Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been mistakenly released from custody since 1 April 2025; and how many of those prisoners (a) were subsequently re-apprehended and (b) are still at large.
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.
While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those releases in error that do occur – including through improved staff training and establishing a new specialist unit. A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.
We have gripped this chaos – by building more prison places, ending the last Government’s early release scheme, being transparent with the public, immediately making changes to sentences to ease pressure on the system and now, taking landmark reforms through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that prisons never run out of places again
Annual totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab), and provide data up to March 2025.
The number of people who have been released in error since April 2025 cannot be provided because it would form a subset of releases in error data which underpins future versions of these Official Statistics.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will provide a breakdown by prison establishment of the number of prisoners who have been erroneously released since 1 April 2025.
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.
While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those releases in error that do occur – including through improved staff training and establishing a new specialist unit. A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.
We have gripped this chaos – by building more prison places, ending the last Government’s early release scheme, being transparent with the public, immediately making changes to sentences to ease pressure on the system and now, taking landmark reforms through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that prisons never run out of places again
Annual totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab), and provide data up to March 2025.
The number of people who have been released in error since April 2025 cannot be provided because it would form a subset of releases in error data which underpins future versions of these Official Statistics.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving sentences for sexual offences have been erroneously released since 1 April 2025.
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.
While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those releases in error that do occur – including through improved staff training and establishing a new specialist unit. A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.
We have gripped this chaos – by building more prison places, ending the last Government’s early release scheme, being transparent with the public, immediately making changes to sentences to ease pressure on the system and now, taking landmark reforms through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that prisons never run out of places again
Annual totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab), and provide data up to March 2025.
The number of people who have been released in error since April 2025 cannot be provided because it would form a subset of releases in error data which underpins future versions of these Official Statistics.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving sentences for violent offences have been erroneously released since 1 April 2025.
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.
While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those releases in error that do occur – including through improved staff training and establishing a new specialist unit. A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.
We have gripped this chaos – by building more prison places, ending the last Government’s early release scheme, being transparent with the public, immediately making changes to sentences to ease pressure on the system and now, taking landmark reforms through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that prisons never run out of places again
Annual totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab), and provide data up to March 2025.
The number of people who have been released in error since April 2025 cannot be provided because it would form a subset of releases in error data which underpins future versions of these Official Statistics.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, when the Attorney General informed the Prime Minister of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ intention not to proceed with the prosecution of Mr Christopher Cash and Mr Christopher Berry.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
As you are aware, I was appointed to the role of Solicitor General on 6 September. The Security Minister gave a statement to the House on 15 September stating that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had taken the decision to not proceed with the prosecutions of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.
Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the CPS. Once consent is granted, the CPS is responsible for conducting the case.
I had no input into or knowledge of the case being dropped until it became public knowledge.
The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, including by the Attorney General and me, as the CPS has already confirmed several times.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she took to help prevent the non-continuation of the prosecution of Mr Christopher Cash and Mr Christopher Berry.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
As you are aware, I was appointed to the role of Solicitor General on 6 September. The Security Minister gave a statement to the House on 15 September stating that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had taken the decision to not proceed with the prosecutions of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.
Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the CPS. Once consent is granted, the CPS is responsible for conducting the case.
I had no input into or knowledge of the case being dropped until it became public knowledge.
The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, including by the Attorney General and me, as the CPS has already confirmed several times.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, on which date the Attorney General was informed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the decision not to proceed with the case against Mr Christopher Cash and Mr Christopher Berry.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
As you are aware, I was appointed to the role of Solicitor General on 6 September. The Security Minister gave a statement to the House on 15 September stating that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had taken the decision to not proceed with the prosecutions of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.
Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the CPS. Once consent is granted, the CPS is responsible for conducting the case.
I had no input into or knowledge of the case being dropped until it became public knowledge.
The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, including by the Attorney General and me, as the CPS has already confirmed several times.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) full time and (b) part time judges sit in immigration tribunals; and how much their remuneration costs the public purse each year.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The judiciary are responsible for publishing lists of judges. They do not routinely publish lists of fee-paid (part-time) judges due to the frequency of changes in the fee-paid judge cohort.
Information on the number of judges in post is published in the annual Judicial Diversity Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/judicial-diversity-statistics.
The current judicial salaries and fees are published annually: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/judicial-salaries-and-fees-2025-to-2026.
The total cost of judicial remuneration depends on the number of sittings per year. In 2024/25, the costs of judges sitting in the Immigration and Asylum Chambers of both the First-tier and Upper Tribunal were:
| Basic Salary & Allowances £m | Employers' Pension Contributions £m | Total £m |
Salaried Judges | 17.6 | 11.0 | 28.6 |
Fee Paid Judges | 11.1 | 6.8 | 17.9 |
Total | 28.7 | 17.8 | 46.5 |
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to publish a list of all (a) fee-paid and (b) part-time judges sitting in the immigration tribunals.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The judiciary are responsible for publishing lists of judges. They do not routinely publish lists of fee-paid (part-time) judges due to the frequency of changes in the fee-paid judge cohort.
Information on the number of judges in post is published in the annual Judicial Diversity Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/judicial-diversity-statistics.
The current judicial salaries and fees are published annually: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/judicial-salaries-and-fees-2025-to-2026.
The total cost of judicial remuneration depends on the number of sittings per year. In 2024/25, the costs of judges sitting in the Immigration and Asylum Chambers of both the First-tier and Upper Tribunal were:
| Basic Salary & Allowances £m | Employers' Pension Contributions £m | Total £m |
Salaried Judges | 17.6 | 11.0 | 28.6 |
Fee Paid Judges | 11.1 | 6.8 | 17.9 |
Total | 28.7 | 17.8 | 46.5 |
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made on introducing a support and identification system for the children of prisoners.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
We know that parental imprisonment is recognised as an adverse childhood experience that can have a significant impact on a child’s life chances. This is why the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education are jointly committed to ensuring that all children impacted by parental imprisonment are identified and offered the support they need to thrive.
Earlier this year, Ministers from both Departments convened a roundtable with sector experts to explore how best to support children affected by parental imprisonment. We have also undertaken extensive engagement with the sector, including focus groups with individuals who have lived experience. Their insights are helping to shape and inform our policy proposals.
On 21 August, the Department for Education published their market engagement notice on a Multidisciplinary Training Offer for Professionals, marking an important step towards getting children the support they need. This training will upskill a wide range of professionals on the impact parental imprisonment can have on children and families, reduce stigmatisation of children and families and break down barriers to support.
We remain firmly committed to driving progress on this important agenda, informed by evidence from previous interventions and continued engagement with the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector.