Oral ← Oral Questions

Justice Questions

Justice · 10 November 2026 · Hansard transcript

Questions

• GREEN (78/100) Helen Maguire

  1. What steps he is taking to improve rehabilitative programmes in prisons.

• AMBER (68/100) Helen Maguire

  Many ex-prisoners experience challenges after prison, particularly when trying to reintegrate into society, which is really difficult to do. We know that 40% of prisoners reoffend within one year, and that reoffending costs £22.7 billion per year; at the same time, 97% of prison capacity is taken. Will the Secretary of State ensure that ex-prisoners are properly supported, so that they can positively integrate into society, and reoffending can be reduced?

• RED (22/100) Catherine Atkinson

  The public are safer when people leave prisons with the skills to find work and stay out of crime. Despite the Coates review calling for education to be put “at the heart of the prison regime”, a decade later, cuts have halved the number of education hours in some of our prisons. Today, Ofsted and the chief inspector of prisons have both published a letter calling on Ministers to act on the review’s recommendations, and to tackle poor performance on purposeful activity in prisons. What is being done to ensure that prisoners receive the education that they need to find work and stay out of prison?

• RED (20/100) Liz Saville Roberts

  Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lefarydd. Tackling reoffending requires rehabilitation, but the Wales Governance Centre’s latest report shows that that is not happening well enough in Wales. Recall numbers are up 27%; rough sleeping on release is becoming the norm; and the rate of death by drug poisoning while under community supervision is considerably higher than in England. Addressing those issues requires a holistic approach, which is impossible when Westminster controls the levers when it comes to justice. Following the Secretary of State’s meeting with Welsh Government Ministers yesterday, does he agree that devolving justice is key to making justice work in Wales?

• AMBER (30/100) Adam Thompson

  I welcome the Government focusing prisons on rehabilitation, and on better education, training and support to help people turn their life around. I am particularly concerned about pregnant women leaving prison, many of whom have no secure accommodation, are vulnerable to being targeted by drug dealers and could even feel safer in prison than on the outside. How can we provide better support for pregnant women leaving prison?

• RED (20/100) Dr Lauren Sullivan

  2. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the handling of sexual offences committed by healthcare professionals in the criminal justice system.

• AMBER (60/100) Dr Lauren Sullivan

  My constituent Sarah Johnson showed remarkable courage in helping to convict a physiotherapist who sexually assaulted her and other women in his care. Her case raised serious questions about how a practitioner who was subject to regulatory restrictions and was later suspended from practice was able to remain employed by the NHS and in contact with patients. Will the Minister work with the Department of Health and Social Care to strengthen the regulations, so that those who are under investigation for sexual offences cannot continue to have contact with patients, and will she meet the survivors and me to discuss the matter further?

• AMBER (30/100) Jim Shannon

  An issue that crops up regularly in Northern Ireland is the searching of the £400 million digital patient record system by healthcare staff, some 30 of whom have been able to gain access to information and data through the system. What discussions has the Minister had, or will she have, with the Northern Ireland Assembly—and, in particular, with the relevant Minister—to ensure that appropriate penalties are in place to deter healthcare staff from accessing confidential patient records without authorisation?

• GREEN (78/100) Ian Sollom

  10. Whether he is taking steps to reform the family court system.

• AMBER (62/100) Ben Maguire

  The ex-partner of one of my constituents is subject to a non-molestation order and has been charged with stalking. He repeatedly withdraws consent from school and medical decisions made about their child, forcing my constituent to pay a solicitor to apply to court each time; he will then back down shortly before the hearing. My constituent just misses out on legal aid, owing to her earnings, most of which now go on legal fees. How are the Government reforming the family law courts to prevent such abuse?

• AMBER (48/100) Ian Sollom

  The Ministry’s own figures show that care cases are again slowing down in the family courts; just over a third hit the 26-week statutory limit for completion. The Minister has said that the family justice strategy will be a priority for the Government, and will be produced before the end of the year. Will it include a timetable for reversing this decline relating to care cases, and will he report back to Parliament?

