Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of (a) Serco and (b) GeoAmey PECS under the prisoner escort and custody service contract.

It is recognised that there are many factors that can lead to trials being delayed, and that the efficient running of the criminal justice system requires a whole-system approach.

Over the three months March to May 2025, GEOAmey, the PECS supplier in the north, escorted 45,632 prisoners to court. There were 11 instances of delay in arrival for which PECS was responsible, and nine instances where failure to staff a court resulted in a delay. The overall performance rating was 99.96%.

In the south, during the same period, Serco escorted 41,052 prisoners to court and were found responsible for 51 instances of delay in arrival. There were also 19 instances of failure to staff a court leading to a delay. The overall performance rating was 99.83%.