Written questions by Timothy.

How many legal aid cases there were in each month 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.

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.

With reference to the Written Statement of 22 January 2026 on Response to Legal Aid Agency cyber attack, HCWS1265, how much funding will be allocated to the transformation programme for Legal Aid Agency digital services.

The amount of funding which will be allocated to the transformation programme for Legal Aid Agency digital services is subject to final budget allocation decisions, which are currently ongoing.

What his Department plans to do about the number of prisoners spending time on remand exceeding the Custody Time Limit of 6 months.

The use of remand is a judicial matter and decisions regarding it are up to the judiciary, whose independence from government is well-established. There are well established processes for extending Custody Time Limits. Applications must be approved by independent judges and defendants have the right to oppose any application.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of government guidance regarding the statutory time limit of six months for summary offences.

Proceedings for summary-only offences must be commenced within six months of the date of the offence. The Government is satisfied that that this time limit, as set out in Section 127 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, is an important safeguard which ensures that less serious offences are dealt with promptly. The limit applies to both criminal and civil proceedings, supporting the efficient operation of the courts and maintaining fairness for all parties.Reviews are done for specific offences and exceptions have been carved out in statute where appropriate, for example for the common assault offence in domestic abuse cases. Where there is a clear need for flexibility, the Government has acted and will continue to act to introduce targeted exceptions, such as recent amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which extend the time limit for intimate image abuse. These changes recognise the particular challenges victims face in reporting such offences and ensure that perpetrators can still be brought to justice.The Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, published on 18 December 2025, includes a commitment to exploring options to improve access to justice for victims of domestic abuse, including reviewing the time limits for charging domestic abuse-related summary offences.The Government is confident that the existing legislation clearly outlines when these limits apply. As a result, the Government does not intend to introduce further guidance at this time.

If he will make an estimate of the costs incurred by Department as a result of the Legal Aid Agency data breach on 23 April 2025.

This data breach was the result of serious criminal activity but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. Upon taking office, I was shocked to see how fragile our legal aid systems were. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but failed to invest. By contrast, since taking office, this Government has prioritised work to rebuild the LAA digital systems. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services as we build back better in response to this attack. We are now in a position where all providers have online access to our civil legal aid services currently available via SiLAS, alongside our criminal legal aid services, which were restored in September.This is an evolving situation but to date the total operational and digital costs of the incident are forecast to be £22 million for this financial year.All providers have been able to access payment for work carried out whilst systems have been offline.For some types of legal aid this meant adjusting the way in which providers submitted their claim for payment to the LAA. From 19 May, providers have been able to claim their usual payments for Legal Help, Crime Lower & Mediation work via a contingency process. Due to previous investment, the criminal legal aid systems were more modern, and internal access was restored more quickly. This enabled the LAA to resume paying Crown Court bills from early June.It was necessary to agree a payment contingency for Civil Representation work with HM Treasury. This led to the implementation of the Average Payment Scheme on 27 May. The Average Payment Scheme enables providers to opt in to receive a temporary average payment for Civil Representation work that would otherwise be due, or where the value of their outstanding work varies from this, to apply for a specific payment to meet the cost of that work. Payments are made on a weekly basis. The weekly average payment is based on previous payments made to that provider over the 3 month period preceding the cyber incident.  Some providers have not opted in to receive payment in this way and wait for the restoration of the systems, but payments are there should they need it. We are unable to quantify the number of legal aid providers who have not opted in to receive an average payment in each of the weeks it has been available.Providers are obligated to act in the best interests of their clients both by their own SRA regulatory requirements and by their LAA Contracts. In circumstances where a legal aid provider is unable to continue providing representation in an ongoing case, for whatever reason, they have a professional and contractual obligation toward their client to assist them in finding alternative representation.We have not seen any evidence of legal aid providers leaving the market directly as a result of the cyber-attack. Since April 2023 there has been a net increase in the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services.

How many firms have ceased being legal aid providers since 23 April 2025.

