Every parliamentary written question tabled by Richard Tice this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–10 of 10 · Ministry of Justice
What the average processing time is for defendant applications and submissions compared to claimant applications within the Money Claim Online (MCOL) system; and what steps His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Serv
Money Claim Online (MCOL) is an online service that enables claimants to issue claims, to request judgment and to request a warrant of control. It does not provide an end-to-end online journey, and some actions must be undertaken using paper-based process...
For what reason the Money Claim Online (MCOL) transaction log ceases to record claimant activity once a judgment has been issued; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure claimants retain access to their
Money Claim Online (MCOL) is an online service that enables claimants to issue claims, to request judgment and to request a warrant of control. It does not provide an end-to-end online journey, and some actions must be undertaken using paper-based process...
What the standard procedure is for Money Claim Online (MCOL) to notify a claimant that a defendant has applied for a Variation Order.
Money Claim Online (MCOL) is an online service that enables claimants to issue claims, to request judgment and to request a warrant of control. It does not provide an end-to-end online journey, and some actions must be undertaken using paper-based process...
How many migrants who arrived illegally have been given legal aid funded from the public purse in the last five years; and what the cost is of that legal aid.
The requested information is not centrally held. Where proceedings are before a court or tribunal in England or Wales, legal aid is available to individuals who qualify for services irrespective of their immigration status or method of entry into England and Wales. Method of entry to England or Wales is not relevant to eligibility for legal aid under the current rules.Generally, applications for legal aid will be subject to an assessment of the merits of the case and the financial circumstances of the applicant.
For what reason HMP Dartmoor remains closed in the context of the shortage of prison spaces.
Following the temporary closure of HMP Dartmoor in August 2024, after detection of elevated levels of radon gas, we have been working with specialist radon experts to investigate and assess options to allow us to reopen the prison safely.The decision on reopening will be made based on the viability of the site, the effectiveness of works to reduce levels of radon, and value for money. We need to be satisfied that reopening the prison is justified in the light of a range of considerations, including compliance with legislative requirements, operational viability, and the cost of mitigation measures.
What estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of housing foreign national offenders in UK prisons.
We do not disaggregate prison running costs by nationality and the cost to hold individuals depends on the category of prison. Our unit costs for holding prisoners are published on GOV.UK alongside the Prison performance data 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Data on the number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) in custody is published in Offender management statistics quarterly: April to June 2025 - GOV.UK (prison population table 1_Q_9).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. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, over 5,000 were FNOs. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 4,532 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.
If she will take steps to ensure that (a) violent offenders and (b) people convicted of grievous bodily harm resulting in life-changing injuries are not inappropriately released early under existing early release schemes; and what review mechanisms are in place to assess whether the charge classification accurately reflects the severity of the offending behaviour in such cases.
This Government was left an unconscionable inheritance with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we had no choice but to take decisive actions to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. We changed the release point for certain standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40% (‘SDS40’) and increased the maximum Home Detention Curfew period from 6 months to 12 months. Both of these policies have extensive exclusion criteria, including sexual offences irrespective of sentence length and certain serious violent offences. Harm caused is one of the two core factors always taken into account when sentencing. The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for bringing the right charge in all serious cases and there are established mechanisms for appealing unduly lenient sentences.
How many staff in her Department are responsible for (a) processing and (b) responding to Freedom of Information Act requests; and if she will make an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of this work.
A team of 22.6 full time equivalent (FTE) staff are responsible for processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests received by the Department. They do this alongside other duties including managing requests for personal data.Responses to FOIA requests are drafted by the teams in the Department and its agencies that hold the requested information.The Department’s annual reports and accounts include information on departmental expenditure and can be found via the following link: Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 - GOV.UK.
What recent steps she has taken to ensure that (a) violent and (b) repeat offenders receive longer sentences.
Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent courts. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any...
What steps her Department plans to take to (a) increase prison capacity and (b) improve rehabilitation services for offenders.
On 22 October, the Lord Chancellor announced the further steps the Government will take to manage prison capacity including launching an independent review of sentencing to ensure that we are never again in a position where we have more prisoners than we ...