Every parliamentary written question tabled by Sarah Champion this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 35 · Ministry of Justice
What policy protocol is in place under the Earned Progression Model when a releasing authority declines to implement a safety or geographic exclusion zone recommendation made by a Victim Liaison Officer; and what the formal appeal or review mechanism is for a victim if such a recommendation is rejected.
Awaiting answer.
What steps his Department takes to verify that all protective licence conditions and GPS exclusion zones recommended by a Victim Liaison Officer are (a) fully active and (b) communicated to the victim before an offender is released under the intensive supervision stage of the Earned Progression Model.
Awaiting answer.
Whether there is a requirement to ensure that a Victim Liaison Officer is formally consulted regarding victim safety and geographic exclusion zones prior to the early release of any prisoner convicted of (a) sexual offences, (b) child sexual offences and (c) domestic abuse-related offences.
Awaiting answer.
Whether Victim Liaison Officers will make recommendations regarding victim safety prior to the early release of any prisoner convicted of (a) sexual offences, (b) child sexual offences and (c) domestic abuse-related offences under the Earned Progression Model; and whether those recommended safety measures will be fully implemented ahead of any such release.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the administrative and casework capacity of Victim Liaison Officers to manage the increased volume of statutory consultations required under the early release provisions of the Earned Progression Model.
Awaiting answer.
What estimate his Department has made of the number of prisoners serving standard determinate sentences for (a) domestic abuse-related offences, (b) sexual offences and (c) child sexual offences who are eligible for the Government’s early release scheme in accordance with the Sentencing Act 2026.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential risk to victims of (a) domestic abuse-related offences, (b) sexual offences and (c) child sexual offences arising from the reduction of automatic release points for standard determinate sentences.
Awaiting answer.
What steps his Department is taking to monitor the safety of release provisions in place for offenders serving custodial sentences for (a) domestic abuse-related offences, (b) sexual offences and (c) child sexual offences who are eligible for early release.
Awaiting answer.
Whether his Department provides dedicated guidance on minimum rehabilitation requirements for prisoners in custody serving standard determinate sentences for (a) domestic abuse-related offences, (b) sexual offences and (c) child sexual offences.
Awaiting answer.
Whether his Department operates a single database to record (a) the number of offenders serving standard determinate sentences, (b) their offence category and (c) their release dates.
Awaiting answer.
What the average time taken is to conclude an application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 18 June 2026 to Question 8809: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-06-10/8809.Figures up to 31 March 2025 are available in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Author...
How many applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme are pending a determination by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 18 June 2026 to Question 8809: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-06-10/8809.Figures up to 31 March 2025 are available in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Author...
What was the average time taken to complete HM Prisons and Probation Service staff security vetting for each quarter of the last 12 months.
Within HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS), security vetting is carried out to ensure individuals who wish to take up employment within the organisation can uphold the security and integrity standards expected of their role and ensure prisons and pro...
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of experts unregulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (a) diagnosing parental alienation and (b) advising courts on residence transfers on the outcomes of (i) general cases and (ii) where (A) mothers and (B) children have alleged abuse.
The Government does not recognise the concept of “parental alienation” syndrome and does not think it is capable of diagnosis. Having reviewed relevant family court judgments and published guidance by various organisations, the Government recognises that there is a need to review the role of unregulated experts in the family courts. The Government is already taking action on concerns about unregulated experts in family court proceedings. We are working with the Family Procedure Rule Committee on this issue to make changes to the Family Procedure Rules and their associated Practice Directions to restrict the instruction of these experts. There are existing mechanisms within the family court system for a case to be reconsidered. A parent may apply to the family court to have an existing order varied or discharged. The court will consider all of the circumstances of the case and make any decision based on the welfare of the child, which is its paramount consideration.
If his Department will take steps to review the outcomes of Family Court cases where experts unregulated by the Health and Care Professions Council were used; and to ensure that children removed from their mothers based on their diagnosis can be returned.
