and apply to offences committed on or after that date.

The Sentencing Council has reflected these changes in the sentencing guidelines and the starting point for cases falling into the highest level of seriousness is now 12 years’ imprisonment, a significant increase from the previous 8 years’ starting point. The sentence range for the most serious instances is now 8 to 18 years’ imprisonment.

Although the starting points and sentence ranges for this offence have increased, the courts still retain the discretion to impose a life sentence where the seriousness of the offence is such that they consider it more appropriate and proportionate.

We continue to work alongside the Department for Transport to ensure sentencing law for driving offences is appropriate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the service provided by the (a) probate service and (b) probate service contractors.

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

Official statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show that despite continued high levels of receipts, the effectiveness of the service being provided continues to improve. Average waiting times are reducing and was 6 weeks, from receipt of the documentation needed across all types of grants, for grants issued during October to December 2024, down from 13 weeks for the same period in 2023 and the open caseload has reduced to 39,142 as at the end of December 2024, down from 77,904 at the end of 2023.

HMCTS administers the probate service with civil servants. When a third party provides a service, such as document scanning, HMCTS regularly meets with them to review performance against Service Level Agreements and has no concerns.

Average waiting times and open caseload for probate grants are routinely published on gov.uk via the Family Court Statistics: Family Court Statistics Quarterly - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoner death inquests were heard on the Isle of Wight in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024; and how many prisoner death inquests on the Isle of Wight are outstanding for those years.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

No inquests were concluded in 2023 and 2024 relating to prison deaths in the Isle of Wight coroner area. There were 13 such deaths in 2023 and 6 in 2024.

The data is unpublished management information derived from administrative systems and has not been subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics which are published by the Ministry of Justice.

My response to the Noble Lady’s Question HL7660 set out the steps which the Isle of Wight Council is taking, together with the Senior Coroner and the Chief Coroner, to address the issue of inquest backlogs. As I also confirmed in that response, the Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible, and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the breach of security which allowed data to be stolen from the Legal Aid Agency, and what action they are taking to mitigate the damage which could ensue.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

On Wednesday 23 April, the department became aware of a cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s online digital services.

In the days following the discovery, we took immediate action to bolster the security of the system, and informed all legal aid providers that some of their details, including financial information, may have been compromised.

Since then, we have worked closely with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to bolster the security of our systems so we can safely continue the vital work of the agency, as well as informing the Information Commissioner.

On Friday 16 May we discovered the attack was more extensive than originally understood and that the group behind it had accessed a large amount of information relating to legal aid applicants. It became clear that to safeguard the service and its users, we needed to take the online service down.

We have put in place the necessary contingency plans to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time.

The Ministry of Justice published a statement at 08:15 on the 19 May on GOV.UK. The statement provides information about the cyber attack and directs concerned members of the public to the National Cyber Security Centre’s webpage.

This data breach is the result of heinous criminal activity, but it was made possible by the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. They knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but did not act. By contrast, since taking office, this Government have 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.

The Legal Aid Agency launched a dedicated helpline on 27 May for members of the public who are concerned they may have been affected by the data breach.

To ensure that legal aid providers have the latest position with respect to legal aid applications and billing contingencies, and that affected parties can access the latest developments on the incident, the Legal Aid Agency has created a dedicated space with contingencies and useful resources: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/legal-aid-agency-cyber-security-incident.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to mitigate the potential impact of fixed term recalls of 28 days on levels of violence against women and children.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government inherited a justice system in crisis. If our prisons run out of space, we would risk the safety of thousands of victims and the wider public. The measure being introduced excludes anyone sentenced to more than 4 years, anyone who has committed a serious further offence and anyone subject to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) levels 2 and 3. These multi agency arrangements will apply to certain sexual and violent offenders, including many domestic abusers. This will ensure these types of offenders can continue to receive longer recall periods where appropriate. We will be setting out further details of exemptions and safeguards when we put the Statutory Instrument before parliament. However, without this measure, we would run out of prison places by November 2025.

