Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

When HMP Welland Oaks was first planned to be built.

Plans to build four new prisons, including HMP Welland Oaks, were announced by the Ministry of Justice in June 2020. As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, the four new prisons are part of this Government’s plans to deliver 14,000 additional prison places, with an aim to do so by 2031. We are currently on track to do so, having delivered c.2,600 since taking office, including c.1,500 places through the new prison HMP Millsike, which opened earlier this year.

What prison construction projects were due to be completed by ISG Construction.

Construction projects were planned for completion by ISG Construction Limited at the below prisons:HMP BirminghamHMP LiverpoolHMP PrescoedHMP The VerneHMP Kirklevington GrangeHMP Warren HillHMP Guys MarshHMP ErlestokeHMP LeyhillHMP FordHMP Standford HillThe planned new prison in Buckinghamshire Work is underway to recommence delivery across these projects. We are committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places and are on track to do so by 2031. We have already delivered c.2,600 of these since taking office.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of his prison capacity strategy on the number of Category A prison places that will be created.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 June 2025 to Question 57465.

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

As set out in the December 2024 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, we are committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places and aim to do so by 2031; we have already delivered c.2,600 of these since taking office.No new prisons have been (a) planned or (b) approved since 5 July 2024.However, since 5 July 2024, the delivery of c.1,080 places have been approved through the Small Secure Houseblocks programme at the following sites:HMP NorthumberlandHMP Lancaster FarmsHMP HumberHMP RanbyHMP OnleyHMP ErlestokeWe have also uplifted the Accelerated Houseblock Delivery Programme by c.125 places at HMP Wayland.

How many prisoners have been released in error from HMP Littlehey since 5 July 2024.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue. Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK, and provide data up to March 2025. Breakdowns of the number of people who have been released in error since April 2025 cannot be provided because it would form a subset of releases in error data which underpins future versions of these Official Statistics. The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

What assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of using Splink to reduce the number of prisoner released in error.

Splink, a probabilistic data-linking tool, is being used to deduplicate and connect records across multiple Ministry of Justice datasets. The Core Person Record service, which links data from courts, prisons and probation, leverages Splink to improve data accuracy for real-time operational decision-making. Early testing indicates this service improves the accuracy and timeliness of person-level information available to staff. We have not yet evaluated its effectiveness on reducing prisoners release in error and agree there is potential to see an indirect impact by reducing identity confusion and ensuring warrants, licence conditions and other information is always associated with the correct individual. We will continue to explore further applications of Splink to strengthen processes, such as preventing erroneous prison releases.

How many prisoners have not been released after the completion of their sentence and have continued to remain in custody in error since 5 July 2024.

Release inaccuracy is yet another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those errors that do occur, and this includes unlawful detentions.On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps which includes strengthening release checks across prisons and an independent inquiry will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies.The Government is determined to fix release inaccuracies and ensure the public is properly protected.The data requested comes from internal management information and is therefore not fully Quality Assured and does not meet the standard required for public consumption.

When new prisons in (a) Buckinghamshire, (b) Lancashire and (c) Leicestershire were first announced by his Department.

Plans to build a potential new prison in Buckinghamshire were first announced by the Ministry of Justice in December 2020. Plans to build potential new prisons in Lancashire and Leicestershire were first announced by the Department in June 2021.This Government will now deliver those prisons as part of our 10-Year Capacity Strategy, under which we aim to deliver 14,000 additional prison places by 2031, with the expectation that they will become operational by 2032. We are currently on track to do so, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office, including 1,500 places through the new prison HMP Millsike, which opened earlier this year.

When was the Core Person Record service (a) proposed, (b) developed and (c) launched in pilot form.

The Core Person Record service was proposed in April 2023.The service started development in October 2023 and was launched in pilot form in June 2025.

In what locations he plans to create new prison places.

As set out in the 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering 14,000 additional prison places and are on track to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office.The remaining places will be delivered across the following regions, rounded to the nearest 50 places:HMPPS Region Places North East650North West2,900Midlands2,800Wales350South East & East2,400South West & Central3,250This breakdown represents current projections and may vary in response to changes in programme scope or delivery constraints. Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, totals exceed the 14,000 place commitment.

How many new prison places have been approved since 5 July 2024.

Between 5 July 2024 and 7 November 2025, HM Treasury has approved the Full Business Cases for the delivery of c.1,200 new prison places.These places are part of the 14,000 additional places this Government committed to delivering in the December 2024 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy. We are currently on track to deliver these by 2031, with the expectation they will be operational by 2032. Under this Government, c.2,600 places have already been delivered.

