Written questions by Grant.

With reference to Q3 of the oral evidence given by the Lady Chief Justice of England to the Justice Select Committee on 26 November 2024, HC 421, what estimate she has made of the total cost of sitting the extra 6,500 court sitting days to reach the maximum 113,000 days available.

113,000 sitting days are a theoretical maximum of judicial sitting days in the Crown Court. It is not clear whether other parts of the system – for example the availability of counsel - could sustain that level of sitting, and therefore it is not correct to say that number of sitting days was 'available' for FY24/25.In June the previous Lord Chancellor reached agreement with the Lady Chief Justice and Senior President of Tribunals to sit 106,000 days in the Crown Court in FY24/25 within a total budget of £275 million. In September, the current Lord Chancellor increased the allocation of sitting days for the Crown Court by 500 additional days and then again in December by 2,000, meaning that the total allocation for FY 24/25 is now 108,500, the highest number in nearly a decade.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure school uniform policies continue to promote school (a) identity, (b) pride and (c) inclusion, in the context of the proposed cap on branded items.

Uniform, including a small number of branded uniform items, can play a key role in promoting the ethos of a school, providing a sense of belonging and identity, setting an appropriate tone for education, and reducing visible inequalities. However, too many schools require high numbers of costly branded uniform items and it is right that legislation limits the number of branded items schools can require. School uniform should be affordable and no child should be stigmatised due to financial constraints.In setting an appropriate numerical limit of branded items, the department has looked at the available evidence to ensure we are striking the right balance between reducing costs for parents and recognising the benefits that some branded items may bring to school life.

What steps he is taking to support legal services and skills.

One of the Industrial Strategy’s eight growth-driving sectors is Professional and Business Services, of which the Legal Sector will play a key role. Professional and Business Services has been selected because it has been successful, has driven growth, and is an area where the UK has a real competitive advantage. Skills will play a crucial role in the Industrial Strategy, driving growth through increased productivity, as well as creating well paid jobs which increases opportunities for everyone. We will work closely with business, devolved governments, local leaders, trade unions and others to ensure the skills system is responsive and flexible, and that people have the opportunity to get on and fulfil their potential. This includes establishing Skills England and successfully designing the new Skills and Growth Levy. We’ll publish our specific plans when we launch our new Industrial Strategy.

What steps his Department is taking to support the legal services sector.

One of the Industrial Strategy’s eight growth-driving sectors is Professional and Business Services, of which the Legal Sector will play a key role. Professional and Business Services has been selected because it has been successful, has driven growth, and is an area where the UK has a real competitive advantage. Skills will play a crucial role in the Industrial Strategy, driving growth through increased productivity, as well as creating well paid jobs which increases opportunities for everyone. We will work closely with business, devolved governments, local leaders, trade unions and others to ensure the skills system is responsive and flexible, and that people have the opportunity to get on and fulfil their potential. This includes establishing Skills England and successfully designing the new Skills and Growth Levy. We’ll publish our specific plans when we launch our new Industrial Strategy.

What steps his Department plans to take to accelerate provision of (a) therapy services, (b) wheelchairs, (c) orthotics, (d) prosthetics and (e) other equipment for children and young people.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of most children’s therapy services and equipment services in the National Health Service. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for children and young people are specialised services, and are commissioned by NHS England.NHS England is working to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of NHS wheelchairs, and to support ICBs to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment. This includes co-producing a wheelchair quality framework with key stakeholders and people with lived experience. It is due to be published by the end of 2024/25 and will set out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets.NHS England will shortly publish a revised service specification, Amputee Rehabilitation and Prosthetics Services for People of All Ages with Limb Loss and Limb Difference. The revised specification ensures greater emphasis on children and young people being seen with an age-appropriate setting, with greater collaboration between the young person’s acute and rehabilitation teams.In relation to AAC services, NHS England is reviewing the current service specification, and it is anticipated that the revised service specification will be published in spring 2025.