All offenders are subject to robust licence conditions on release, such as tagging, curfew, protective orders and exclusion zones. They may be recalled again for breach of those conditions.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the cost to the public purse of incarcerating foreign national offenders in the last 12 months.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We do not disaggregate prison running costs by nationality and the cost to hold individuals depends on the category of prison. Our unit costs for holding prisoners are published on GOV.UK alongside the HM Prison and Probation Service Annual Report and Accounts. Data on the number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) in custody is published in Offender Management Statistics quarterly on GOV.UK.

This Government is deporting more foreign national offenders than the last Conservative Government. Between 5 July 2024 and 18 May 2025, 4,436 FNOs have been returned which is 14% more than the 3,879 in the same period 12 months prior. We are also investing £5 million to 82 new FNO Specialist roles in prisons to speed up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) Category A, (b) Category B, (c) Category C and (d) Category D prison spaces her Department plans to build by 2031 as part of the Prison Capacity Strategy.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The prison population has nearly doubled in the past three decades, with just 500 extra prison places added in the last 14 years. To put an end to this crisis, the Government confirmed plans to invest £4.7 billion more in prison building, putting the Government on track to open 14,000 places by 2031. This is the largest prison expansion programme since the Victorians. Since July 2024, 2,400 places have already been opened.

As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, we are committed to delivering the remaining 14,000 places of the 20,000 prison place programmes and aim to do so by 2031. Around 8,500 of these places have been delivered through three new Category C prisons, hundreds of rapid deployment cells, essential refurbishments and modern houseblocks.

We plan to deliver three more new prisons; these include a new prison in Leicestershire which will add c.1,700 places to the Category B estate, a new prison in Buckinghamshire that will add c.1,500 places to the Category C estate and a new prison in Lancashire that will add c.1,700 places to the Category C estate.

We also plan to deliver additional places through the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate and temporary accommodation. These places will add c.1,750 places to the Category B estate, c.4,200 places to the Category C estate, c.1,550 places to the Category D estate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support individuals with unspent convictions seeking employment.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We know that finding employment after release reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why the Government’s manifesto commits to break the cycle of reoffending by better supporting prisons to link up with employers and the voluntary sector.

Employment roles are in place across all 93 resettlement prisons to prepare prisoners for work on release, match them to jobs and provide ID documents to secure work. These are supported by employment advisory boards, linking local employers with the prison resettlement.

We have launched regional Employment Councils which bring businesses together with prisons, probation and the Department of Work and Pensions to support offenders in the community.

In addition, HMPPS’ Creating Future Opportunities programme offers tailored support for ex-offenders - particularly those who are furthest from the labour market - to secure employment, training and education opportunities for release.

We also work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure support is in place for ex-offenders in the community, for example, through co-location of services.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison spaces were available across all Category C specialist sex offender prisons as of 30 April 2025.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

There are 9 specialist category C prisons that hold only prisoners convicted of sexual offences. These are listed below, alongside their published operational capacity on 28 April 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her planned expansion of tagging capabilities will be managed under the current tagging contract.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The current contracts for the delivery of the electronic monitoring service have the capacity to manage the proposed increase in demand.

The Procurement of Electronic Monitoring was conducted by the previous Government in 2023. It was conducted in line with Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Cabinet Office Sourcing Playbook (version May 2021) where all bids were fully and appropriately evaluated, including capacity, resulting in Serco being confirmed as the winning bid for the Field and Monitoring Service contract.

The Public Contracts Regulations allow suppliers to be excluded from bidding for new contracts in certain circumstances, such as certain criminal offences and previous poor performance. Serco and Allied Universal (G4S) complied with all of the requirements and standards set out in legislation and on that basis, they were entitled to bid for this contract.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what due diligence was undertaken before reappointing Serco and G4S for electronic monitoring services.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The current contracts for the delivery of the electronic monitoring service have the capacity to manage the proposed increase in demand.

The Procurement of Electronic Monitoring was conducted by the previous Government in 2023. It was conducted in line with Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Cabinet Office Sourcing Playbook (version May 2021) where all bids were fully and appropriately evaluated, including capacity, resulting in Serco being confirmed as the winning bid for the Field and Monitoring Service contract.