• AMBER (32/100) Alistair Strathern

  I am grateful to the Minister for meeting one of my constituents recently to hear at first hand about the devastating impact that family court failings have had on her family, but the heartbreaking truth is that I could have chosen from many. All too often, inappropriate, failing processes and long delays cause real trauma. They drive up the risks to which young people are exposed, and exacerbate the already high legal costs for all parties involved. If we drive forward crucial family court reforms, can we make sure that our courts finally serve the young people and families who rely on them?

• AMBER (35/100) Matthew Patrick

  I would like to ask about my constituent Ranem. When a family court told her that her son could not be taken out of the country, she believed it was safe for Ibrahim to be with his father, but it was not safe. Four years ago this week, he was abducted by his father and taken to Saudi Arabia, and Ranem has not seen him since. How can we ensure a better system, in which, when the courts make an order, ports know about it and enforce it, so that mothers do not have to go through what Ranem is going through?

• RED (22/100) David Reed

  20. How many prisoners released under the early release scheme have since been recalled to prison.

• AMBER (30/100) Bradley Thomas

  Offender management statistics show that, so far this year in England, there have been more licence recalls than prisoner releases. Will the Secretary of State acknowledge and admit that releasing criminals in order to recall them does nothing to address overcrowding or public safety?

• RED (18/100) DEFERRED Sir Julian Lewis

  Does the Secretary of State accept that the recall figures would be even higher if it were not for the fact that, as reported in The Daily Telegraph today, it is taking the police an average of 39 days to arrest anyone who breaches his tagging conditions? Will he consider writing to us with his estimate of how many people who are released early will be recalled—during the next three months, for example?

• RED (5/100) David Reed

  Devon and Cornwall police cover one of the largest force areas anywhere in the country. When someone released early breaks their licence in a rural part of my region, officers have to go and find them and bring them back. I am sure that the Secretary of State can understand the constraints, given the large geographical area and their limited resources. What assessment has he made of the cost to local policing of recalls under the early release scheme?

• RED (20/100) DEFERRED Nick Timothy 50% point-scoring

  Today, the Government will let another 650 criminals out of prison early, on top of 1,350 last month and tens of thousands under their original early release scheme. When the Justice Secretary launched this scheme, he promised that there would be a presumption that every released criminal would be tagged, but that is not happening. I have asked Ministers about this many times, in letters, written questions, oral questions and urgent questions, but to no avail. He talks about waiting for the release of data in January, but waiting for January is his choice, so I ask again: how many released criminals have been tagged, and if he will not tell us, will the public not conclude that he is just hiding his broken promise?

• AMBER (55/100) Jess Brown-Fuller

  The Sentencing Act 2026 had a very clear aim, which was to stabilise the prison capacity crisis and to prevent victims from having to go through the ordeal of finding out that their perpetrator was being released not because they had served their time, but because there was a capacity crisis. However, the Government’s own capacity projections depend on both building capacity and keeping current cells operational. In the Budget, the MOJ’s capital for maintenance was reduced from £2.3 billion to £1.9 billion for 2029-30, but the cost of the maintenance backlog sits at £2.8 billion and cells are regularly being taking out of use. Can the Lord Chancellor confidently and categorically rule out, at the Dispatch Box, any more early release schemes before the end of this Parliament?

• GREEN (82/100) Luke Myer

  5. What steps his Department is taking to reduce the court backlog.

• AMBER (35/100) Luke Myer

  The number of cases at the Teesside combined court centre has more than doubled over the last decade, and organisations supporting victims of violence against women and girls tell me that they are concerned about the length of time it takes to get justice. What steps will the Government take to address that, and will they ensure that the rape and sexual abuse support fund remains ringfenced for organisations that provide legal support to those victims and survivors?

• AMBER (60/100) Manuela Perteghella

  Does the Minister recognise the devastating impact of delays in serious sexual abuse cases? One such case, which was brought to my attention, took so long to reach trial that the defendant’s health deteriorated and they were ultimately found not fit to stand trial, denying the victim the opportunity to see justice done. Will the Minister consider prioritising cases where there is a risk that delays can prevent a trial from ever taking place?

