Written questions by Timothy.

How many prison places have been closed due to reasons concerning (a) health and safety, (b) security, (c) resources and (d) physical conditions in each year since 2010, broken down by location.

The information requested has been provided in the table below. Please note that, since 2010, 23 prisons (7519 places) have been permanently closed. The site-specific reasons for closure vary, but in the main these prisons were assessed as old and uneconomic and the decision to close was based on the suitability, sustainability and the cost of running and maintaining these prisons. For the purposes of the breakdown in the table below, these full prison closures have been identified as “physical conditions”Some of the places included on the list below as closed due to physical conditions have either been, or are due to be, returned following refurbishment. This includes places removed at Liverpool, Birmingham, Haverigg ,Feltham and Swinfen Hall.YearPrison(a) health & safety(b) security(c) resources(d) physical conditionsTotal2011 Ashwell* -214-214  Brockhill (Hewell)* -170-170  Lancaster Castle* -243-243  Latchmere House* -207-2072011 Total   0 0 0 -834 -834 2012 Wellingborough* -588-5882012 Total   0 0 0 -588 -588 2013 Blundeston* -526-526  Bullwood Hall* -228-228  Camp Hill (IoW)* -595-595  Canterbury* -314-314  Dorchester* -291-291  Gloucester* -321-321  Kingston* -205-205  Northallerton* -252-252  Reading* -320-320  Shepton Mallet* -189-189  Shrewsbury* -341-3412013 Total   0 0 0 -3582 -3582 2014 Feltham -112-1122014 Total   0 0 0 -112 -112 2015 Blantyre House* -122-122  Dover* -401-401  Feltham -36-36  Haslar* -197-197  Rochester -60-602015 Total   0 0 0 -816 -816 2016 Haverigg -335 -335  Hindley-28 -28  Holloway* -591-591  Kennet* -342-3422016 Total   -28 -335 0 -933 -1296 2017 Glen Parva* -638-638  Guys Marsh -66-66  Liverpool -172-172  Rochester -60-60  Swinfen Hall -30-302017 Total   0 0 0 -966 -966 2018 Birmingham -306-306  Haverigg -40-40  Liverpool -234-2342018 Total 0 0 0 -580 -580 2019 Aylesbury -235-235  Birmingham -167-167  Hindley-28 -28  Swinfen Hall -30-302019 Total -28 0 0 -432 -460 2020 Haverigg-80 -80  Hewell Grange* -224-224  Spring Hill-35 -35  Erlestoke-80 -80  Ford-96 -96  Foston Hall-80 -80  Kirkham-80 -80  Kirklevington Grange-120 -120  Littlehey-40 -40  Norwich-40 -40  Standford Hill-24 -24  Wayland-80 -802020 Total   -755 0 0 -224 -979 2021 Spring Hill-45 -45  Channings Wood-40 -40  Ford-179 -179  Hatfield-80 -80  Highpoint-40 -40  Hollesley Bay-80 -80  Leyhill-80 -80  Low Newton-40 -40  New Hall-40 -40  North Sea Camp-120 -120  Northumberland-40 -40  Prescoed-40 -40  Send-80 -80  Standford Hill-56 -56  Sudbury-40 -40  Whatton-40 -40  Wymott-40 -402021 Total -1080 0 0 0 -1080 2022 Bedford -32-32  Eastwood Park-20 -20  Guys Marsh-40 -40  Spring Hill-40 -40  Highpoint-40 -402022 Total -140 0 0 -32 -172 2023 Deerbolt -19-19  Gartree-3 -3  Isle of Wight -52-52  Leicester-6 -62023 Total -9 0 0 -71 -80 2024 Deerbolt -20-20 Dartmoor**-640 -640  Elmley-114 -114  Gartree-6 -6  Hull-2 -22024 Total   -762 0 0 -20 -782 2025 Eastwood Park-20 -202025 Total -20 0 0 0 -20 Total   -2822 -335 0 -9190 -1247 *- Full Prison Closure** - Dartmoor has been temporarily closed since 2024 due to radon levels, assessment of options for this site is ongoing.