If he will issue guidance clarifying the (a) roles and (b) responsibilities of (i) local services and (ii) the third sector in the provision of specialist equipment for disabled children.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population. NHS England Specialised Commissioning commissions complex disability equipment services, including communication aids, environmental controls, and prosthetics.We expect ICBs to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In 2022, the NICE published the guidance Disabled children and young people up to 25 with severe complex needs: integrated service delivery and organisation across health, social care and education, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng213/chapter/Recommendations-on-service-organisation-integration-and-commissioningThe Children and Families Act 2014 requires that education, health, and social care services must work together to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In May 2023, NHS England issued statutory guidance setting out the requirement for ICBs to have an Executive Lead for SEND, who will lead on supporting the Chief Executive and the board in ensuring the ICB performs its functions effectively, in the interests of children and young people with SEND.Local authorities are responsible for providing social care services for disabled children, which can include specialist equipment. The guidance on supporting disabled children and their carers is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669e7501ab418ab055592a7b/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_2023.pdfFurther guidance on the roles and responsibilities of different organisations in meeting the needs of children with SEND can be found in the SEND Code of Practice, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

How many cases involved violence against (a) women and (b) girls in (i) criminal and (ii) family courts in each of the last five years.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government, which is why we have committed to halving the prevalence of VAWG within the decade. We will go further than before to deliver a cross-government transformative approac...

o ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes were committed against (a) women and (b) girls in each of the last five years by crime type.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) regularly publishes estimates, from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), on the proportion of women and girls who have been victims of crime. Information from the 2023/24 survey, for 16+ year olds and 10-...

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the definition of violence against women and girls.

The Government’s definition of violence against women and girls (VAWG) covers violence and abuse which disproportionately, but not exclusively, affect women and girls. Crimes and behaviours include sexual offences, domestic abuse, stalking and harassment ...

What the reoffending rates are of (a) former Imprisonment for Public Protection prisoners following the termination of their licence period, (b) the general prison population and (c) prisoners released under the

Reoffending rates for offenders released from an IPP sentence are measured from the point of prison release in line with the published methodology, not from the point of licence termination. The latest proven reoffending rate for offenders released from a...

What the average length of time imprisonment for public protection prisoners spend in custody following a recall; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of extended recall periods on trends in s

The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data on the average length of time Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) prisoners spent in custody following recall. The most recent data can be found in Table 5.Q.11: licence-recalls-Apr-to-June-2024.ods. T...

For what reasons was there a reduction in Parole Board oral review hearings for imprisonment for public protection prisoners between (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2022-23; and what steps her Department is taking to increas

In 2018/19 there were 1,317 review oral hearings for IPP prisoners and in 2022/23 there were 792, a reduction of 40%. During a similar period, the unreleased IPP prisoner population reduced from 2,491 on 31 December 2018 to 1,227 on 31 December 2023, a re...

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of prolonged imprisonment on the (a) mental health and (b) prospects for safe release of prisoners serving imprisonment for public protection sentences; and wh

The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data on the average length of time Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) prisoners spent in custody following recall. The most recent data can be found in Table 5.Q.11: licence-recalls-Apr-to-June-2024.ods. T...

How many Imprisonment for Public Protection prisoners were (a) in custody and (b) in the community on licence in each of the last five years; and what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies

The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data on the average length of time Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) prisoners spent in custody following recall. The most recent data can be found in Table 5.Q.11: licence-recalls-Apr-to-June-2024.ods. T...

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of legal protections against the (a) abuse and (b) neglect of older people.

Any form of elder abuse or neglect is unacceptable.Local authorities have a statutory duty to investigate safeguarding concerns under the Care Act 2014. The statutory guidance of the Care Act 2014 makes it clear that local authorities must ensure that the...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ring-fencing a proportion of the funding provided to Police and Crime Commissioners for the provision of (a) independent domestic violence advisers and (b

Supporting victims and witnesses remains a priority focus for the Department and Ministers. Collectively, we are committed to the Government’s pledge to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade.Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in Eng...

What recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of economic abuse of older people.

Economic abuse is recognised as a form of abusive behaviour under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This Government is committed to halving violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, in a decade. Though the Department does not hold prevalence ...

Whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on developing a strategy for preventing violence and abuse against older people.

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards anybody is unacceptable. Though anyone can suffer from domestic abuse, for older victims, abuse may be more disguised or compounded by other age-related factors such as ill health. I have had meeting...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of British Council's repayment of its pandemic loan on its ability to promote UK soft power.

The Government is committed to a successful British Council that is financially stable. The Government recognises the value of the British Council as a UK soft power asset through its important work in promoting the English language, UK arts and culture a...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps are being taken to prioritise Official Development Assistance aid for education in (a) countries where (i) literacy and (ii) numeracy rates are lowest and (b) prot

The UK Government prioritises reaching the most marginalised children with basic literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills, including through our 18 bilateral education programmes. Our centrally managed Scaling Access and Learning in Education and Da...