This data breach was the result of serious criminal activity but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. Upon taking office, I was shocked to see how fragile our legal aid systems were. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but failed to invest. By contrast, since taking office, this Government has prioritised work to rebuild the LAA digital systems. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services as we build back better in response to this attack. We are now in a position where all providers have online access to our civil legal aid services currently available via SiLAS, alongside our criminal legal aid services, which were restored in September.This is an evolving situation but to date the total operational and digital costs of the incident are forecast to be £22 million for this financial year.All providers have been able to access payment for work carried out whilst systems have been offline.For some types of legal aid this meant adjusting the way in which providers submitted their claim for payment to the LAA. From 19 May, providers have been able to claim their usual payments for Legal Help, Crime Lower & Mediation work via a contingency process. Due to previous investment, the criminal legal aid systems were more modern, and internal access was restored more quickly. This enabled the LAA to resume paying Crown Court bills from early June.It was necessary to agree a payment contingency for Civil Representation work with HM Treasury. This led to the implementation of the Average Payment Scheme on 27 May. The Average Payment Scheme enables providers to opt in to receive a temporary average payment for Civil Representation work that would otherwise be due, or where the value of their outstanding work varies from this, to apply for a specific payment to meet the cost of that work. Payments are made on a weekly basis. The weekly average payment is based on previous payments made to that provider over the 3 month period preceding the cyber incident.  Some providers have not opted in to receive payment in this way and wait for the restoration of the systems, but payments are there should they need it. We are unable to quantify the number of legal aid providers who have not opted in to receive an average payment in each of the weeks it has been available.Providers are obligated to act in the best interests of their clients both by their own SRA regulatory requirements and by their LAA Contracts. In circumstances where a legal aid provider is unable to continue providing representation in an ongoing case, for whatever reason, they have a professional and contractual obligation toward their client to assist them in finding alternative representation.We have not seen any evidence of legal aid providers leaving the market directly as a result of the cyber-attack. Since April 2023 there has been a net increase in the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services.

How many legal aid cases have been dropped since 23 April 2025.

This data breach was the result of serious criminal activity but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. Upon taking office, I was shocked to see how fragile our legal aid systems were. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but failed to invest. By contrast, since taking office, this Government has prioritised work to rebuild the LAA digital systems. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services as we build back better in response to this attack. We are now in a position where all providers have online access to our civil legal aid services currently available via SiLAS, alongside our criminal legal aid services, which were restored in September.This is an evolving situation but to date the total operational and digital costs of the incident are forecast to be £22 million for this financial year.All providers have been able to access payment for work carried out whilst systems have been offline.For some types of legal aid this meant adjusting the way in which providers submitted their claim for payment to the LAA. From 19 May, providers have been able to claim their usual payments for Legal Help, Crime Lower & Mediation work via a contingency process. Due to previous investment, the criminal legal aid systems were more modern, and internal access was restored more quickly. This enabled the LAA to resume paying Crown Court bills from early June.It was necessary to agree a payment contingency for Civil Representation work with HM Treasury. This led to the implementation of the Average Payment Scheme on 27 May. The Average Payment Scheme enables providers to opt in to receive a temporary average payment for Civil Representation work that would otherwise be due, or where the value of their outstanding work varies from this, to apply for a specific payment to meet the cost of that work. Payments are made on a weekly basis. The weekly average payment is based on previous payments made to that provider over the 3 month period preceding the cyber incident.  Some providers have not opted in to receive payment in this way and wait for the restoration of the systems, but payments are there should they need it. We are unable to quantify the number of legal aid providers who have not opted in to receive an average payment in each of the weeks it has been available.Providers are obligated to act in the best interests of their clients both by their own SRA regulatory requirements and by their LAA Contracts. In circumstances where a legal aid provider is unable to continue providing representation in an ongoing case, for whatever reason, they have a professional and contractual obligation toward their client to assist them in finding alternative representation.We have not seen any evidence of legal aid providers leaving the market directly as a result of the cyber-attack. Since April 2023 there has been a net increase in the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services.

How many (a) barristers, and (b) solicitors have not been paid by the Legal Aid Agency since the data breach of 23 April 2025.

This data breach was the result of serious criminal activity but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. Upon taking office, I was shocked to see how fragile our legal aid systems were. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but failed to invest. By contrast, since taking office, this Government has prioritised work to rebuild the LAA digital systems. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services as we build back better in response to this attack. We are now in a position where all providers have online access to our civil legal aid services currently available via SiLAS, alongside our criminal legal aid services, which were restored in September.This is an evolving situation but to date the total operational and digital costs of the incident are forecast to be £22 million for this financial year.All providers have been able to access payment for work carried out whilst systems have been offline.For some types of legal aid this meant adjusting the way in which providers submitted their claim for payment to the LAA. From 19 May, providers have been able to claim their usual payments for Legal Help, Crime Lower & Mediation work via a contingency process. Due to previous investment, the criminal legal aid systems were more modern, and internal access was restored more quickly. This enabled the LAA to resume paying Crown Court bills from early June.It was necessary to agree a payment contingency for Civil Representation work with HM Treasury. This led to the implementation of the Average Payment Scheme on 27 May. The Average Payment Scheme enables providers to opt in to receive a temporary average payment for Civil Representation work that would otherwise be due, or where the value of their outstanding work varies from this, to apply for a specific payment to meet the cost of that work. Payments are made on a weekly basis. The weekly average payment is based on previous payments made to that provider over the 3 month period preceding the cyber incident.  Some providers have not opted in to receive payment in this way and wait for the restoration of the systems, but payments are there should they need it. We are unable to quantify the number of legal aid providers who have not opted in to receive an average payment in each of the weeks it has been available.Providers are obligated to act in the best interests of their clients both by their own SRA regulatory requirements and by their LAA Contracts. In circumstances where a legal aid provider is unable to continue providing representation in an ongoing case, for whatever reason, they have a professional and contractual obligation toward their client to assist them in finding alternative representation.We have not seen any evidence of legal aid providers leaving the market directly as a result of the cyber-attack. Since April 2023 there has been a net increase in the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services.

