Written questions by Snowden.

What estimate she has made of the potential impact of the proposed reforms on demand for approved wedding venues.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate she has made of the number of additional marriages that would take place annually if the proposed reforms are implemented.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed reforms on the prevention and detection of sham marriages.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the Government intends to publish draft legislation for pre-legislative scrutiny before introducing a Bill to reform weddings law.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed reforms on the financial viability of local authority registration services.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the risks associated with unofficial auditors accessing the open prison estate.

Awaiting answer.

If he will make an estimate of the annual cost to her Department of preparing ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates.

Awaiting answer.

How many new prisons have been (a) planned and (b) approved since 5 July 2024.

Awaiting answer.

Who will chair the YCS Safeguarding Oversight Board and how its members will be appointed.

Awaiting answer.

What proportion of staff working in youth custodial settings have current Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he will publish an implementation plan for the recommendations contained in the Trowler Review.

Awaiting answer.

How local authorities, NHS bodies and safeguarding partnerships will be involved in implementing the recommendations of the Trowler Review.

Awaiting answer.

Whether guidance issued to family courts on child arrangements includes consideration of a child's routines, friendships, extracurricular activities and educational commitments.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of jury service loss-of-earnings allowances in meeting the cost of living of jurors.

Jury service is an important civic duty, and the Government is committed to ensuring jurors feel supported throughout their service. All support for jurors is kept under review to ensure that it remains appropriate and accessible. Where jury service is li...

What steps his Department is taking to reduce unnecessary waiting times for jurors attending court.

Jurors are integral to the efficient, effective and fair running of the Crown Court system. The Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunals Service recognise the importance of making optimal use of jurors’ time, and of minimising unnecessary or avoida...

What steps he is taking to ensure that youth justice services have adequate resources and capacity to deliver diversionary interventions at scale.

This Government has committed to investing £15.4 million per year in the Turnaround programme until March 2029, to support Youth Justice Services (YJS) across England and Wales to intervene earlier with children on the cusp of entering the youth justice s...

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of regional disparities in the proportion of diversionary outcomes for children in the youth justice system.

The Youth Justice Board’s recent statistical release, ‘The use of diversionary outcomes in England and Wales 2025’, includes the first official assessment of regional variation in youth diversionary outcomes. This confirmed the ‘postcode lottery’ in youth...

How many staff in his Department are employed wholly or primarily to support the provision of multilingual communications and services; and what is the cost to the public purse of such staff.

The information requested is not held centrally. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The Ministry of Justice does not centrally record whether staff are employed wholly or primarily to support the provision of multili...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of current libel laws in the context of social media.

Defamation – which covers both libel and slander – concerns the publication of material that adversely affects a person’s reputation. Individuals who believe they have been defamed online can bring a claim under the tort of defamation, provided it meets t...

How many prisoners are currently held in cells operating above certified normal accommodation; and what proportion of the adult male closed estate is operating above 100% of certified normal accommodation.

Crowding data is published regularly in HMPPS’s Annual Digest, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2024-to-march-2025.The most recent data for the 12 months ending March 2025 shows:The crowding rate in prison...