Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ben Obese-Jecty this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 61–80 of 192 · Ministry of Justice
Pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025 to question 89778 on Prisons: Construction, on what date did ISG Construction Limited cease on-site work at HMP Prescoed.
ISG Construction Limited ceased work on all Ministry of Justice sites on the date of their administration, 20 September 2024. This included HMP Birmingham, HMP Liverpool and HMP Prescoed.
How many prisoners serving a life sentence have been released on licence since 5 July 2024.
The number of prisoners serving a life sentence who were released for the first time (i.e. excluding recall re-releases) from 5 July 2024 to 30 Sep 2024 was 68. The number of prisoners serving a life sentence prisoners re-released in the same period, having previously been recalled, was 73.In total, 141 prisoners serving a life sentence were released during this period.Data for periods after 30 September are routinely published in the Department’s Offender Management Statistics. First releases data is included in the ‘Prison releases’ tables and recall re-release data is included in the ‘Prison Recall’ tables. The latest quarterly publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025.
Pursuant to the correction of 10 March 2026 to Question 115634 on Ministry of Justice: ICT, for what reason here was a discrepancy of 510 laptops, mobile phones and electronic devices recorded as lost or stolen between the original answer of 3 March 2026 and the correction of 10 March 2026.
When the previous (incorrect) answer was provided, it was the result of a simple search being run against criteria in the service management system and the result published.When the corrected response was provided, it was a result of a manual search through records ensuring that duplicates were removed, and then checked against the ID numbers of assets known to be present.
By what date will the formal investigation into the abscondment of Daniel Boakye be completed.
The formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape from custody is due to be completed by 20 March.Reports of internal investigations of this nature are not normally published.
Pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026 to question 115637 on Daniel Boakye, what additional management checks are being undertaken in relation to operational staff who may be called upon to undertake escort duty.
We have introduced a period of enhanced management assurance for all external escorts. Under these strengthened measures, a manager of the same grade or a more senior grade is required to check the application of restraints prior to an escort and ensure additional restraint arrangements are utilised where necessary. In addition, all operational staff who may be involved in an escort have been required to complete refreshed competency activity.
If he will publish the outcome of the formal investigation into the abscondment of Daniel Boakye.
The formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape from custody is due to be completed by 20 March.Reports of internal investigations of this nature are not normally published.
Pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026, to question 115638 on Prisons: Unmanned Air Vehicles, who are the selected industry partners will receive up to £60,000 of funding to develop proof-of-concept systems.
For national security reasons, we are unable to share the names of the industry partners.
Pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 115634 on Ministry of Justice: ICT, for what reason the number of laptops, mobile phones and other electrical devices stolen or lost by the Department fell from 665 between 5 July 2024 to 29 April 2025 to 324 between 5 July 2024 and 5 December 2025.
A difference in figures reported by the Department for periods 5 July 2024 to 29 April 2025 and 5 July 2024 to 5 December 2025 is due to a difference in how incident records were queried and displayed, resulting in an inflated figure of 665 where some devices had been double counted.The correct figure for the period of 5 July 2024 to 5 December 2025 is 324.The Department is currently undertaking work to improve asset data quality, during which some devices previously been reported lost or stolen have been since recovered or identified as having been reported in error.
What progress has he made with the Secretary of State for the Home Department in apprehending Daniel Boakye following his abscondment.
A formal investigation has been commissioned into the circumstances surrounding the escape from custody. Additional management checks are also being undertaken in relation to all operational staff who may be called upon to undertake escort duty.Public safety is the Government’s priority. Following a joint operation by the Metropolitan Police, the National Crime Agency and the French authorities, we have received confirmation that Daniel Boakye has now been detained in France. Arrangements are being made to secure his return to the UK.
What information his Department holds on the factors that led to the abscondment of Daniel Boakye.
A formal investigation has been commissioned into the circumstances surrounding the escape from custody. Additional management checks are also being undertaken in relation to all operational staff who may be called upon to undertake escort duty.Public safety is the Government’s priority. Following a joint operation by the Metropolitan Police, the National Crime Agency and the French authorities, we have received confirmation that Daniel Boakye has now been detained in France. Arrangements are being made to secure his return to the UK.
With reference to his Department's press release entitled Tech challenge launched to counter drone threats in prisons, published on 4 November 2025, on what date is the 12-week Counter-Drone Challenge due to end.