The Public Contracts Regulations allow suppliers to be excluded from bidding for new contracts in certain circumstances, such as certain criminal offences and previous poor performance. Serco and Allied Universal (G4S) complied with all of the requirements and standards set out in legislation and on that basis, they were entitled to bid for this contract.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date the transfer of Joanna Rowland-Stuart to HMP Downview was authorised by her Department; and what the authorisation process was.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We do not provide information that includes the personal details of individuals.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46820 on Electronic Tagging: Standards, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of the capacity of Serco to deliver on its contract.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The current contracts for the delivery of the electronic monitoring service have the capacity to manage the proposed increase in demand.

The Procurement of Electronic Monitoring was conducted by the previous Government in 2023. It was conducted in line with Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Cabinet Office Sourcing Playbook (version May 2021) where all bids were fully and appropriately evaluated, including capacity, resulting in Serco being confirmed as the winning bid for the Field and Monitoring Service contract.

The Public Contracts Regulations allow suppliers to be excluded from bidding for new contracts in certain circumstances, such as certain criminal offences and previous poor performance. Serco and Allied Universal (G4S) complied with all of the requirements and standards set out in legislation and on that basis, they were entitled to bid for this contract.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much income her Department has received from the sale of court transcripts to victims in each of the last five years.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

HM Courts and Tribunals Service receives no income from the sale of court transcripts to victims. The service is provided under contract and suppliers provide court transcripts for a fee.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce court backlogs for residents in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. For this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 110,000 sitting days this year, 4,000 higher than the last Government funded. However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve.

That is why we have commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to conduct a review of efficiency that will propose once-in-a-generation reform to deliver swifter justice for victims.

In civil justice, courts and tribunals are sitting at, or close to maximum judicial capacity in every jurisdiction.

In the Fylde constituency:

Crown Jurisdiction:

• We continue to operate all 13 Crown courtrooms across the Lancashire estate to maximise use of sitting days. Along with a robust case management approach Lancashire runs an Expedited Domestic Abuse trial scheme where Domestic Abuse cases are prioritised and given a trial date within 16 weeks.

Magistrates Jurisdiction:

• Over the last 12 months we have successfully recruited 6 Trainee Legal Advisers which has meant we have been able to increase the number of courts held each week from 30 to 65, reducing waiting times across Lancashire.

Family Jurisdiction:

• Our focus across Lancashire is to progress the family cases in as timely a way as possible whilst balancing the individual circumstances and needs of each case. The Designated Family Judge, along with HMCTS, has implemented a robust case progression initiative. Cases are reviewed and cases that are suitable for the hearing date to be brought forward are prioritised. This is achieved by utilising courtroom capacity that becomes available from other cases resolving.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on the use of mediation in administrative justice claims.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Administrative justice issues extend across a very broad range of diverse disputes and jurisdictions. The Government continues to engage with stakeholders on the use of Dispute Resolution across various jurisdictions.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she had made an assessment of the potential merits of the use of mandatory mediation in (a) group actions and (b) class action claims.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The merits of mediation are considerable. It offers parties a swifter and less costly way to resolve legal disputes and can save parties the time and cost of going to court, thus saving sitting days and reducing the court backlog.

The Government has no plans to consider mandatory mediation at this time but continues to explore opportunities to expand the use of dispute resolution across the civil justice system.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the grievance and complaints process in employment claims to mandate mediation.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has not made a decision to introduce mandatory mediation in Employment Tribunal claims. We are continuing to explore and assess the potential merits of options to utilise more mediation and alternative dispute resolution in the context of the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on the expansion of mandatory mediation to higher value claims.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice continues to engage with stakeholders to explore ways that Dispute Resolution can be used across various jurisdictions. No decision has been made to introduce mandatory mediation to higher value claims, and options to use different Dispute Resolution approaches remain open.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has had recent discussions with Lawtech UK on the feasibility study for an SME online dispute resolution platform.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

In 2021, LawtechUK delivered a feasibility study for the development of an online platform that could assist smaller businesses in recovering unpaid debts. The study demonstrated how the platform could be established and become financially self-sustaining. It set out a business case for potential developers and estimated that the platform, if built, could support the resolution of 200,000 disputes over a five-year period, accounting for £3.4 billion in debt value.

The intention of the study was not for LawtechUK or Government to fund or develop the platform itself but was aimed at raising awareness of the issue and encourage innovative developers to build and finance the technology. The current phase of LawtechUK does not have any plans to revisit this issue at present.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of mandatory self-regulation on third party litigation funders.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the critical role litigation funding plays in ensuring access to justice.

