Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether future increase in the Machine Games Duty will apply to non-profit venues, like Royal Legion social clubs.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much HM Prison & Probation Service is spending on private contractors that serve the functioning of prisons.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice's spend for HM Prison and Probation Service with third-party suppliers during the year-to-date period of financial year 2026/27 (1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026) was £1,848,632,724.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the longest recorded duration between an offence being charged and the listed Crown Court trial date for (a) rape and serious sexual offences, and (b) all criminal trials currently in the backlog.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Crown Court backlog stands at nearly 81,000 cases, and almost 24,000 of these cases have been open at the Crown Court for over a year. We are acting on all fronts – investing at record levels, driving system efficiency, and enacting structural reform through the Criminal Courts and Tribunals Bill – to tackle the Crown Court backlog and deliver swifter justice for all.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold data centrally on the time between an offence being charged and the listed Crown Court trial date for open cases. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
However, Criminal Courts Statistics Quarterly does publish data on the age of the open caseload - this is calculated from the date of receipt at the Crown Court rather than from charge. For further details of this data please see the ‘Crown Court open case duration tool.’
Criminal court statistics quarterly: April to June 2026 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases currently listed for trial in the Crown Court have been waiting for more than (a) 24, (b) 36, and (c) 48 months since charge.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Crown Court backlog stands at nearly 81,000 cases, and almost 24,000 of these cases have been open at the Crown Court for over a year. We are acting on all fronts – investing at record levels, driving system efficiency, and enacting structural reform through the Criminal Courts and Tribunals Bill – to tackle the Crown Court backlog and deliver swifter justice for all.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold data centrally on the time between an offence being charged and the listed Crown Court trial date for open cases. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
However, Criminal Courts Statistics Quarterly does publish data on the age of the open caseload - this is calculated from the date of receipt at the Crown Court rather than from charge. For further details of this data please see the ‘Crown Court open case duration tool.’
Criminal court statistics quarterly: April to June 2026 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people are awaiting completion of security and vetting checks before commencing employment within His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service; and how many of those individuals have been waiting for (a) between three and six months, (b) between six and 12 months and (c) more than 12 months.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The number of individuals currently awaiting completion of security and vetting checks within His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) was 13,319 as of 12 October 2026.
This figure reflects the full onboarding pipeline, covering candidates from the point at which they receive a provisional offer and enter pre-employment checks, through to the completion of all security and vetting processes and a final decision being made on their case. For operational roles requiring initial training, it also includes individuals who have been granted clearance but are awaiting a place on a training course. The figure therefore captures individuals at different stages of onboarding, rather than solely those awaiting a vetting decision.
It also includes those awaiting additional job-role specific clearances, such as Non-Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV) and National Security Vetting (NSV), and those currently undergoing renewal of their HMPPS security clearance.
The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold sufficiently robust or complete data to accurately report on the length of time individuals have been awaiting security and vetting clearance across all stages or providers. Vetting and pre-employment checks are undertaken through a combination of HMPPS, Shared Services Limited (SSL), and other parallel processes. As a result, a consolidated and reliable breakdown of waiting times, such as those exceeding three, six, or twelve months, is not available, and therefore unable to be provided.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the support that Access To Work provides for applicants who are transitioning between jobs.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks. In 2025, we allocated around 96% of applications starting work within 4 weeks in 28 days, including those transitioning between jobs.
The Department recently published a new Access to Work research report, Journeys to Access to Work, which was delivered by NatCen and builds on earlier research with Access to Work customers and employers. The report summarises applicants’ and employers’ journeys to Access to Work, their experiences of the application process and delivery of the scheme, perceptions of its impact and recommendations for improvement. This includes how Access to Work operates in addition to and beyond reasonable adjustments and other sources of workplace or external support.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of trends in the level of catapult misuse since her Department's catapult roundtable event on 9 June 2026; what assessment she has made of Naturewatch Foundation's draft Catapult Act that was presented at the event; and what plans she has to introduce legislative proposals on the sale, possession and use of catapults.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government shares the concern about the use of catapults against wildlife, people or property. We are aware of catapults being an issue in some areas, and there are a range of laws in place that can be used against individuals who use these devices in this way.
Where a catapult is used to harm animals, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 provide the police with powers to deal with deliberate attempts to kill, injure or inflict harm on wildlife. It is also an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to cause an animal any unnecessary suffering.
Under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, if a person carries an offensive weapon in a public place or threatens a person with an offensive weapon, they may face up to four years in prison. The definition of an ‘offensive weapon’ may include a catapult depending on the circumstances of the case.
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 also provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour including that involving catapults. This includes Community Protection Warnings and Notices (CPWs and CPNs), and Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) which can be used to prevent behaviour that is having, or likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality. Through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, we have increased the upper limit for a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for breaches of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) or a Community Protection Notice (CPN) from £100 to £500 and this will come into force from 26 October 2026.
A roundtable was held in June to discuss the use of catapults and a copy of a draft Bill from Naturewatch Foundation was shared with the Home Office and has been carefully considered. We are working with the police to ensure that legislation is used consistently and effectively, and considering what other actions may be appropriate.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice the Access To Work scheme gives to entrepreneurs.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Access to Work does not provide specific advice or guidance for entrepreneurs.
Access to Work is tailored to the individual circumstances of each customer. Entitlement to support is considered based on the person's disability or health condition, the impact this has on their ability to undertake work, and the nature of the work they do, or intend to do.
For Access to Work purposes, entrepreneurs would generally be considered under the scheme's self-employment provisions.
Access to Work assesses applications from self-employed customers on the same basis as other applicants, taking account of their individual needs and circumstances.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the level of the Age Addition of 25p per week payable for the State Pensions from 80th birthday to pensioners.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The 25 pence a week Age Addition, first introduced in 1971, is a longstanding part of the old State Pension, for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, and is paid with their State Pension, when they reach the age of 80.
Successive Governments of different persuasions have decided not to increase the Age Addition payments since its introduction.
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 assessment she has made of (a) the potential impact of unpaid travel time on the income and retention of domiciliary care workers and (b) the potential safeguarding risks associated with mandatory uniform requirements; and whether she plans to take steps as a result.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All social care workers must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for the work that they do. Time spent travelling between appointments counts as working time for minimum wage purposes.
If an individual believes their rights as a worker are not being upheld, they can seek confidential guidance and support from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). Acas can be contacted on 0300 123 1100, or they can visit the ACAS website for further information, which is available at the following link:
They can also submit a query online directly to HM Revenue & Customs via GOV.UK; it considers every complaint it receives.