Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to to improve transparency and communication with victims across the criminal justice system.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This Government is taking a number of actions to improve communication and information to victims of crime.
To improve communication with victims, we are bringing the existing separate victim communication schemes into one, providing a much clearer single offer for victims. This updated Victim Contact Scheme (VCS) will make it easier for eligible victims to request licence conditions and receive information about their offender’s release. We will also provide a new route for other victims to request information via a new dedicated helpline, giving victims confidence about the routes available to receive information about their offender’s release.
From spring 2027, all victims of crime whose cases are heard in the Crown Court will be able to request a free transcript of the sentencing remarks in their case. This is the most significant expansion of free access to sentencing remarks to date, extending provision from the current eligible groups to victims across all Crown Court cases.
Finally, we have also consulted on a new Victims Code, seeking views on how to improve the quality and timeliness of providing case information to victims, and improving how opportunities to participate are offered to victims. We are now taking the time to consider the responses, and we will issue a public response ahead of finalising the new Code and bringing it into force.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made towards development of a cross-justice system victims survey.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the importance of understanding victims' experiences so that their feedback can inform and shape improvements across the criminal justice system.
To inform consideration of how victim feedback might be collected, in October 2023, the Ministry of Justice commissioned Verian to undertake a feasibility study on how feedback could be gathered from victims on their experiences and the delivery of their rights under the Victims’ Code. The findings continue to inform ongoing work to develop approaches for collecting and using victim feedback across the criminal justice system.
The Ministry of Justice recently ran a consultation on the Victims’ Code. The consultation sought the views of sector experts, criminal justice practitioners, young people and victims themselves.
The Department is now taking the time to consider nearly 200 responses and will issue a public response ahead of finalising the new Code and bringing it into force. The findings will also help inform future work to understand and measure victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system and the delivery of Victims’ Code rights.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Courts and Tribunals Bill scheduled to return to the house after conference recess will contain clauses 1 to 8 relating to jury trials.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has confirmed that the Courts and Tribunals Bill will return to the House of Commons in October, when Parliament will have the opportunity to continue its consideration of the Bill.
The Prime Minister has said he wants to look in detail at the proposals. It is right that the new administration takes the time to consider the measures, review the evidence, and consider the wide range of views on this legislation.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made on the Victims' Pathfinder Programme and the development of Track a Case; and what plans he has to take forward the learning from that work.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to improving victims’ experience of the justice system. As part of this, the Government launched a Victims Pathfinder programme to consider digital solutions to support victims’ journeys through the criminal justice system.
The programme strengthened cross-system partnerships, developed technical, digital capability and demonstrated how modern digital products can improve services across the Criminal Justice System. Specifically, the Pathfinder piloted a victims-facing digital information portal - Track A Case - a national service for victims to access case specific information on court date hearings and locations.
Following a wider reprioritisation of departmental investment, the Ministry of Justice ceased the Victims Pathfinder programme, including the Track a Case service, in July this year.
The products, assets and learning developed through the programme have been retained so that it will continue to shape future work where future investment opportunities are identified.
The Government continues to invest in data and digital opportunities to improve how victim data is managed and used across the criminal justice system, and to improve victims’ experiences of the system. As part of this, the Ministry of Justice and Home Office’s Data Improvement Programme aims to improve data sharing and management across the criminal justice system
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered extending the requirement to make fish farm inspection reports publicly available to all farmed animals.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 July 2026 to the Hon. Member for Leeds South West and Morley.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what considerations her Department is giving to patient transport and transfer arrangements for emergency and elective patients, in the context of the consolidation of clinical services across NHS hospital trusts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 18 May 2026 to Question 566.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools in offering Natural History GCSE.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It is for schools to choose the qualifications they offer at key stage 4, and for pupils to choose the qualifications they take. We have worked with stakeholders to develop content which is high-quality, rigorous, and which represents a worthwhile course of study. As it is finalised, the department will consider the delivery of the GCSE.
The public consultation on proposed subject content for a new natural history GCSE closed on 04 September, and we will consider this feedback carefully before finalising the subject content.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Capita in issuing Remedial Service Statements.
Answered by Sally Jameson - Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The pension scheme has 1.7m members with approximately 420k members affected by Remedy. Capita, having assumed responsibility for the Civil Service Pension Scheme in December 2025, is responsible for delivering the remaining 2015 Remedy work. The cases remaining to be processed are generally the most complex, involving intricate service histories, multiple retirements, or complex benefit structures.
All active and deferred Remedy-affected members receive this choice at retirement. The McCloud remedy work is a bespoke and one-off piece of work that is not an ongoing part of the services for members who have not yet retired. As part of the remedy work, members, who had service during the remedy period, who retired and claimed benefits before 1st October 2023, receive an immediate choice remedial savings statement (RSS). The RSS confirms their options and asks them to confirm their choice of benefits between their legacy scheme and alpha for the remedy period. To date, 58,411 RSS’s have been distributed and 42,516 immediate choice elections have been implemented.
The Cabinet Office has now received Capita's Remedy Delivery plan for completion of the outstanding work. We are currently reviewing, challenging and assuring the Full Business Case and cost profile. The Civil Service Pensions Scheme website will be updated as this work progresses.
It is important to note that all impacted members in receipt of a pension are already receiving benefits and that the remedy is a potential adjustment, depending on the member’s choice, to benefits already in payment. As such the alternative scheme benefits does not automatically provide a member with a higher pension and lump sum. Where it does and the member makes an alternative scheme election, the difference between what has been paid and what is due, will be backdated to the original payment date and paid to the member inclusive of interest.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the processing rate of Pension Sharing Orders by his Department.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
There are currently 475 Pension Sharing Orders (PSOs) waiting to be processed.
The delay in processing PSOs affected by the 2015 Pension Remedy is due to the initial divorce guidance being insufficient and further guidance was required from the Government Actuary's Department (GAD).
Unfortunately, because of the need for additional guidance and the time required to implement the changes, there is a large backlog of PSO requests. These are now being processed in the order received, with priority given to clearing outstanding cases before new requests.
In addition, the introduction of revised actuarial factors, and the additional time required to update administration systems and calculations following receipt of the revised factors, have affected the ability to implement PSOs.
The 2015 Pension Remedy, also known as the McCloud Judgement, is a complex piece of legislation that requires detailed guidance to implement, including aspects related to divorce. This challenge is not unique to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) or the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Updates are published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#divorce
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Pension Sharing Orders are outstanding from his Department.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
There are currently 475 Pension Sharing Orders (PSOs) waiting to be processed.
The delay in processing PSOs affected by the 2015 Pension Remedy is due to the initial divorce guidance being insufficient and further guidance was required from the Government Actuary's Department (GAD).
Unfortunately, because of the need for additional guidance and the time required to implement the changes, there is a large backlog of PSO requests. These are now being processed in the order received, with priority given to clearing outstanding cases before new requests.
In addition, the introduction of revised actuarial factors, and the additional time required to update administration systems and calculations following receipt of the revised factors, have affected the ability to implement PSOs.
The 2015 Pension Remedy, also known as the McCloud Judgement, is a complex piece of legislation that requires detailed guidance to implement, including aspects related to divorce. This challenge is not unique to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) or the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Updates are published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#divorce