Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will consider the introduction of mandatory autism awareness training for staff working in (a) HM Courts and Tribunals Service, (b) the police and (c) other areas of the criminal justice system.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of training and delegates responsibility for determining specific training needs to individual operational bodies. While autism awareness training is not currently mandatory, agencies across the justice system have the discretion to introduce such training based on operational requirements.
For example, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) provides access to a Diversity and Inclusion Learning Hub for all staff, as well as a Neurodiversity Line Managers’ Handbook to support understanding of neurodiverse conditions.
Any proposal to introduce mandatory autism awareness training within the Ministry of Justice would be subject to its Mandatory Learning Governance Process, which ensures consistent and robust decision-making through engagement with subject matter experts.
The Home Office is the Department with oversight of policing in England and Wales and is best placed to provide detailed information regarding autism training within police forces.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the legal aid portal will reopen.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We expect that services will be restored from early September, as part of a phased return. This is subject to testing, security and legal criteria being met.
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has written to representative bodies and providers to update them that the Portal will be replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). This has been subject to testing by a small pilot group throughout August.
The expected phased restoration is as follows:
The LAA continues to engage with representative bodies to help shape the steps to service restoration in a way which supports legal aid providers most effectively. Regular updates are being provided to providers and further information will be published on GOV.UK closer to the go live date. In the meantime, the LAA continues to publish information and updates about SiLAS on its FAQ page: Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident: frequently asked questions - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department imposes fines on private prisoner escort contractors for delays in journeys longer than 100 miles.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
Financial penalties, known as “service credits,” are applied to Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) suppliers on any occasion where a courtroom delay has occurred because of failure by the contractor.
Some individual journeys where the straight-line distance is more than 100 miles may be regulated by an ‘agreed time protocol’, agreed in advance. These protocols are an explicit agreement between the PECS supplier, the court and the prison that the prisoner will be delivered by a specified time, instead of by the usual time of 10am. If the supplier delivers the prisoner in compliance with the protocol, no service credits are applied.
Where there is no agreed time protocol, the supplier will be liable to pay service credits if there is evidence that it was responsible for a failure to deliver on time.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of criminal cases that have collapsed due to (a) lost, (b) missing and (c) damaged evidence in the last year.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of criminal cases that have collapsed due to lost/missing or damaged evidence.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many trials have adjourned as a result of contractors failing to deliver prisoners to trial in the last year.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
The question has been interpreted to mean ineffective trials that do not start on their intended start date and need rescheduling. Trials can become ineffective for many reasons, owing to the action or inaction of the parties, or of the courts. Delays or failures to bring prisoners to court are one such reason.
Data on trial effectiveness at the criminal courts, by reason for ineffectiveness, is published as part of the Criminal court statistics quarterly series.
Applying the “reason” filter in the pivot table in Trial Effectiveness at Criminal Courts document enables the reader to select reasons why trials have been ineffective. Tab 14 shows instances where the defendant’s not having been produced by prisoner escort and custody services led to an ineffective trial. This includes all instances where a prisoner was not produced on time, regardless of whether the contractor was at fault. The most recent publication can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2025.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of cases awaiting trial at Truro Crown Court in the last 12 months.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. We have funded a record-high allocation of Crown Court sitting days – 110,000 days this financial year, 4,000 more than the previous Government – to tackle the outstanding caseload.
However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days alone can achieve.
This is why we commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to consider the merits of longer-term reform and the efficiency of processes in the criminal courts. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals in more detail before setting out the Government’s full response to the report in the autumn.
At the end of March 2025 there were 373 open cases at Truro Crown Court. 328 of these were "for trial" cases, up from 191 the previous year.
Truro continues to maximise the use of Crown Court estate to increase the number of cases sat. In June 2025 Crown Court appeals were heard at Truro magistrates’ court to reduce the appeal backlog, whilst also maintaining trials at Truro Crown Court.
Further information regarding caseload trends can be found in the published statistics which can be found here: Criminal court statistics quarterly: January to March 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what contract management procedures are in place for prisoner escort contracts.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
The contracts for supply of services to the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS), which is part of HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), are overseen by a specialist team, which monitors supplier performance against contractual obligations, works closely with suppliers to address any issues, and applies appropriate commercial levers and financial remedies should this be necessary. It reports quarterly to Ministers.
In addition to initiatives to improve outcomes at a local level, HMPPS collaborates with criminal justice partners through the Strategic Partnership Board. The board includes representatives from His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, the police, and PECS suppliers. Its core objective is to ensure that prisoners are delivered to court on time, and that courts are prepared for their arrival, supporting a timely start to the court’s business day.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to reduce the backlog of cases at Truro Crown Court.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. We have funded a record-high allocation of Crown Court sitting days – 110,000 days this financial year, 4,000 more than the previous Government – to tackle the outstanding caseload.
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 a single triable-either way offence. 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 alone can achieve.
This is why we commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to consider the merits of longer-term reform and the efficiency of processes in the criminal courts. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals in more detail before setting out the Government’s full response to the report in the autumn.
Over the past two years, Truro Crown Court has experienced a significant increase in receipts, rising by 56% (from 477 to 746 cases), a figure that surpasses the 28% increase seen in England and Wales. This growth reflects the increasing demand on the judicial system in the region.
Truro continues to maximise the use of Crown Court estate to increase the number of cases sat. In June 2025, Crown Court appeals were heard at Truro magistrates’ court to reduce the appeal backlog, whilst also maintaining trials at Truro Crown Court.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the number of sitting days at Truro Crown Court will be increased.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. We have funded a record-high allocation of Crown Court sitting days – 110,000 days this financial year, 4,000 more than the previous Government – to tackle the outstanding caseload.
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 a single triable-either way offence. 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 alone can achieve.
This is why we commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to consider the merits of longer-term reform and the efficiency of processes in the criminal courts. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals in more detail before setting out the Government’s full response to the report in the autumn.
Over the past two years, Truro Crown Court has experienced a significant increase in receipts, rising by 56% (from 477 to 746 cases), a figure that surpasses the 28% increase seen in England and Wales. This growth reflects the increasing demand on the judicial system in the region.
Truro continues to maximise the use of Crown Court estate to increase the number of cases sat. In June 2025, Crown Court appeals were heard at Truro magistrates’ court to reduce the appeal backlog, whilst also maintaining trials at Truro Crown Court.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of (a) Serco and (b) GeoAmey PECS under the prisoner escort and custody service contract.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
It is recognised that there are many factors that can lead to trials being delayed, and that the efficient running of the criminal justice system requires a whole-system approach.
Over the three months March to May 2025, GEOAmey, the PECS supplier in the north, escorted 45,632 prisoners to court. There were 11 instances of delay in arrival for which PECS was responsible, and nine instances where failure to staff a court resulted in a delay. The overall performance rating was 99.96%.
In the south, during the same period, Serco escorted 41,052 prisoners to court and were found responsible for 51 instances of delay in arrival. There were also 19 instances of failure to staff a court leading to a delay. The overall performance rating was 99.83%.