Pursuant to the answer of 20th October 2025 to question 79734 on Prison Accommodation: Procurement, by when a programme is planned to be developed to recommence delivery.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79734, new replacement contractors have been appointed on all the projects previously supplied by ISG and ESS across the Houseblocks and Refurbishments and Category D Expansion Programmes in line with contingency plans.Work is underway to enable us to recommence delivery across these projects. We are committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places and are on track to do so by 2031, with places fully operational by 2032. We have already delivered c.2,600 of these since taking office.

Pursuant to the answer of 20th October 2025, to question 79734 on Prison Accommodation: Procurement, which projects previously supplied by ISG have now been taken over.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79734, new replacement contractors have been appointed on all the projects previously supplied by ISG and ESS across the Houseblocks and Refurbishments and Category D Expansion Programmes in line with contingency plans.Work is underway to enable us to recommence delivery across these projects. We are committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places and are on track to do so by 2031, with places fully operational by 2032. We have already delivered c.2,600 of these since taking office.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 82447 on Ministry of Justice: ICT, how many of the 1026 devices lost were (a) secure laptops, (b) secure mobile phones and (c) authentication devices.

Of the 1026 devices lost, 317 were laptops (30.9%), and 709 were mobile phones (69.1%). There were 0 authentication devices.All of these devices were secured to HMG standards, using encryption and other methods to ensure that data on them remains inaccessible if the device is lost or stolen.

How many prison officers have been suspended for mistakenly releasing prisoners early since 5 July 2024.

The Ministry of Justice cannot provide the information requested. The internal HR system records details of staff suspensions but does not include the reasons for those suspensions. It is therefore not possible to identify, from centrally held data, which suspensions may relate specifically to the mistaken early release of prisoners.

How many prisoners have been released from prison early in error since 5 July 2024.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government.While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those releases in error that do occur. As the Deputy Prime Minister set out to the House, immediate measures have been introduced to strengthen release checks across prisons – making them the strongest release checks to ever be in place.We have gripped this chaos – by building more prison places, ending the last Government’s early release scheme, being transparent with the public, immediately making changes to sentences to ease pressure on the system and, now, taking landmark reforms through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that prisons never run out of places again.Annual totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK, and provide data up to March 2025.The total number of releases in error from 5 July 2024 to 31 March 2025 is 193.The number of people who have been released in error since April 2025 cannot be provided because it would form a subset of releases in error data which underpins future versions of these Official Statistics.

How many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by staff in his Department between (i) 5 July 2024 and 4th July 2025 and (ii) since 5th July 2025.

Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, 807 devices were reported as lost or stolen, totalling 0.47% of the estate. Since 5 July 2025, 219 devices (0.13% of the estate) have been reported as lost or stolen.Strong safeguards are in place to protect Ministry of Justice data and we continually review our processes.

How many children were murdered by other children by (a) age and (b) gender in each year since 2015.

The information requested on the number of children prosecuted for the offences listed (all forms of violent assault, battery, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, murder and sexual assault offences) by age and gender, can be found at: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2024 - GOV.UK.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of children arrested and charged as this is a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. However, some information on arrests and charges can be found within the Crime Outcomes in England and Wales produced by the Home Office.Data centrally held does not include the number of children who were victims of crimes committed by other children, beyond information included in the offence type, nor how many children were murdered by other children, beyond infanticide. Whilst this information may be held in court records, examining individual records would incur disproportionate costs.

How many children were (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) prosecuted for murder by (i) age and (ii) gender in each year since 2015.

The information requested on the number of children prosecuted for the offences listed (all forms of violent assault, battery, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, murder and sexual assault offences) by age and gender, can be found at: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2024 - GOV.UK.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of children arrested and charged as this is a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. However, some information on arrests and charges can be found within the Crime Outcomes in England and Wales produced by the Home Office.Data centrally held does not include the number of children who were victims of crimes committed by other children, beyond information included in the offence type, nor how many children were murdered by other children, beyond infanticide. Whilst this information may be held in court records, examining individual records would incur disproportionate costs.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled AI action plan for justice, published on 31 July 2025, if he will list the secure AI productivity tools he will introduce in order to reduce the administrative burden in his Department.

All Ministry of Justice staff now have access to a secure version of Microsoft Copilot Chat (a secure, web-based assistant for general queries), with further rollout of Microsoft Copilot 365 (the fully integrated AI capability within Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams) planned.The Ministry of Justice has also been piloting ChatGPT Enterprise from OpenAI.