Following the PACCAR judgment, concerns have been raised about the need for greater regulation of the litigation funding market, which currently operates a system of voluntary self-regulation.

The Civil Justice Council is considering this issue in its review of litigation funding in England and Wales, which will conclude in summer 2025. Once the Government receives this report, it will assess the potential impact of its recommendations on funders, claimants and the wider market.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to encourage higher attendance rates at the Small Claims Mediation Service.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Since the introduction of integrated mediation for small claims under £10,000 in the county courts in 2024, attendance at mediation appointments has been mandatory. As part of the litigation journey, parties are required to attend a free, one-hour mediation appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service.

Where mediation is not successful, the case will progress to a court hearing.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost was of her Department's language services contracts in 2024.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The cost for all language service contracts in 2024 was £31,625,158.35.

It is a legal requirement that these services are provided.

The procurement for these services follows the requirements of the Public Procurement Act, and delivers value for money for the taxpayer through robust competition and rigorous governance.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with the Small Claims Mediation Service on the introduction of mandatory mediation for small claims.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The HMCTS Small Claims Mediation Service has been closely involved in the implementation of mandatory mediation for small claims in the county courts, working together with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the service and its staff are fully prepared to manage the increase in case volume.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Extended Determinate Sentences have been handed down in England and Wales in the last 10 years (a) in total (b) by specific offense.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of offenders in England and Wales found guilty and given an extended determinate sentence, up to December 2024.

This data is available by offence from the Outcomes by Offence Data tool accessed from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2024.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 75 per cent of their sentence were convicted of (a) actual bodily harm and (b) grievous bodily harm.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

No prisoners are eligible for automatic release at the 75% point.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the potential benefits of outsourcing services and providing services in-house.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government is committed to ensuring professional Facility Management services across its prison and probation estate. A 2023 assessment conducted in partnership with the Cabinet Office determined that an insourced solution was not the preferred option for future prison and probation maintenance services. Financial analysis determined that an outsourced option would be more cost effective and deliver the best value for money. A programme of work has been initiated that will put in place new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for prisons and probation. These are being competitively tendered. However, this approach is kept under constant review to ensure we get the best value for taxpayers’ money.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 75 per cent of their sentence were convicted of carrying a knife or blade.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

No prisoners are eligible for automatic release at the 75% point.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people who are eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 75 per cent of their sentence were convicted of rape.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

No prisoners are eligible for automatic release at the 75% point.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 17767 on Prisons: Research, when she plans to publish the response to the Ipsos MORI research project on the retributive benefit of prison.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Ministry of Justice officials received research findings from Ipsos MORI in November last year (2024) and are currently considering the implications of the work.

Research findings are published in accordance with Government Social Research guidelines, following a peer review process to ensure the quality and robustness of the work. Until that has taken place, findings cannot be published.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she last met with the leadership of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

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

The Secretary of State met the incoming interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Dame Vera Baird DBE KC, on 3 June 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase prosecution rates for online child sexual exploitation offences and (b) support victims throughout the legal process.

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

The Government continues work to deliver meaningful change for victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. I refer the Hon Member to the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girl's statement made to Parliament on 08 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation and respond to the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The full statement can be found here: Hansard

Under the Victims’ Code, all victims including children and young people, are entitled to be given information about their case and be referred to victim support services by the police to help them cope and recover. Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales also receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice’s victim and witness budget to commission support services for victims of all crime types and all ages. This includes funding for Independent Sexual Violence Advisors who play an important role in supporting victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, including children and young people, through the criminal justice process.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of demand for independent sexual violence advisers in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

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

The Ministry of Justice recognises the important role that Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) play in supporting victims of sexual violence.

The Department provides annual grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales for the provision of emotional, practical and therapeutic support to victims which includes advocacy support from ISVAs. The provision of ISVA services across all PCC areas (including Thames Valley, which covers both Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes) is monitored through bi-annual reports. We have protected dedicated VAWG victims spending in the Department by maintaining previous funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support in 2025/26.

Once commenced, the Duty to Collaborate will build greater local insight into demand for sexual abuse services, including ISVAs. The Duty will require local policing bodies, local authorities and integrated care boards to conduct joint needs assessments in their areas, assessing victim demand for services and subsequently publishing local strategies to address these.

