Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an estimate of the number of court hearing records that were (a) lost and (b) not recorded in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) 5 years.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Data on information on audio recording failures is not collated or held centrally. Hearings across the Crown Court, Family Court, County Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal, as a matter of routine, are digitally audio recorded, among other things so as to facilitate the provision of written transcripts where, requested or required. Operational courtroom checks are undertaken daily to assure the technology used is working correctly.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the pilot scheme to provide support for jurors on the most traumatic cases will be (a) continued and (b) widened to include more courts.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The pilot to test the need for enhanced support will conclude at the end of March and the results will be evaluated to help assess long term support needs for jurors. Those suffering distress as a result of their service are provided with guidance advising them of other services they can access, including the NHS 111 National Mental Health Helpline.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 23432 on Prisons: Fires, how many cell fire alarms in the identified prisons were found to be (i) working and (ii) not working.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
We undertake regular maintenance and inspection of cell fire detection devices to ensure that any potential issues are identified and addressed promptly. This is crucial to maintaining a safe environment within prisons.
To obtain the information requested, it would be necessary to examine individually each of 2,931 fire investigations, to determine whether failure of a cell fire detection device had been reported. That could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of children under 18 that have received detention and training orders have had an identified SEND issue since 2023.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
From 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024, 429 children (under 18) were admitted into the Children and Young People Secure Estate under a detention and training order. Of these, 44% (where information is known) were identified as having special educational needs or disabilities. These figures are derived from responses gathered to inform placement decisions, and do not represent formal diagnoses.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison cell fires there were in 2024, broken down by institution.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
The overwhelming majority of the cell fires were considered ‘minor’ and quickly dealt with by staff, and medical assessment is provided for anyone who may have been exposed to smoke or heat. Where it is found that a fire is the result of arson, or of recklessness, the prisoner responsible will face robust punitive action, which can include further criminal charges. All operational staff receive Respiratory Protective Equipment training. Prison officers receive it as part of their Prison Officer Entry Level Training.
The requested information is provided in the table below:
Prison | Number of fires |
HM Prison Altcourse | 39 |
HM Prison Ashfield | 0 |
HM Prison Askham Grange | 2 |
HM Prison Aylesbury | 11 |
HM Prison Bedford | 55 |
HM Prison Belmarsh | 17 |
HM Prison Berwyn | 53 |
HM Prison Birmingham | 48 |
HM Prison Brinsford | 49 |
HM Prison Bristol | 48 |
HM Prison Brixton | 19 |
HM Prison Bronzefield | 36 |
HM Prison Buckley Hall | 5 |
HM Prison Bullingdon | 72 |
HM Prison Bure | 1 |
HM Prison Cardiff | 2 |
HM Prison Channings Wood | 13 |
HM Prison Chelmsford | 16 |
HM Prison Coldingley | 4 |
HM Prison Cookham Wood | 2 |
HM Prison Dartmoor | 1 |
HM Prison Deerbolt | 23 |
HM Prison Doncaster | 45 |
HM Prison Dovegate | 73 |
HM Prison Downview | 2 |
HM Prison Drake Hall | 1 |
HM Prison Durham | 16 |
HM Prison East Sutton Park | 1 |
HM Prison Eastwood Park | 3 |
HM Prison Elmley | 30 |
HM Prison Erlestoke | 17 |
HM Prison Exeter | 13 |
HM Prison Featherstone | 3 |
HM Prison Feltham | 31 |
HM Prison Five Wells | 68 |
HM Prison Ford | 0 |
HM Prison Forest Bank | 137 |
HM Prison Fosse Way | 33 |
HM Prison Foston Hall | 7 |
HM Prison Frankland | 4 |
HM Prison Full Sutton | 22 |
HM Prison Garth | 27 |
HM Prison Gartree | 13 |
HM Prison Grendon | 1 |
HM Prison Guys Marsh | 78 |
HM Prison Hatfield | 1 |
HM Prison Haverigg | 1 |
HM Prison Hewell | 10 |
HM Prison High Down | 19 |
HM Prison Highpoint | 37 |
HM Prison Hindley | 24 |
HM Prison Hollesley Bay | 1 |
HM Prison Holme House | 41 |
HM Prison Hull | 22 |
HM Prison Humber | 67 |
HM Prison Huntercombe | 15 |
HM Prison Isis | 35 |
HM Prison Isle of Wight | 20 |
HM Prison Kirkham | 0 |
HM Prison Kirklevington Grange | 0 |
HM Prison Lancaster Farms | 6 |
HM Prison Leeds | 31 |
HM Prison Leicester | 23 |
