Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the potential impact on victim support arising from the announced reduction, by nearly half, in funding for the West Mercia Police Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre; and in light of these funding cuts, how will the Department ensure that all survivors of sexual violence referred to this centre continue to receive the timely and high‑quality support they deserve.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
My Department is committed to the Government’s pledge to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade. We have committed £550 million to victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date.
On 1 December 2025, all Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and recipients of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) received confirmation that their Ministry of Justice grants will be extended for two years until March 2028, with a 2% year-on-year uplift. This includes the grants the Ministry of Justice holds with West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) and with West Mercia PCC, who will make decisions on which organisations to fund locally, based on their assessment of need.
The grant the Department holds with WMRSASC has been unchanged since August 2023 when the RASASF was recompeted via an open competition.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidelines his Department provides to HM Courts & Tribunals staff on promoting awareness of the principles of the (a) Equality Act 2010 and (b) Children Act 1989; and what steps he takes to evaluate whether HM Courts & Tribunals apply these principles.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) provides staff with mandatory training and comprehensive guidance to support awareness and application of the principles of both the Equality Act 2010 and the Children Act 1989.
This includes digital learning on reasonable adjustments, safeguarding policy and private and public law proceedings, supported by standard operating procedures, job cards, and Equality Impact Assessments.
HMCTS also promotes inclusive practice with internal working groups and by evaluating how the principles of both Acts are followed. This includes regular reporting on activity and pilot programmes such as the Family Court Pathfinder which aims to improve outcomes for children and families.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to publish the assessment made by her Department with the Cabinet Office of prison maintenance undertaken in 2023.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
The assessment carried out in partnership with the Cabinet Office in 2023, was conducted in line with Cabinet Office guidance and was consistent with the options appraisal approach prescribed by HM Treasury.
The information contained within the assessment is commercially sensitive and as such there is no intention to publish the assessment as this may prejudice future procurement exercises.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions (a) she, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in her Department have had on the sale of her Department's property at Tardebigge.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
The Ministry of Justice is in discussions with a potential purchaser for the former HMP Hewell Grange.
We are unable to comment further on these discussions at this time due to commercial confidentiality.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of numbers of magistrates.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to increasing the number of magistrates and we aim to recruit up to 2,000 magistrates per year. We are investing in recruitment to ensure that we build a larger and more diverse group of magistrates to meet the needs of our courts. We are also continuously improving our recruitment process collaborating with the magistracy and Advisory Committees.
As of 01 April 2024, there were 14,576 active magistrates in England and Wales, an increase of 2,907 since the start of the Magistrate Attraction and Recruitment Campaign in January 2022. The next set of statistics for the period April 2024 to March 2025 will be published in July 2025.