We continue to work closely with local commissioners to ensure that victims in all areas, including Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, have access to support.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to commission an independent inquiry into the (a) scientific validity, (b) cost and (c) potential misuse of hair strand testing for methamphetamine in family court proceedings.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice has no plans to commission an independent inquiry into the (a) scientific validity, (b) cost and (c) potential misuse of hair strand testing for methamphetamine in family court proceedings.

The President of the Family Division has set up a working group of the Family Justice Council on the use of hair strand testing in the family courts. We await the group’s findings with interest.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) off-contract bookings and (b) contract-based interpreter services.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We do not hold spend data for each region. Total annual spend across all 4 language services contracts, with % increases have been calculated and set out below:

Off-contract spend:

The use of off-contract is typically to cover requirements that arise at short notice and those that are more challenging to fulfil, such as the requirement for languages that are rare or scarce, and as such are more expensive to source. The use of off-contract interpreters allows hearings to go ahead, to continue the delivery of justice.

The next generation of contracts, currently being procured, includes the use of a secondary supplier of interpreters, specifically to source those short notice bookings, and to bring this spend on-contract, with benefits such as improved data and value for money.

Performance levels can be accessed via the Published statistics, which can be found at: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK

Comparison (2020–2024)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the increase in court translator costs in each region in England and Wales in the last five year.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We do not hold spend data for each region. Total annual spend across all 4 language services contracts, with % increases have been calculated and set out below:

Off-contract spend:

The use of off-contract is typically to cover requirements that arise at short notice and those that are more challenging to fulfil, such as the requirement for languages that are rare or scarce, and as such are more expensive to source. The use of off-contract interpreters allows hearings to go ahead, to continue the delivery of justice.

The next generation of contracts, currently being procured, includes the use of a secondary supplier of interpreters, specifically to source those short notice bookings, and to bring this spend on-contract, with benefits such as improved data and value for money.

Performance levels can be accessed via the Published statistics, which can be found at: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK

Comparison (2020–2024)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help increase levels of access to legal aid for people in rural areas in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

It is vital that those who need legal aid, some of the most vulnerable people in our society, can access it wherever they live. We are funding provisions such as Advicenow, which is an online provision.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) monitors the numbers of providers in each procurement area and across all categories of law. It takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise and works closely with the Ministry of Justice on policy solutions concerning the supply of legal aid.

Procurement for legal aid contracts is now operated under the ‘always on principle’ so that the procurement remains open during the life of the contract. This is a significant change from the previous approach where firms could only bid to join at the initial tender of what typically was a five-year contract term. This new approach enables new entrants to apply for a contract at any time and for existing providers to expand their services. It is a more flexible approach removing hard deadlines and maximising the available supply of services.

The LAA is satisfied that there is adequate access to legal aid services in Harpenden and Berkhamsted across all categories of legal aid. Provision includes local services such as duty solicitor schemes and national services such as early legal advice under the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service and advice relating to housing, debt, education and discrimination via the Civil Legal Advice telephone service.

The Ministry of Justice has recently concluded a consultation on uplifts to civil legal aid fees (which once fully implemented, would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year), and is currently consulting on funding of up to £92 million more a year for criminal legal aid solicitors.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether HMP Eastwood Park plan to close, or have closed, their programme for women prisoners aged 50 and over.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The number of older prisoners has risen significantly over the past 20 years, and we recognise that this can pose particular challenges for some prisons.

The Model of Operational Delivery for older prisoners published by His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, sets out how prisons should support all older prisoners, including older women and older prisoners on short sentences.

We have accepted in principle the vast majority of the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendations and we will work with partners and the sector as we develop our approach.

The contract for HMP/YOI Eastwood Park’s current programme for prisoners aged 50 and over, is due to end. To replace it, HMP Eastwood Park plans to put out a tender for similar services, but covering the entire population, rather than only those over 50.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has discussed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill with representatives of the Welsh Government.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Secretary of State has not discussed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill with counterparts in the Welsh Government.