How many court interpreters have been requested for translation services in each year since 2020, broken down by the language requested.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on the volume of completed language interpreter and translation services requests, split by requestor type, as part of the Criminal court statistics release. However, published data is not broken down by language.Criminal Court Statistics: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UKThe Ministry of Justice has provided a table in the attachment showing the number of completed service requests both through contracts (with thebigword Group Ltd and Clarion UK Ltd) and off-contract, for each year from 2020 to 2024, split by language. The table is a breakdown of the published figures, split by language.Given the request for ‘court interpreters’, we have filtered the data to include criminal courts and civil & family courts. We have not included data for Tribunals or other types of Ministry of Justice interpreter usage.Data has not been provided for 2025 as we do not yet have a complete dataset for this year.

How many prison officers have been (a) investigated, (b) disciplined and (c) dismissed for illicit relationships with inmates in each year since 2020, broken down by sex.

We only hold data on cases where staff were recommended for dismissal, as individuals may choose to resign before a dismissal can be formally enacted. As a result, we have used this field to respond to the question to avoid undercounting the number of people involved. This data can be found in the following tables. Table 1: Band 3-5 prison officers(1) investigated(2) due to an allegation of 'Inappropriate Relationship with a Prisoner / Ex-Prisoner' 2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Female313624323431Male9947611Total404528394042Table 2: Band 3-5 prison officers facing a conduct and discipline(3), (4)charge of 'Inappropriate Relationship with a Prisoner / Ex-Prisoner' 2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25 Female9~~121618 Male3~~535 Total121114171923 Table 3: Band 3-5 prison officers recommended for dismissal following a conduct and discipline(3) charge of 'Inappropriate Relationship with a Prisoner / Ex-Prisoner' 2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Female~~~~~~Male~~~~~~Total8~~1214~ Notes to tables:1. Band 3-5 Officers includes Bands 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.2.    Staff subject to at least one investigation that was concluded during the relevant year.3.    Conduct and discipline cases are defined as where a penalty has been imposed on a member of HMPPS staff for a reason of conduct.4.    Staff with at least one conduct and discipline case concluded during the year. Equally staff involved in more than one case during the year are counted only once.5.    Allegations which meet a criminal threshold will be referred to the Police for investigation. If a criminal justice outcome is secured, this will result in a summary dismissal as per PSI 10/2016 Conduct and Discipline and will not be recorded against a specific ‘type’ of misconduct in the Conduct and Discipline data,6.    Years run from 1st April to 31st March.7.    In terms of the Gender data presented, the MoJ HR system holds demographic data on staff.  In the HR system there is a database field called Gender. The Gender field can only be one of two options – male or female. It is filled in for all staff when new staff records are created using details to confirm identity (i.e. name, date of birth, address) from official documentation supplied by the successful job applicant. However, it is possible for this information to be updated in line with departmental policy. The Office for Statistics Regulation recognises that this is an evolving area both for society and statistics, so advice and guidance is likely to change over time. ~ denotes suppressed values of 2 or fewer or other values which would allow values of 2 or fewer to be derived by subtraction. Low numbers are suppressed to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2018. Additional Note:As with all HR databases, extracts are taken at a fixed point in time, to ensure consistency of reporting. However the database itself is dynamic, and where updates to the database are made late, subsequent to the taking of the extract, these updates will not be reflected in figures produced by the extract. For this reason, HR data are unlikely to be precisely accurate.

What evidence his Department has gathered from schemes overseas comparable with the proposed Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts scheme.

Interest on Lawyer’s Client Account schemes have been successfully employed in several international jurisdictions for decades. As part of developing this proposal, the Ministry of Justice has undertaken extensive research and engagement with experts, officials and administrators from several international comparators. This includes schemes in Australia, Canada, France and the USA.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of compensating firms for unpaid labour resulting from the Legal Aid Agency data breach.

