Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has he made of the effect of planned reductions in his Department’s total budget on (a) reoffending levels and (b) access to justice.

The Ministry of Justice’s funding from HM Treasury was reported at Spending Review 2015 to fall by 15% between 2015/16 and 2019/20. Taking into account additional resource funding agreed at the Autumn Statement 2016 for prison safety and wider reform, MoJ’s funding in real terms will reduce by 11% between 2015/16 and 2019/20.

On (a) reoffending levels, in 2010 the NAO estimated the cost of re-offending is £9-13bn, equivalent to up to £15bn in current prices, and remains stubbornly difficult to reduce. The Government is delivering more with less through reforms to the prison system including an offender employment and education strategy and an offender accommodation strategy.

On (b) access to justice, we are committed to ensuring that the justice system is accessible to our users, and we are investing over £1bn to transform the courts and tribunal system which will include introducing modern technology, online services and digital working.