The Government is neutral on the matter of assisted dying and the passage of the Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will list the offences for which the Single Justice Procedure can be used.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We do not have a list of the offences prosecutable under the Single Justice Procedure (SJP). It can be used to deal with any non-imprisonable summary-only offence in cases which are non-contested and where the prosecutor considers it appropriate. In all SJP cases, the defendant has the option to choose for their case to be heard in open court rather than through the SJP process.

Our consultation on the Oversight and Regulation of Private Prosecutors, which closed on 8 May 2025, looks at the operation of the SJP generally. We are analysing the responses which will inform future work in this area, including the need for reforms to ensure the SJP operates in a fair and transparent manner.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to protect people whose criminal histories were made public as a result of the recent Legal Aid data breach.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

To reach as many potentially impacted individuals as possible, the Ministry of Justice published a notice at 08:15 on 19 May on GOV.UK. The statement provides information about the cyber-attack and directs concerned members of the public to the National Cyber Security Centre’s webpage.

Further, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has set up a dedicated helpline that will be available from Tuesday 27 May for members of the public who are concerned they may have been affected by the LAA data breach. HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) is working with the LAA to facilitate this by standing up an operational call centre team to handle telephone calls.

In the days following the discovery, we took immediate action to inform all legal aid providers that some of their details, including financial information, may have been compromised. Further updates, including the decision to temporarily take the LAA's portal offline and contingency measures implemented have been provided by email and a dedicated information page relating to the cyber-attack has been set up: Legal Aid Agency cyber-security incident - GOV.UK.

The cyber-attack is subject to an ongoing investigation and the LAA continues to work closely with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre. Appropriate actions have been taken to mitigate the impact of the attack and contingency measures have been put in place to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time, as outlined on LAA’s dedicated information page.

At the current time, no information about previous or current legal aid service users, such as criminal histories, has been made public as a result of the cyber attack.

This data breach is the result of heinous criminal activity, but it was enabled by the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but did not act. By contrast, since taking office, this Government have 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.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support residents of Fylde who were impacted by the recent Legal Aid data leak.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

To reach as many potentially impacted individuals as possible, the Ministry of Justice published a notice at 08:15 on 19 May on GOV.UK. The statement provides information about the cyber-attack and directs concerned members of the public to the National Cyber Security Centre’s webpage.

Further, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has set up a dedicated helpline that will be available from Tuesday 27 May for members of the public who are concerned they may have been affected by the LAA data breach. HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) is working with the LAA to facilitate this by standing up an operational call centre team to handle telephone calls.

In the days following the discovery, we took immediate action to inform all legal aid providers that some of their details, including financial information, may have been compromised. Further updates, including the decision to temporarily take the LAA's portal offline and contingency measures implemented have been provided by email and a dedicated information page relating to the cyber-attack has been set up: Legal Aid Agency cyber-security incident - GOV.UK.

The cyber-attack is subject to an ongoing investigation and the LAA continues to work closely with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre. Appropriate actions have been taken to mitigate the impact of the attack and contingency measures have been put in place to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time, as outlined on LAA’s dedicated information page.

At the current time, no information about previous or current legal aid service users, such as criminal histories, has been made public as a result of the cyber attack.

This data breach is the result of heinous criminal activity, but it was enabled by the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but did not act. By contrast, since taking office, this Government have 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.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the cost of off-contract bookings for interpreter bookings in the last five years.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We do not hold spend data for each region. Total annual spend across all 4 language services contracts, with % increases have been calculated and set out below:

Off-contract spend:

The use of off-contract is typically to cover requirements that arise at short notice and those that are more challenging to fulfil, such as the requirement for languages that are rare or scarce, and as such are more expensive to source. The use of off-contract interpreters allows hearings to go ahead, to continue the delivery of justice.

The next generation of contracts, currently being procured, includes the use of a secondary supplier of interpreters, specifically to source those short notice bookings, and to bring this spend on-contract, with benefits such as improved data and value for money.

Performance levels can be accessed via the Published statistics, which can be found at: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK

Comparison (2020–2024)

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Found: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to providing an effective and high-quality interpreting service

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, col 103, when she plans to provide an update on the work of the health and justice strategic advisory group.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, and the group’s membership is still in the process of being confirmed.

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group has not yet started its work. The National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning, and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group, and its first meeting is expected to take place in early July.

The Chair will provide a quarterly report on progress and impact to ministers in both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care, with the first report expected in the Autumn.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, col 103, what the remit of the health and justice strategic advisory group is.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, and the group’s membership is still in the process of being confirmed.

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group has not yet started its work. The National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning, and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group, and its first meeting is expected to take place in early July.

The Chair will provide a quarterly report on progress and impact to ministers in both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care, with the first report expected in the Autumn.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, col 103, how many times the health and justice strategy advisory group has met.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, and the group’s membership is still in the process of being confirmed.

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group has not yet started its work. The National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning, and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group, and its first meeting is expected to take place in early July.

The Chair will provide a quarterly report on progress and impact to ministers in both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care, with the first report expected in the Autumn.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, col 103, who the (a) chair and (b) members of the health and justice strategic advisory group are.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, and the group’s membership is still in the process of being confirmed.

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group has not yet started its work. The National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning, and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group, and its first meeting is expected to take place in early July.

The Chair will provide a quarterly report on progress and impact to ministers in both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care, with the first report expected in the Autumn.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice of 31 March 2025 in the debate on the Report Stage of the Mental Health Bill, Official Report, House of Lords, col 103, how she plans to monitor the effectiveness of the health and justice strategy advisory group.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group will be chaired by NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, and the group’s membership is still in the process of being confirmed.

The mental health and justice strategic advisory group has not yet started its work. The National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity, along with senior leads in health and justice, specialised commissioning, and community mental health are in the process of agreeing the terms of reference for the group, and its first meeting is expected to take place in early July.

The Chair will provide a quarterly report on progress and impact to ministers in both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care, with the first report expected in the Autumn.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of withdrawing the UK from the Aarhus Convention to enable damages to be sought from people who bring frivolous judicial reviews relating to road infrastructure projects.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government remains committed to protecting access to justice in environmental cases, while supporting the timely delivery of infrastructure projects under the Government’s Growth Mission.

The issue of cost caps relating to Judicial Review in the planning context was considered by Lord Banner in his independent review published in October 2024. He did not recommend any change to the default cost caps in Aarhus cases. Judges already have the power to vary costs caps upwards or downwards according to the particular circumstances in a case. The MoJ published a call for evidence on Lord Banner’s recommendations on 28 October 2024, alongside the publication of his report by MHCLG. The call for evidence closed on 30 December.

Some of Lord Banner’s recommendations have been taken into the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and will tighten the judicial review process to cut delays for major infrastructure projects and look to strike the right balance between improving efficiency and ensuring access to justice. The change will only allow one attempt at legal challenge, instead of three, for meritless claims and two for other claims. These changes will prevent meritless claims from holding up projects by exhausting the appeals process and will ensure legitimate legal challenges are heard promptly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with local authorities to help reduce the time taken for ECHP tribunals to be heard in the North East.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to help reduce the time families wait for appeal hearings about education, health and care (EHC) plan appeals.

MoJ recently recruited 70 new judges and increased administrative staffing by 10% to help process appeals. The use of judicial case management powers to settle cases earlier has also been expanded, and the Tribunal Procedure Committee have recently amended its rules to allow individual judges to determine whether appeals against a refusal to conduct an EHC needs assessment should be conducted in writing (known as ‘on paper’), which is quicker than a full oral hearing.

The tribunal always prioritises phase transfer appeals for children and young people who are moving school/placement in September and offers parents and young people the opportunity to have appeals heard throughout school holidays and paper hearings when there is capacity.

As the tribunal are hearing 99.5% of appeals remotely, all regions across England are served equitably.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) children under 16 and (b) young people between the ages of 16 and 25 are successful in their (i) PIP and (ii) DLA applications at (A) initial application and (B) appeal stage in (1) Bournemouth and (2) the rest of the UK.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Between October 2019 and September 2024, for claimants aged 16 to 25 inclusive, in England and Wales, there were 346,000 PIP clearances that were awarded at initial decision, which was 60% of initial PIP clearances for that age range. For the same clearances, 15,000 (3% of initial clearances) were awarded at the mandatory reconsideration stage (between the initial decision and appeal stage), 5,000 (1% of initial decisions) were lapsed, where the Department revises its decision in favour of the claimant before reaching tribunal, and 9,000 (2% of initial decisions) were overturned in favour of the claimant at appeal.

