Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total value is of financial penalties and service credits applied to Serco under the Field and Monitoring Service contract since May 2024; what proportion of the maximum permitted under the contract that represents; and how much has been recovered.

The detailed financial information requested remains commercially sensitive. Disclosure would prejudice, or would be likely to prejudice, the commercial interests of either supplier and the Ministry of Justice, including in the context of ongoing contractual and commercial arrangements. The public interest in disclosure has been considered against the need to protect the Department's ability to manage those arrangements effectively and secure value for money for the taxpayer. On balance, the Department considers that the information should continue to be withheld.

The Ministry of Justice continues to hold both suppliers to account for delivery of the contracts and applies the contractual performance and financial mechanisms available to it where appropriate.