• AMBER (70/100) Jessica Morden

  Can the Minister reassure my constituents, who are in their 90s and are the victims of an alleged large fraud, that the lengthy delays they have experienced so far are being addressed urgently so that they can finally see justice done, particularly in view of their age?

• RED (20/100) Alison Bennett

  In 2011, there were 230 firms and 781 accredited legal representatives undertaking mental health legal aid work. There are now only 148 firms and 383 representatives. The rate of pay for mental health lawyers has, accounting for inflation, gone down by 47% since 2008. Our criminal courts are full of people with mental health disorders, so a functioning mental health system must be part of the mission to tackle the courts backlog. Does the Minister agree that legal aid fees for mental health law work must increase to ensure that patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 have access to competent, publicly funded legal representation?

• AMBER (38/100) Sarah Bool

  Employment tribunal backlogs have reached record levels, with more than 70,000 open single claims and some hearings outside of London delayed until 2029. The Employment Lawyers Association estimates that the phased introduction of the Employment Rights Act 2025 over the course of the next year will increase the tribunal caseload by up to a third. Does the Minister accept the concerns of the legal sector that extending employment rights without the ability to enforce, due to court backlogs, is meaningless and making access to justice in these life-changing disputes a postcode lottery?

• AMBER (45/100) Tom Hayes

  7. Whether his Department plans to review licence and probation supervision arrangements for convicted sex offenders following their release from custody.

• AMBER (30/100) Tom Hayes

  I thank the Minister for agreeing to meet with some of my constituents, who I saw again yesterday morning. Will the Government’s inclusion of smart glasses and wearable recording technology in probation licence conditions apply to suspended sentences and community orders?

• RED (17/100) Calum Miller

  During the course of the Sentencing Act 2026, I asked the former Lord Chancellor to reassure me about the Probation Service and the use of tagging, following an incident where a constituent had been traumatised by her former partner’s being released under licence and pursuing her because the tags failed. If the Minister cannot reassure me now about the Probation Service vacancy rate and number of tag failures over the last 12 months, will she write to me providing that information?

• GREEN (88/100) Mike Tapp

  8. What steps his Department is taking to increase the capacity of the prison estate.

• RED (22/100) Mike Tapp

  I thank the Minister for the fantastic progress made. What steps is the Department taking to ensure that foreign national offenders are held in prison until they are deported, not released back into our society where they can reoffend or abscond?

• AMBER (60/100) Ben Obese-Jecty

  I will push back gently on the Minister’s assertion of 3,300 new prison places, knowing full well that they were all approved under the previous Conservative Government. Across the adult male prison population, there are 3,669 places out of service due to everything from lack of fire safety measures to infestations of bedbugs and rodents. What are the Government doing to expedite the renewal of those prison places, some of which are out of service until as far out as 2034, given that prisoners are being released, including some today?

• GREEN (76/100) Luke Taylor

  19. What steps he is taking to improve programmes that reduce reoffending.

• AMBER (45/100) Yuan Yang

  This week is the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers’ annual Respect Week to raise awareness of the impacts of retail crime. From working with Thames Valley police in my patch, I know that a significant proportion of shoplifting is done by a small number of shoplifters who are repeat offenders and is often linked to substance abuse. Local Reading charities like Change Grow Live do great work to combat that. What more can the Department do to support that work and tackle the cycle of reoffending?

• AMBER (30/100) Luke Taylor

  The outgoing chief inspector of prisons said last week that organised gangs are using drones to smuggle up to 10 kg of drugs into prison at a time, and claimed that up to a quarter of prisoners admit to having developed a habit in prison because drugs are so rife. The Independent newspaper reported Charlie Taylor saying that many prisoners are leaving custody “doomed to come back” because they are not being rehabilitated. He claimed that the “public are not being protected properly” when prisoners are freed because their risk has not been reduced. In the year to March ’26, drugs were discovered in UK prisons 26,630 times—up by nearly a third from five years ago. Does the Minister agree that those in prison, and particularly those in for drug-related offences, stand little chance of turning their lives around and reducing their chances of reoffending on release if they are still routinely exposed to the evils of drugs?

