Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department intends to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Stephen Sleaford.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
HM Prison and Probation Service responded to the coroner’s Prevention of Future Death Report following the inquest into the death of Stephen Sleaford on 9 December 2024, which was within the statutory deadline of 56 days from the date of the report. The response is now available on the Chief Coroner’s website.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he made a recent assessment of the adequacy of neurodiversity training for people working in the criminal justice system.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
There is a range of training available to support those working with neurodiverse people in the criminal justice system.
In the courts, the Judicial College of England and Wales has developed training on mental disabilities specifically for magistrates and legal advisers, and the Sentencing Council has published guidance for judges and magistrates that provides clarity in sentencing offenders with neurodiverse needs.
In prison, Neurodiversity Support Managers train staff to support neurodivergent individuals and assist them in accessing education, skills and work opportunities.
In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40651 on Wales Office: Computers, what the median age is of computers issued to officials in the Wales Office.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
We are unable to provide the median age of laptop and desktop computers in the Wales Office due to the disproportionate amount of time it would take to calculate. However, our policy is to refresh laptops and desktop computers issued to officials every 4-5 years.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing applicants to apply for lasting power of attorney without a (a) passport (b) driving license or (c) blue badge.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The current lasting power of attorney (LPA) system has significant safeguards but does not require identity verification. The Government plans to modernise the system and will introduce additional safeguards which include enabling the Office of the Public Guardian to carry out identity checks for the person making the LPA and their certificate provider. This aims to reduce the risk that an unknown party could obtain an LPA in another person’s name without their knowledge.
We are exploring a range of identity verification options to ensure access to LPAs for everyone eligible to make one. A passport or driving licence are examples of the documentation we are considering. Blue Badges are issued by Local Authorities and the lack of a central database of verified data means they are not appropriate for use as a means to prove identity.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the median age is of computers issued to officials in their Department.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The median age of all Ministry of Justice computers is 2.6 years.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of trends in the level of compensation provided for (a) childcare, (b) other care, (c) food and drink, (d) travel and (e) parking costs to people on jury duty in real terms in the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The jury process is a cornerstone of the justice system in England and Wales. Jury service is an important civic duty and jurors play a vital role in upholding justice. The Government will keep under review all support provided to jurors throughout their period of service. This will include, but not be limited to, assessing any significant trends in compensation applications or payments, as well as other participation-related data.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much compensation was provided for (a) childcare, (b) other care, (c) food and drink, (d) travel and (e) parking costs to people on jury duty in real terms in each of the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jurors can claim an amount towards loss of earnings and other costs incurred as a direct result of jury service, subject to a daily maximum. They can also claim travel costs and a contribution towards their refreshments.
HMCTS does not collect or collate data specifically on all categories of expenses requested here but can disaggregate certain payments made. Parking charges are incorporated into the travel costs and all types of additional care (e.g. childcare and care of vulnerable adults) are amalgamated. The information available is set out in the following table.
Costs in 2024 prices (using CPI data)
Year | Travel | Food & Drink | Additional Care |
2020 | £ 3,395,508 | £ 2,437,651 | £ 199,625 |
2021 | £ 6,906,633 | £ 4,468,960 | £ 347,862 |
2022 | £ 6,175,245 | £ 4,433,536 | £ 345,551 |
2023 | £ 6,932,989 | £ 5,177,718 | £ 361,356 |
2024 | £ 7,170,537 | £ 5,227,048 | £ 353,180 |
The expenses covered in the table above represent only a proportion of total expenses paid to jurors each year. For example, in 2024, a total of £36.5 million was paid in juror allowance, including the £12,750,765 set out under the categories requested in the question asked.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure adequate support is provided to victims of rape and serious sexual offences in (a) England and (b) Berkshire.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice provides funding for vital victim and witness support services, including community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services, in addition to core funding for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to allocate at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need.
I am maintaining 2024-25 funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support in 2025-26. The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund provides c.£20 million to specialist sexual violence support organisations across England each year, including £700,000 for activities in the Thames Valley PCC area.
We have committed to introduce free independent legal advisors for victims of adult rape to help them understand and uphold their legal rights.
Beyond March 2026, the Spending Review will prioritise delivering the Government’s missions.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of support provided to (a) witnesses and (b) victims by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau’s Witness Service in (a) England and (b) Berkshire.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice commissioned Witness Service has been available in all criminal court locations since 2003. The service provides practical and emotional support and information to help witnesses (including victims) give their best evidence. The Witness Service has been delivered by Citizens Advice under grant arrangements since 2015. There are rigorous and appropriate oversight mechanisms in place, and the Department is satisfied that Citizens Advice is delivering an effective and consistent service across England and Wales in line with the requirements of the grant.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will hold discussions with the Sentencing Council on the adequacy of the Sentencing Guidelines for voyeurism offences.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
Sentencing guidelines are developed and reviewed by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. The guidelines produced provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is.
As an independent body, the Council decides its own work plan and priorities. As such, the Government cannot require the Council to review particular guidelines, and it is at the Council’s discretion whether to review particular guidelines, in line with its published criteria for developing or revising guidelines. This is available on its website at: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/sentencing-and-the-council/about-the-sentencing-council/our-criteria-for-developing-or-revising.