If he will review the statutory time limit of six months for summary offences.

Proceedings for summary-only offences must be commenced within six months of the date of the offence. The Government is satisfied that that this time limit, as set out in Section 127 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, is an important safeguard which ensures that less serious offences are dealt with promptly. The limit applies to both criminal and civil proceedings, supporting the efficient operation of the courts and maintaining fairness for all parties.Reviews are done for specific offences and exceptions have been carved out in statute where appropriate, for example for the common assault offence in domestic abuse cases. Where there is a clear need for flexibility, the Government has acted and will continue to act to introduce targeted exceptions, such as recent amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which extend the time limit for intimate image abuse. These changes recognise the particular challenges victims face in reporting such offences and ensure that perpetrators can still be brought to justice.The Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, published on 18 December 2025, includes a commitment to exploring options to improve access to justice for victims of domestic abuse, including reviewing the time limits for charging domestic abuse-related summary offences.The Government is confident that the existing legislation clearly outlines when these limits apply. As a result, the Government does not intend to introduce further guidance at this time.

What progress his Department has made in assisting law enforcement agencies responding to the Legal Aid Agency data breach on 23 April 2025.

Since the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s digital portal was identified, we have worked closely with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the police. As sensitive investigations remain ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment on the nature or detail of this engagement.We take the security of people’s personal data extremely seriously. An injunction has been put in place to prohibit sharing of this data. Anyone who does so could be sent to prison. We are continuing to work with the NCA to monitor the dark web. As far as we are aware, no data has been shared or put out in the public domain. If it is identified that a specific individual is at risk, action will be taken to try to contact them.

What representations has he received from (a) barristers, (b) solicitors, and (c) legal aid providers regarding the Legal Aid Agency data breach on 23 April 2025.

We acknowledge and appreciate the constructive way that 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.The LAA and Ministers have proactively engaged with representative bodies throughout to address any concerns regarding the criminal attack on LAA systems. Our focus was first to maintain access to justice and then to ensure providers had access to the cash flow that they needed. The LAA sought views and feedback from provider representative bodies to help shape contingency measures and supporting guidance in a way which supports legal aid providers most effectively. Regular updates have been provided to legal aid providers via email and published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber incident webpage and FAQ page.The Department has worked around the clock to ensure that digital services were restored as swiftly and safely as possible. The LAA Portal has been replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). We worked closely with providers to test functionality before bringing providers back onto our systems in a careful, phased approach. We are now in a position where all our civil systems accessible via SiLAS are operational alongside our crime systems, which were restored in September.

What steps his Department has taken to restore Legal Aid Agency digital services since the data breach on 23 April 2025.

We acknowledge and appreciate the constructive way that 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.The LAA and Ministers have proactively engaged with representative bodies throughout to address any concerns regarding the criminal attack on LAA systems. Our focus was first to maintain access to justice and then to ensure providers had access to the cash flow that they needed. The LAA sought views and feedback from provider representative bodies to help shape contingency measures and supporting guidance in a way which supports legal aid providers most effectively. Regular updates have been provided to legal aid providers via email and published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber incident webpage and FAQ page.The Department has worked around the clock to ensure that digital services were restored as swiftly and safely as possible. The LAA Portal has been replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). We worked closely with providers to test functionality before bringing providers back onto our systems in a careful, phased approach. We are now in a position where all our civil systems accessible via SiLAS are operational alongside our crime systems, which were restored in September.

What information her Department holds on the number of foreign nationals in prisons who are on remand in the community since 2019, broken down by (a) year, (b) nationality and (c) offence committed.