We have recently launched a new innovation challenge with His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) Co-Creation aimed at combatting the growing threat of drones around prisons.The Counter-Drone Challenge competition closed on 4 December 2025. Selected industry partners will receive up to £60,000 funding to develop proof-of-concept systems over a 12-week period.
How many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by his Department between 5 July 2024 and 29 April 2025.
Between 5 July 2024 and 29 April 2025, the Ministry of Justice recorded lost or stolen:59 laptops91 mobile phones5 other devicesAll Ministry of Justice laptops and mobile phones are encrypted and protected to National Cyber Security Centre standards. The Department has mandatory reporting procedures for lost or stolen items, and incidents are investigated in line with security policy.
With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, by what date he plans to establish the advisory panel on preventative analytics for youth justice.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, how will individual’s personal data be used in preventative analytics “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, what permissions do the Government require in order to access personal data for use in preventative analytics “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, what personal data will be accessed by the Ministry of Justice preventative analytics programme “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the Times Radio interview with preventative analytics advisory panel lead Professor Mark Mon Williams at 0727 on 16 February 2026, what children’s health data will be shared with a) schools and b) police forces as part of the preventatives analytics programme.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the press release Battlefield tactics to inspire UK fight against prison drones, published on 16 January 2026, how many prisons across the prison estate currently have access to active counter-UAS capabilities.
We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones that deliver contraband so that prisoners have access to a safe and stable rehabilitative environment. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes physical security countermeasures, legislation and working across Government and with international partners on this global issue. H M Prison & Probation Service uses targeted physical countermeasures, such as improvements to windows, installing specialised netting and grills to prevent drones from delivering contraband into prisons. HMPPS also conducts vulnerability assessments across the estate, to understand the risk and develop and implement plans to mitigate the threat. We work widely across Government to understand how current and emerging counter-drone capabilities can be used to keep our prisons and the public safe. We are also engaging with international counterparts to develop our learning, support our strategy and share best practice. We cannot share information about our counter-drone tactics, but HMPPS uses suitable technology, alongside a variety of countermeasures and intelligence tools to prevent drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile phones and weapons.
What counter-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities are available to HM Prison and Probation Service staff.
We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones that deliver contraband so that prisoners have access to a safe and stable rehabilitative environment. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes physical security countermeasures, legislation and working across Government and with international partners on this global issue. H M Prison & Probation Service uses targeted physical countermeasures, such as improvements to windows, installing specialised netting and grills to prevent drones from delivering contraband into prisons. HMPPS also conducts vulnerability assessments across the estate, to understand the risk and develop and implement plans to mitigate the threat. We work widely across Government to understand how current and emerging counter-drone capabilities can be used to keep our prisons and the public safe. We are also engaging with international counterparts to develop our learning, support our strategy and share best practice. We cannot share information about our counter-drone tactics, but HMPPS uses suitable technology, alongside a variety of countermeasures and intelligence tools to prevent drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile phones and weapons.
With reference to the press release entitled Battlefield tactics to inspire UK fight against prison drones, published on 16 January 2026, how will his Department benefit from the £6.5 million UKRI funding available to accelerate anti-drone research and development.
We are working closely with international partners across our priorities, including lessons learnt from the battlefield to counter the threat of malicious drones. Officials are in further discussion with counterparts in Ukraine and other international allies to understand best practice and what lessons could be applied to the security of our prison estate. International companies are also encouraged to take part in ongoing challenges to industry, for example the challenge launched on behalf of the Ministry of Justice by UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) on 3 March. The challenge is looking for practical, low-collateral technologies that can safely stop hostile drones once they breach secure prison airspace. Up to £1.85 million combined funding is available across the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and other partners. As announced by the Deputy Prime Minister on his visit to Ukraine in January 2026, UKRI has committed an additional £6.5 million to help accelerate counter-drone research and development (R&D). This funding is owned and will be delivered by UKRI as part of the R&D Mission Accelerator Programme. Decisions for how this funding will be allocated are still being finalised and will be announced in due course. As well as the £1.85 million challenge led by UKDI, the Ministry of Justice has also delivered counter-drone R&D through His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre. The Counter-Drone Challenge, launched in November 2025, invited industry to find cutting-edge solutions to detect drones. Successful applicants will receive up to £60,000 funding to develop proof-of-concept systems over a 12-week period. The Ministry of Justice will continue to work with UKRI, UKDI and the wider counter-drones ecosystem to develop innovative solutions to keep our prisons secure and protect the public.