• AMBER (70/100) Steve Yemm

  11. What progress his Department has made on utilising AI for innovation in legal services.

• AMBER (40/100) Steve Yemm

  I thank the Minister for her answer. The Labour Government inherited record backlogs in the Crown court system, with victims waiting years and years to access justice. What more could the Government be doing to utilise AI and technological solutions to get the courts moving quicker to improve access to justice and, crucially, to deliver justice for victims?

• RED (20/100) Kirsteen Sullivan

  21. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls through the criminal justice system.

• GREEN (80/100) Rachel Blake

  I thank the Minister for setting out comprehensively the Government’s end-to-end approach. The Minister will know all too well the evidence around how difficult it is for women to bring forward sexual assault and sexual violence cases. Can the Minister explain how the Government will make courts safe for victims and survivors so that they are not subject to unfair treatment in court?

• AMBER (35/100) Kirsteen Sullivan

  Eighteen months ago a woman in my constituency was assaulted at a local train station, but with limited CCTV footage no charges were brought forward. This trauma was compounded by a lack of victim-centred support from British Transport police, with my constituent left feeling belittled and ignored. As we approach this year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, what discussion is the Minister having with the Department for Transport to ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard and not dismissed?

• RED (15/100) Alison Griffiths

  This Government’s early release scheme has put 80,000 criminals back on our streets. They have gone on to commit crimes again and again. Last year, more serious violent and sexual crimes were committed by ex-offenders than in any previous year on record, and around 40 prisoners a day now leave prison homeless. If the Government will continue to release unrehabilitated criminals on to our streets, why have they allowed 11 probation hostels—the very places meant to supervise them—to close under their watch?

• AMBER (42/100) Clive Jones

  Domestic violence campaigners and charities, including Kaleidoscopic UK, have warned that post-separation abuse is too often missed by the justice system. How many more victims must be failed before the Government take action to ensure that post-separation abuse is properly recognised across policing, prosecution and the courts?

• AMBER (28/100) Nick Timothy

  The Russell Brand verdict surprised nobody, and all those who allowed his behaviour to go unchecked should reflect on their own culpability. The truth is emerging also about Mohamed al-Fayed; David Walliams remained anonymous for years thanks to an injunction; and there are many similar cases. Following the attack by Brand’s barrister on journalists who reported similar allegations concerning different victims before the case began, what will the Government do to prevent these abuses of process, and stop the abusive injunctions and super-injunctions, which stop scrutiny, accountability and the work of the free press?

• RED (22/100) Nick Timothy

  I thank the Minister for that answer. Sarah Steele was strangled and allegedly sexually assaulted by a US fighter pilot based at RAF Lakenheath. Like in several other cases, some involving child abuse, jurisdiction was wrongly handed to the Americans, with defendants facing a jury of US service personnel. The NATO treaty and the law say that in such cases, our police, prosecutors and courts should be in charge. Victims report charged suspects being free to travel without restriction, dubious acquittals, lighter punishments, and perpetrators potentially avoiding the sex offenders register. I have written to the Justice Secretary about this several times, and so far the replies have been quite general. Will the Government legislate so that any decision to surrender jurisdiction must be approved by an individual Minister?

• RED (22/100) Jess Brown-Fuller

  It is rare that we can achieve cross-party consensus in this place, but I think we have consensus that no party here would want to see rich and powerful men abusing our justice system to silence the voices of victims of violence against women and girls. Eleanor de Freitas took her own life in 2014 after being privately prosecuted for allegedly making a false rape accusation. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women found that the UK violated Eleanor’s rights. Will the Minister please consider Eleanor’s law to ensure that prosecutions concerning allegedly false reports of rape and sexual violence can be brought only by public prosecuting authorities?