HM Prison Lewes | 42 |
HM Prison Leyhill | 0 |
HM Prison Lincoln | 5 |
HM Prison Lindholme | 96 |
HM Prison Littlehey | 3 |
HM Prison Liverpool | 32 |
HM Prison Long Lartin | 33 |
HM Prison Lowdham Grange | 79 |
HM Prison Low Newton | 0 |
HM Prison Maidstone | 3 |
HM Prison Manchester | 53 |
HM Prison Moorland | 9 |
HM Prison Morton Hall | 4 |
HM Prison New Hall | 2 |
HM Prison Northumberland | 9 |
HM Prison North Sea Camp | 0 |
HM Prison Norwich | 57 |
HM Prison Nottingham | 20 |
HM Prison Oakwood | 42 |
HM Prison Onley | 26 |
HM Prison Parc | 65 |
HM Prison Pentonville | 28 |
HM Prison Peterborough | 40 |
HM Prison Portland | 26 |
HM Prison Prescoed | 2 |
HM Prison Preston | 12 |
HM Prison Ranby | 49 |
HM Prison Risley | 16 |
HM Prison Rochester | 24 |
HM Prison Rye Hill | 0 |
HM Prison Send | 0 |
HM Prison Spring Hill | 2 |
HM Prison Stafford | 1 |
HM Prison Standford Hill | 2 |
HM Prison Stocken | 20 |
HM Prison Stoke Heath | 6 |
HM Prison Styal | 26 |
HM Prison Sudbury | 2 |
HM Prison Swaleside | 116 |
HM Prison Swansea | 3 |
HM Prison Swinfen Hall | 19 |
HM Prison Thameside | 70 |
HM Prison The Mount | 13 |
HM Prison The Verne | 1 |
HM Prison Thorn Cross | 1 |
HM Prison Usk | 0 |
HM Prison Wakefield | 17 |
HM Prison Wandsworth | 98 |
HM Prison Warren Hill | 1 |
HM Prison Wayland | 22 |
HM Prison Wealstun | 56 |
HM Prison Werrington | 15 |
HM Prison Wetherby | 23 |
HM Prison Whatton | 0 |
HM Prison Whitemoor | 23 |
HM Prison Winchester | 23 |
HM Prison Woodhill | 83 |
HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs | 6 |
HM Prison Wymott | 11 |
Total | 2931 |
Data source: HMPPS Fire Reporting Tool, Sphera Cloud
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations by Resolution in its report entitled Domestic Abuse in Financial Remedy Proceedings, published in October 2024.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this Government, which includes addressing issues of domestic and economic abuse in financial remedy proceedings. The Government will consider Resolution’s recommendations alongside the Law Commission’s recently published scoping report on financial remedies.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her planned timescale is for responding to the Law Commission's scoping report on Financial remedies on divorce and dissolution, published on 18 December 2024.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is grateful to the Law Commission for its work on this important and complex area. We will carefully consider the details and will provide a response in due course.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on coroners’ reports of deaths associated with online suicide forums.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice has worked closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on measures to support coroners when investigating child deaths, including those by suicide.
Measures in the Online Safety Act 2023 give OFCOM the power to require regulated online platforms to provide them with information on a child’s use of their platform, when a coroner gives notice that such information is required for an investigation into the death of a child.
The Data (Use and Access) Bill, which is currently before Parliament, contains provisions to enable coroners to require relevant online services to retain data relating to a child’s online activity, where the coroner considers this may be relevant to an investigation into a child’s death. This is facilitated through the coroner giving notice to OFCOM, enabling them to direct the relevant services to secure the data so that it will be available upon request, should the coroner later require it as part of their investigation.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans to publish the 2023-24 report on the state of prison estate.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
We are considering when and how to publish an ad-hoc report on the prison estate conditions survey, which will contain summary information.
In addition, we have also committed to publish a 10-year capacity strategy by the end of 2024 which will outline the steps the Government is taking on the future of the prison estate.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average processing time was for probate applications by the Court and Tribunals Service for each quarter in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and the first and second quarter in (e) 2023.
Answered by Mike Freer
Average waiting times for probate grants, by calendar year and quarter, are available in table 24 of the Family Court Statistics Quarterly which is published on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2023.
The probate service received record levels of applications during 2022 and this has continued to grow with significantly higher levels of receipts during January to March 2023. Whilst HMCTS has increased resources to meet the higher demand, the training and upskilling of those new and existing staff has led to applications taking longer in the short term.