Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an estimate of the costs incurred by police forces and courts as a result of the recent mistaken release of three prisoners.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address the issue.
Locating and re-apprehending suspects relate to policing and are a matter for the Home Office. There is no inherent court cost involved in the release in error cases.
The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps has his department has taken to mitigate the financial impact of the mistaken release of prisoners.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address the issue.
Locating and re-apprehending suspects relate to policing and are a matter for the Home Office. There is no inherent court cost involved in the release in error cases.
The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of legal protections for co-habiting couples compared with married couples.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government shares concerns that existing protections for cohabiting couples are limited and the weakness of these protections can disproportionately affect women, children and the vulnerable. The Government considers this to be an issue that affects communities across England and Wales, including in rural constituencies like West Dorset.
Cohabitation reform is a matter of utmost importance. That is why the Government committed in its manifesto to strengthen rights and protections for cohabiting couples. We will be launching a public consultation by Spring next year to explore how best to strengthen cohabitants’ rights, while maintaining marriage as one of our most important institutions.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of differences in legal protections between co-habiting and married couples on families in West Dorset.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government shares concerns that existing protections for cohabiting couples are limited and the weakness of these protections can disproportionately affect women, children and the vulnerable. The Government considers this to be an issue that affects communities across England and Wales, including in rural constituencies like West Dorset.
Cohabitation reform is a matter of utmost importance. That is why the Government committed in its manifesto to strengthen rights and protections for cohabiting couples. We will be launching a public consultation by Spring next year to explore how best to strengthen cohabitants’ rights, while maintaining marriage as one of our most important institutions.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to review the rights of co-habiting couples in rural constituencies such as West Dorset.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government shares concerns that existing protections for cohabiting couples are limited and the weakness of these protections can disproportionately affect women, children and the vulnerable. The Government considers this to be an issue that affects communities across England and Wales, including in rural constituencies like West Dorset.
Cohabitation reform is a matter of utmost importance. That is why the Government committed in its manifesto to strengthen rights and protections for cohabiting couples. We will be launching a public consultation by Spring next year to explore how best to strengthen cohabitants’ rights, while maintaining marriage as one of our most important institutions.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reform the rights of co-habiting couples following separation.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government shares concerns that existing protections for cohabiting couples are limited and the weakness of these protections can disproportionately affect women, children and the vulnerable. The Government considers this to be an issue that affects communities across England and Wales, including in rural constituencies like West Dorset.
Cohabitation reform is a matter of utmost importance. That is why the Government committed in its manifesto to strengthen rights and protections for cohabiting couples. We will be launching a public consultation by Spring next year to explore how best to strengthen cohabitants’ rights, while maintaining marriage as one of our most important institutions.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department plans to take to help tackle misinformation in relation to cases which are sub judice.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Rules and restrictions on what can be said during ongoing court proceedings are vital to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered. However, the Government recognises that social media is putting these long-established rules under strain especially in cases where partial or inaccurate information appears online. The Law Commission are considering these issues as part of their review of the law on contempt of court. We have asked them to expedite those elements of the review relating to our ability to counter misinformation and advise on any changes needed to address the challenges this raises. The Commission are due to report later this year.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of legal aid reductions on the availability of advice services.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Over the last decade we recognise there has been increased pressure on advice services.
Legal aid is intended to support those who need it most, while still delivering value for the taxpayer. However, the Government recognises it sits within a wider system of legal support and that the provision of legal support, provided by the advice sector, is important to help people assert their rights and resolve their legal problems, and enable those who are not eligible for legal aid to access justice.
Since coming into power, the Labour Government has made substantial investments in civil and criminal legal aid. We have recently consulted on funding of up to £92 million more a year for criminal legal aid solicitors, on top of the £24 million we implemented last year for criminal solicitors. We have also confirmed we will be uplifting fees for housing and immigration legal aid: an increase of £20 million a year once fully implemented.
In addition, the Ministry of Justice is providing over £6 million of grant funding in 2025-26 to 60 organisations to improve access to free legal support and information, both in-person and online. In addition, we are working with the advice sector and have established the Legal Support Strategy Delivery Group, which is comprised of key stakeholders from across the legal support and advice sector, to co-design a long-term plan to make the legal support system more sustainable, effective and efficient. The plan focuses on the themes of service delivery, data and evidence, and funding.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that face-to-face meetings are available to claimants during the Personal Independence Payment appeals process.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Listing appeals, including the mode of hearing, is a judicial function, and HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot comment on decisions made by independent tribunal judiciary.
As part of the appeal process, appellants are given the option to select the most suitable hearing types for them. This includes attending a tribunal venue for a face-to-face hearing; a video or telephone hearing; or for the appeal to be determined on the papers. The Department for Work and Pensions, as Respondent to the appeal, is also given the opportunity to express their preference for the type of hearing they would like. Most hearings are currently held in person at a tribunal venue.
The President of the First-Tier Social Entitlement Chamber has published a Guidance Note on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Website covering the mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Tribunal Appeals here: Chamber President's Guidance Note No. 5 Mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Appeals.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department will continue to offer face-to-face meetings for Personal Independence Payment appeal hearings.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Listing appeals, including the mode of hearing, is a judicial function, and HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot comment on decisions made by independent tribunal judiciary.
As part of the appeal process, appellants are given the option to select the most suitable hearing types for them. This includes attending a tribunal venue for a face-to-face hearing; a video or telephone hearing; or for the appeal to be determined on the papers. The Department for Work and Pensions, as Respondent to the appeal, is also given the opportunity to express their preference for the type of hearing they would like. Most hearings are currently held in person at a tribunal venue.
The President of the First-Tier Social Entitlement Chamber has published a Guidance Note on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Website covering the mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Tribunal Appeals here: Chamber President's Guidance Note No. 5 Mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Appeals.