• GREEN (82/100) Jonathan Davies

  13. What steps his Department is taking to help people who have experienced abuse to access support services.

• AMBER (38/100) Jonathan Davies

  Victims of coercion, abuse and assault have been very much in the news recently, but there are many such victims whose stories will never reach the headlines, including a constituent who came to see me. Her case went to court and the defendant was found not guilty, as is the case in many such prosecutions. She would like to get the transcript from that prosecution to help her process what happened and to access support services, but she has been quoted many thousands of pounds to access that transcript. Will the Government look to make these transcripts cheaper—or, even better, free—so that people in such circumstances can get the help they need?

• AMBER (33/100) Dr Danny Chambers

  My constituent, Mackenzie, who is a pupil at Peter Symonds sixth-form college in Winchester and is here in the Gallery today, has been campaigning really hard on the issue of catcalling and the intimidation and abuse of women in public spaces. Would the Minister mind laying out what support we are giving, and what we are doing to address the intimidation of women in public spaces?

• GREEN (82/100) Mr Paul Foster

  T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

• AMBER (30/100) Mr Paul Foster

  Despite the Planning Inspectorate recommending refusal, a third prison is under construction at Ulnes Walton in my South Ribble constituency. Unfortunately, the local community has been hugely impacted by issues around access, highway safety and vehicle movements—the very reasons refusal was originally recommended. Will the Minister please meet me as a matter of urgency to discuss how we can develop solutions for the benefit of the Ulnes Walton community?

• RED (20/100) Dr Kieran Mullan

  The ability of powerful men to exert control over and exploit women is again at the forefront of our minds. But it is not just rich and powerful men: we recently debated in this place a petition by Paris Shears, who campaigns against coercive and controlling behaviour. During the debate, the Minister refused to give Paris the common courtesy of explaining whether those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour are eligible for Labour’s early release programme. Can the Justice Secretary show proper respect to Paris and other victims and at least answer that question now?

• RED (4/100) Dr Kieran Mullan

  It is obvious that the Minister does not want to put on record and own up to the fact that those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour are, according to our understanding, eligible for early release. [ Interruption. ] The Minister says from a sedentary position that I should read; I will pass it on to Paris that he feels she should have just read. The public want clarity from Ministers on these complex matters, and it is right for me to ask this question. How can the Minister justify releasing those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour early when we know that perpetrators who go on to commit offences like rape often start out with lower offences, like common assault, coercive and controlling behaviour and grooming. We know the patterns that emerge over time. Surely we should tackle this at the first instance and not let these people out early.

• RED (12/100) DEFERRED Sarah Pochin

  T4. Two months ago, I wrote to the Secretary of State asking him to confirm how many prisoners will be released under the Government’s early release scheme untagged because they cited homelessness or mental health issues. I got a reply from his Minister saying that she could not answer the question because the scheme did not start till 1 October, but her letter was dated 4 November—five weeks later. Will Secretary of State tell me today how many have been released early untagged for those reasons?

• RED (12/100) Tom Gordon

  T7. Last week the Government announced their Visitor Levy (England) Bill, which will create a number of new offences, including a 14-year maximum prison sentence for deliberate evasion of a tourist tax, all while the Government are still releasing prisoners early. Has the Department carried out a justice impact test, and when will the impact assessments be published? What assessment has the Department made of the additional prison spaces that would be needed?

• AMBER (32/100) Henry Tufnell

  Probation services play a vital role in protecting the public, reducing reoffending and supporting rehabilitation. As the UK and Welsh Governments review probation governance in Wales, can the Lord Chancellor update the House on how he is working with the Welsh Government to better integrate probation with devolved services, to strengthen public safety in communities such as mine in Pembrokeshire?

• AMBER (42/100) Mr Lee Dillon

  Last year the British Horse Society recorded nearly 3,000 road incidents involving horses. However, because horses are classed as property, judges and courts cannot reflect the emotional distress that horse riders have when they lose their animal. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how we can change the law to better reflect the needs of victims?

• RED (20/100) Sir Ashley Fox

  Victims of crime have asked the Lord Chancellor to publish criminal conviction data by nationality. Will he do so?