We appreciate the constructive way in which legal aid providers have worked with us following the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital systems. They have continued to do vital work in challenging circumstances.Since systems were restored in December 2025, the LAA has processed civil casework, both applications and bills, for the work undertaken by providers during the system outage. Where individual providers believe they have incurred additional billable costs, these can be claimed through the normal billing processes set out in the Costs Assessment Guidance.We appreciate that some providers have raised concerns regarding additional administrative burdens related to contingency operations. We have worked with stakeholders to simplify processes wherever possible. This has included testing new service functionality with providers before launch and refining services based on the feedback received. For example, we extended the Average Payment Scheme for civil certificated work and temporarily suspended activities such as audits to ease administrative pressures. We have also continued to update guidance and FAQs in direct response to stakeholder input to provide clearer, more streamlined support for providers. Our priority now is working through the backlog of cases which is currently progressing well. All providers will be paid for the legal services provided under their legal aid contracts. We have no plans to set up a compensation scheme.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the legal aid means test thresholds; and whether he plans to update them.

The Government is committed to the provision of legal aid, recognising the vital role that it plays in underpinning genuine access to justice.We are considering our approach to eligibility across legal aid, including carefully assessing the impact of the recommendations made by the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts This Government inherited a legal system in crisis, and we are taking steps to invest in legal aid.We are providing additional funding of up to £34 million a year for criminal legal aid advocates alongside our commitment to match fund a number of criminal barrister pupillages. This is in addition to the investment of £92 million in the solicitor fee schemes.Alongside this, we have also announced an uplift to immigration and housing legal aid fees. This amounts to a significant investment of £20 million a year once fully implemented – the first major increase since 1996.Furthermore, we are delivering the largest expansion of civil legal aid in a decade, enabling bereaved families to access non-means tested legal aid at all inquests where a public authority is an interested person.Beyond legal aid, this Government is also providing over £6 million of grant funding in 2025-2026 to support access to legal support services for people with social welfare problems. We have also announced nearly £20 million of multi-year funding to extend existing grant programmes to September 2026 and providing a new grant from October 2026 to March 2029.

Whether revenue raised under his Department's proposed Interest on Lawyer's Client Accounts scheme will be earmarked to support access to justice.

The Government is committed to the biggest expansion of legal aid in a generation as part of the Hillsborough Law and are investing millions on reforming the courts system through unlimited sitting days and better maintaining courts to deliver a world-class justice system.Funding from an Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts (ILCA) scheme will play a crucial role in achieving these priorities from 2028/9 onwards.The Government has published a consultation on ILCA that closed on 9 March 2026, including how income from such a scheme might be invested. We will carefully consider all responses and provide an official response.

What offences will have the right to elect restricted by the Courts and Tribunals Bill.

The Bill removes a defendants’ right to elect Crown Court trial for all triable either-way offences. The venue will be determined by the magistrates’ courts, which will send cases they consider outside of their jurisdiction to the Crown Court.

What offences will be reclassified by the Courts and Tribunals Bill.

The Courts and Tribunals Bill does not reclassify offences - it changes allocation and mode of trial arrangements within the existing classification framework.

What offences will be eligible for trial without jury by the Crown Court Bench Division proposal in the Courts and Tribunals Bill.

The Courts and Tribunals Bill introduces judge-only trials for triable either-way offences where the courts assess that the likely custodial sentence, applying the relevant sentencing guidelines to the alleged facts and any appropriate representations, is three years imprisonment or less. Indictable-only offences are excluded and will not be eligible for this mode of trial, described as the Crown Court Bench Division.