Between October 2019 and September 2024, for claimants aged 16 to 25 in Bournemouth, there were 1,090 PIP clearances that were awarded at initial decision, which was 57% of PIP clearances for that age range. For the same clearances, 50 (3% of initial clearances) were awarded at the mandatory reconsideration stage (between the initial decision and appeal stage), 20 (1% of initial clearances) were lapsed, where the Department revises its decision in favour of the claimants before reaching tribunal, and 30 (2% of initial clearances) were overturned in favour of the claimant at appeal.

Claimants aged under 16 cannot claim PIP.

For Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the information requested is not readily available for the specified geographical breakdowns. To provide this would incur a disproportionate cost. We have provided the information requested for England & Wales below:

(a) In FY24/25, 179,000 normal claims were awarded DLA for children. This is equivalent to a success rate of 84%.

(b) The latest Tribunal Statistics by Ministry of Justice indicates there were 1,390 decisions in favour of claimants that were cleared at hearing, equivalent to a success rate of 59%, between Q1-Q3 of FY2024/25.

Notes:

- Figures provided above are for PIP claims within DWP policy ownership and therefore exclude claimants in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

- PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for end of life claimants, and is for both new claims and DLA reassessment claims.

- PIP data has been rounded to the nearest 1,000 for England and Wales level data, and rounded to the nearest 10 for data relating specifically to Bournemouth.

- Percentages have been rounded to the nearest percent.

- Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

- PIP data has been expanded to a 5-year time span to provide adequate data specific to Bournemouth.

- Appeals data is currently available to the end of December 2024. Because of this, clearances (which are available to the end of January 2025) have had to be limited to the end of September 2024 to allow time for a claimant to go through the appeal process which takes an average of 3 months.

- Appeals data taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore, this appeals data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.

- Not all Tribunal appeals will relate to the outcome of the PIP assessment, but other aspects of the PIP process.

- The Local Authority of Bournemouth was used to identify claimants in Bournemouth. The Local Authority geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode) rather than the location of where the tribunal was held.

- Figures for DLA are rounded to the nearest thousand in (a) and nearest 10 in (b).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) charges have been brought, (b) prosecutions there have been and (c) convictions there have been for unlawful abortions in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

All women in England and Wales should have access to safe, regulated abortions on the NHS under our current laws. It is for Parliament to decide the circumstances under which abortions should take place, allowing members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs. Decisions to bring a prosecution about abortion are for the independent Crown Prosecution Service.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of notifiable offences, including the number of procuring illegal abortion offences, and intentional destruction of a viable unborn child offences, recorded by the police in England and Wales. This information is published as official statistics each quarter. The latest information, to the year ending December 2024, can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/police-recorded-crime-and-outcomes-open-data-tables

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions under the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 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:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle the (a) palliative, (b) end of life care and (c) other medical needs of older prisoners.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As a signatory to the National Partnership Agreement for Health and Social Care for people in contact with the criminal justice system, the Department is committed to working with the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, NHS England, and the UK Health Security Agency to ensure that safe, legal, decent, and effective care that improves health outcomes and reduces health inequalities is provided for all prisoners, including those who are elderly.

NHS England is responsible for providing a full range of healthcare services to meet the needs of the prison population. Every prison will have a health needs assessment undertaken on a regular basis which is then used to locally determine the health needs and requirements of that prison’s population. This includes supporting elderly prisoners in their palliative care, end of life care, and other health needs such as dementia care. Local authorities also have a duty to support elderly prisoners with their social care needs.

The Dying Well in Custody Charter and supporting self-assessment framework describes a set of national standards for local adoption and provides a tool for a local multi-disciplinary approach to providing agreed standards of palliative and end of life care to people in prison. The charter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dying-well-in-custody-charter/#:~:text=It%20is%20the%20last%20thing,of%20their%20place%20of%20death

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Found: Jo Farrar appointed as new Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary

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Found: (Ministry of Justice, 20241)4 Cafcass Cymru Domestic Abuse Practice Guidance: Engaging with Perpetrators

Found: Figure 20: ‘At fault’ and ‘no-fault’ claims issued across Wales – previous 10 years (Source: Ministry of Justice

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