If a foreign national accused of a crime is held on remand, they are detained in custody ahead of trial and sentencing and will not be in the community. We are therefore not able to provide a response to this question as currently worded.The Ministry of Justice does publish information on the number of Foreign National Offenders in prison which includes the number of Foreign Nationals in prison on remand. The latest available published data can be found at Table 1_Q_9 in the attached link: prison-population-31-Mar-2025.ods.Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.

How many and what proportion of sentences given in (a) magistrates’ courts and (b) crown courts were less than 60% of the statutory maximum length in the latest period for which data is available.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of offenders sentenced at criminal courts in England and Wales in the following links. This includes the information on sentence outcomes, including grouped custodial sentence lengths and average sentence lengths, for a wide range of offences, which can be viewed individually to show the range of sentencing outcomes:Magistrates’ courts: Magistrates' court data toolCrown Court: Crown Court data toolUsing data held centrally to align individual convictions to statutory maxima would only be possible at disproportionate costs.

How many prison officers recruited since 5 July 2024 are (a) British nationals and (b) foreign nationals, broken down by country of origin.

Our latest published prison and probation workforce statistics present data up to June 2024. The link to the latest publication is: Recruitment Diversity Statistics: June 2024 - GOV.UK, data tables: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bcaa1d3cc0741b92314631/recruitment-diversity-statistics_jun-2024_final.ods. We are unable to provide data for periods following June 2024 as this could pre-empt the next set of published Staff in Post data which will be released on Thursday 20 February 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25772 on Prison Service: Recruitment, whether prisons are obligated to (a) advertise positions for British nationals before foreign nationals and (b) hire British residents before overseas residents.

HM Prison and Probation Service publishes vacancies across formal UK advertising boards and welcomes applications from people wishing to work in prisons in England and Wales. The hiring process is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals. Selection is on the basis of fair and open competition, in accordance with the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality. All applicants applying to work in the Department must meet the CSNRs and other eligibility criterion published in job adverts.

How many people of what (a) nationality and (b) ethnicity were found guilty of (i) murder and (ii) manslaughter in each year since 2010.

Data on those convicted of murder or manslaughter, up to 30 June 2024, can be found in the principle offence proceedings and ‘Outcomes by Offence’ data tool, available at: Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024. In the 'Outcomes by Offences' document, select the `Overall volumes’ page, then select the offence filter. Select '1 Murder' and then separately, '4.1 Manslaughter'. The number of convictions for murder or manslaughter for each year can be found in the `Convicted’ row. Data on ethnicity can also be viewed using the 'ethnicity' filter. Data on nationality is not collated by the Ministry of Justice. To do so could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

What (a) interviews and (b) security checks there are for foreign nationals applying for positions in the prison service; and whether their country of origin is a factor.

HM Prison & Probation Service welcomes applications from people wishing to work in prisons in England and Wales. The interview process is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals. Selection is on the basis of fair and open competition, in accordance with the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.Each candidate is assessed against the criteria published in the job advertisement. Most recruitment is managed locally. In relation to nationality, eligibility is governed by the Civil Service Nationality Rules.All candidates, regardless of nationality, are subject to robust screening to assess their suitability against the relevant legislative requirements and security-related factors. These checks include confirmation of identity; confirmation of right to work in the UK; a criminal record check, declaration of any connections with offenders; employment reference enquiries; and a financial vulnerability assessment.All directly-employed prison staff must achieve, as a minimum, security clearance at Enhanced Level 2. HM Prison & Probation Service also undertakes a range of digital vetting and social media checks for new prison officer starters and chaplains.Non-directly employed staff working in our prisons must achieve, as a minimum, clearance at Enhanced Level 1. In some cases, depending on risk and role, these staff may additionally require either a Standard or an Enhanced Check by the Disclosure and Barring Service. For staff working in prisons in the Long-Term High Security Estate, an additional National Security Vetting Check, at Counter-Terrorist level, is required as a minimum for all staff.

If she will outline the recruitment process for foreign nationals applying for positions in the prison service; and if she will publish all related documents.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) publishes vacancies across formal UK advertising boards, including Justice Jobs and Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK.The recruitment process applied across HMPPS is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals, where selection for appointment is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as per the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.In accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, each candidate is assessed and selected fairly against the criteria published in the job advert. As the Ministry of Justice operates a devolved recruitment model, most recruitment is managed locally.The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality. All applicants applying to work in the Department must meet the CSNRs and must have valid right to work in the UK for successful completion of pre-employment checks.The Department welcomes job applications from everyone, irrespective of background, identity, experience, or circumstance, and particularly those underrepresented in our workforce.