Asked by: Bobby Dean (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to (a) prevent experienced probation officers leaving the service and (b) ensure the sustainability of that service.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
There is a comprehensive approach by HMPPS to improve recruitment and retention across the Probation Service and since unification in June 2021 there has been an overall increase to probation staffing by 20%. In the last 12 months, from 30 June 2024 to 30 June 2025 we have increased our number of Probation Officers by 7% (359 FTE) from 5,160 to 5,519 FTE.
Leaving rates to June 2025 can be found in table 11 of our published statistics. The Probation Officer leaving rate of 6.3% (taken from T11) in the year to the end of June 2025 was 1.7 percentage points lower than it was in the year to the end of March 2024. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/689f34791fedc616bb133a86/hmpps-workforce-statistics-tables-jun-2025_final.ods.
Since the launch of the HMPPS retention strategy, toolkit and exit interview process in 2021, a new retention oversight process (retention deep dives) was piloted in August 2022 and launched in Probation in April 2023 to target those Probation Delivery Units with the highest attrition. We are also currently working with Trade Unions to secure the best outcome in terms of the pay award for Probation.
We continue to invest in probation, and plan to onboard 1,300 trainee probation officers by March 2026 in addition to the 1,057 already on-boarded last year.
We are committed to ensuring that workloads for probation staff are sustainable and ensure protection of the public. That is why we have commissioned the Our Future Probation Service Programme to deploy new technologies, reform processes, and ensure prioritisation of probation staff time.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that dynamic alignment with EU law does not undermine UK judicial independence.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As outlined in the Common Understanding from the UK-EU Summit, the UK will have a joint role in shaping any new rules governing our relationship with the EU. In specific areas this will mean aligning our shared obligations to facilitate better trade and increased security. However, no rules will apply in the UK without Parliament’s agreement and any disputes will be done by international arbitration.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will only have a role with regards the interpretation of EU law, in the same way that UK judges remain the independent interpreters of UK law. The Government remains unequivocally committed to the independence of the judiciary. We will continually work to ensure that any cooperation with the EU, including alignment where appropriate, respects the UK’s constitutional framework and preserves the independence of our judiciary.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with (a) trade bodies and (c) businesses on the potential impact of class action lawsuits on levels of (a) inward investment and (b) economic growth.
Answered by Justin Madders
I engage regularly with both stakeholders and my Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including how we can prioritise and encourage economic growth.
The department’s remit is limited to collective actions brought in relation to competition issues. In that context, class actions can improve access to justice where bringing a claim would otherwise be impractical or unaffordable.
A robust competition regime, including a route that enables consumers (including businesses) to seek redress through litigation, facilitates consumer protection and encourages investment and growth.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of class action lawsuits on levels of (a) inward investment and (b) economic growth.
Answered by Justin Madders
I engage regularly with both stakeholders and my Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including how we can prioritise and encourage economic growth.
The department’s remit is limited to collective actions brought in relation to competition issues. In that context, class actions can improve access to justice where bringing a claim would otherwise be impractical or unaffordable.
A robust competition regime, including a route that enables consumers (including businesses) to seek redress through litigation, facilitates consumer protection and encourages investment and growth.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps is her Department taking to tackle misogyny in (a) the bankruptcy and (b) judicial system.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is committed to ensuring that the justice system is fair, impartial and free from discrimination. Fair treatment and equality before the law are fundamental principles of our justice system and central to the judicial role. The Lady Chief Justice holds statutory responsibility for the training and guidance of court judges in England and Wales, including oversight of the Guide to Judicial Conduct. This Guide reflects the core values of judicial conduct: independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality of treatment, and competence and diligence. We are supportive of the ongoing efforts of the senior judiciary to uphold and embed these values across the judiciary.
In relation to bankruptcy specifically, the process is overseen by the Insolvency Service, an executive agency of the Department for Business and Trade.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using mandatory mediation in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Answered by Justin Madders
This government is committed to access to justice, and I share the interest of the Rt. Hon. member’s in reducing the burdens of litigation through Alternative Dispute Resolution. The CAT Rules afford the Tribunal significant powers to encourage and facilitate Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Asked by: John Cooper (Conservative - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress he has made on providing (a) redress and (b) justice for people affected by Capture software.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
There is no definitive number or record of the number of convictions related to Capture. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has received 31 pre-Horizon applications to date. Incomplete due to the passage of time complicates confirming they are Capture-related. To support the CCRC, we commissioned the Post Office to review its branch files for the period from 1992 to 2000 for potential prosecutions. 448 potential cases have been reviewed with 31 confirmed Capture-related cases. The findings have been sent to the CCRC. If convictions related to Capture are overturned by the courts, we will provide appropriate redress.
For non-convicted postmasters, the Government announced the Capture scheme design on 19 June. We expect to launch in Autumn, starting with an initial 150 claimants before broader rollout.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce delays to employment tribunal hearings.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We are working to reduce delays to employment tribunal hearings by investing in tribunal productivity through the recruitment of additional judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems and the use of remote hearing technology. This has delivered over 1,500 additional sitting days. As a result, the Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March 2025 a sitting day allocation of 33,900 for the Employment Tribunals in the financial year 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.
Following judicial recruitment, in 2024 we added 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and recruitment for up to a further 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee-paid employment judges were appointed in 2024, and recruitment will commence for another 50 judges in early 2026. Additionally, recruitment for 150 non-legal tribunal members will commence this year.
We recognise that there remain significant challenges for the performance of the Employment Tribunals. We are therefore continuing to monitor demand on the Employment Tribunals and will continue to work closely with the judiciary, HMCTS and the Department for Business and Trade on any further actions needed to alleviate pressures on the Employment Tribunals, improve efficiency and reduce waiting times in order to ensure timely access to justice for claimants and respondents.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any guidance has been issued to UK businesses following the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, provides information for UK operators.
We respect the independence of the International Court of Justice, and we are carefully considering the Court’s advisory opinion.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the appropriateness of the retirement age for prison officers given the (a) mental and (b) physical health challenges of the role.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
We recognise the unique and challenging role that prison officers play in protecting the public and reducing reoffending. The Lord Chancellor has requested advice from officials on the pension age of prison officers, and we will continue to engage with trade unions as this is considered.