How many cases exceeded the statutory time limit of six months for summary offences because of misclassification in each year since 2020.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of cases that exceeded the statutory time limit of six months for summary offences. This is because we are unable to identify all cases that exceed six months that would be exempt from the statutory time limits in our caseload data.Timeliness estimates from offence to charge for defendants dealt with in summary only cases at the magistrates’ courts are available in Table T3 of the published Criminal Courts Statistics release available at the following link:  Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK.

How many cases exceeded the statutory time limit of six months for summary offences in each year since 2020, broken down by (a) offence, and (b) police force.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of cases that exceeded the statutory time limit of six months for summary offences. We are unable to exclude cases from our timeliness data that are exempt from the time limit and cases that have been reopened.Timeliness estimates from offence to charge for defendants dealt with in summary only cases at the magistrates’ courts are available in Table T3 of the published Criminal Courts Statistics release available at the following link: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK.

How many illegal marriages have been recorded in each year since 2010, broken down by local authority area.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold this data.

How many Sharia law courts have operated in the UK in each year since 2010 and broken down by local authority area.

There are no sharia law courts.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing a statutory duty of candour on (a) military intelligence and (b) Special Forces.

The Bill will apply to all public authorities, including military intelligence and the Special Forces.We have worked closely with representatives across Government on the policy in this Bill – including the impact that a duty of candour would have on military intelligence and Special Forces.We are clear that the duty of candour applies to all public authorities, including intelligence services, however, the duty of candour and processes for disclosure may need to apply in a different way to ensure that secure information is handled correctly.We are clear that nothing should undermine our national security.We are continuing to work closely across government with families, stakeholders and the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee to bring forward amendments that meet those aims. We will update the House in due course.

How many charges were laid under Prison rule 51 relating specifically to aggravation towards a protected characteristic of (a) race, (b) religion and (c) belief in the last year where data exists; and how many of those charges were proven.

Prison Rule 51 sets out the offences of which an adult prisoner can be found guilty, including those which relate to aggravation towards a protected characteristic. The information on the breakdown of which protected characteristics these offences against discipline relate to can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Data on Adjudication outcomes related to these offences can be found in the Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK, which are published quarterly.

Which faith-based (a) charities and (b) organisations are permitted to visit prisons.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the vital contribution that charities and wider third sector organisations make to supporting prisoner rehabilitation. Decisions as to which individuals or organisations may enter, or work in, a prison are taken by the prison governor. These decisions take account of the proposed role, security requirements, and other operational factors. The Ministry of Justice does not maintain a central database of every organisation contributing to the work of prisons in England and Wales, as there is no operational need to do so.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the effectiveness of introducing a statutory duty of candour on the military.

The Bill will apply to all public authorities, including the military.Appropriate safeguards for sensitive information will be in place and we are clear that nothing should undermine our national security.

What progress has been made by law enforcement on apprehending those responsible for the Legal Aid Agency cyber attack.

Since April 2025 there has been a net increase to the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) publishes data about provider numbers as part of its official statistics (table 9.6). Data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026. The LAA also routinely publishes data about the volume and value of legal aid cases across all legal aid schemes as part of its official statistics. As above, data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026. As set out in my response to PQ 98862, since the serious criminal attack on the LAA’s digital services was identified we have worked closely with relevant law enforcement agencies and Police. As sensitive investigations remain ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on the nature or detail of this engagement.

Pursuant to Answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 100065 on Legal Aid Scheme, how many legal aid providers have left the market in total since 23 April 2025.

Since April 2025 there has been a net increase to the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) publishes data about provider numbers as part of its official statistics (table 9.6). Data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026. The LAA also routinely publishes data about the volume and value of legal aid cases across all legal aid schemes as part of its official statistics. As above, data for the period April to December 2025 is scheduled for release on 26 March 2026. As set out in my response to PQ 98862, since the serious criminal attack on the LAA’s digital services was identified we have worked closely with relevant law enforcement agencies and Police. As sensitive investigations remain ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on the nature or detail of this engagement.