The Government does not recognise the concept of “parental alienation” syndrome and does not think it is capable of diagnosis. Having reviewed relevant family court judgments and published guidance by various organisations, the Government recognises that there is a need to review the role of unregulated experts in the family courts. The Government is already taking action on concerns about unregulated experts in family court proceedings. We are working with the Family Procedure Rule Committee on this issue to make changes to the Family Procedure Rules and their associated Practice Directions to restrict the instruction of these experts. There are existing mechanisms within the family court system for a case to be reconsidered. A parent may apply to the family court to have an existing order varied or discharged. The court will consider all of the circumstances of the case and make any decision based on the welfare of the child, which is its paramount consideration.
What estimate she has made of the number of unfilled magistrate vacancies on 9 July 2025.
We do not have a set number of magistrate vacancies. Magistrate recruitment targets are set on an annual basis covering 1 April to 31 March. As of 1 April 2025, there were 14,636 magistrates in post. We are aiming to recruit around 2,000 magistrates in 2025/26, and we are currently considering our ongoing resourcing needs in light of the planned reform of the criminal courts.
What steps she is taking to ensure that the Victims' Code is enforceable; and what mechanisms are available to victims to ensure that criminal justice agencies comply with that code.
We are committed to ensuring that victims receive the service they deserve under the Code. This is why earlier this year we commenced the new statutory obligation from the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which requires those who provide Code services to comply with the Code unless there is a good reason not to. We have also commenced other measures from the 2024 Act that will help the Victims’ Commissioner to hold bodies to account for how they are delivering for victims, including by placing a duty on certain authorities to respond to the Commissioner’s recommendations and to cooperate with reasonable requests from the Commissioner.We are building on these powers through the Victims and Courts Bill, which will provide the Victims’ Commissioner with new tools to drive systemic change. We will also consult on a new Code in due course to make sure we get the foundations for victims right.If victims feel that they have not received the service they can expect as set out in the Victims’ Code, there are formal complaints processes that service providers are required to provide. If victims are not happy with a service provider’s complaint response, they can now complain directly to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman without going through an MP.The Government is committed to ensuring that victims can access the information and support they need. The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 created a framework to monitor criminal justice agencies' compliance with the Victims' Code, including legislative duties for agencies to collect and share information on Code compliance.The framework has not yet been commenced - preparatory work is underway, for example actively engaging with criminal justice agencies on the underlying data that will support the development of the framework.
When she plans to commence section 8 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2025; and what steps she is taking produce the framework to review compliance with the Victims Code.
We are committed to ensuring that victims receive the service they deserve under the Code. This is why earlier this year we commenced the new statutory obligation from the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which requires those who provide Code services to comply with the Code unless there is a good reason not to. We have also commenced other measures from the 2024 Act that will help the Victims’ Commissioner to hold bodies to account for how they are delivering for victims, including by placing a duty on certain authorities to respond to the Commissioner’s recommendations and to cooperate with reasonable requests from the Commissioner.We are building on these powers through the Victims and Courts Bill, which will provide the Victims’ Commissioner with new tools to drive systemic change. We will also consult on a new Code in due course to make sure we get the foundations for victims right.If victims feel that they have not received the service they can expect as set out in the Victims’ Code, there are formal complaints processes that service providers are required to provide. If victims are not happy with a service provider’s complaint response, they can now complain directly to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman without going through an MP.The Government is committed to ensuring that victims can access the information and support they need. The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 created a framework to monitor criminal justice agencies' compliance with the Victims' Code, including legislative duties for agencies to collect and share information on Code compliance.The framework has not yet been commenced - preparatory work is underway, for example actively engaging with criminal justice agencies on the underlying data that will support the development of the framework.
What information her Department holds on the number and proportion of applications for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority outside the two-year time limit for which discretion was applied in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022, (d) 2023, (e) 2024 and (f) 2025.
The table below shows the number and proportion of resolved applications in each calendar year where the two-year time limit was extended.Column A: Calendar year of decisionColumn B: Total resolved applicationsColumn C: Resolved applications received outside time limitColumn D: Resolved applications where time limit was extendedColumn E: Resolved applications where time limit was extended as a proportion of all applications received outside the time limit202027,8664,1393,61587.3%202128,4715,2234,39184.1%202233,8436,3525,25783.8%202336,7836,8465,27977.1%202435,2797,1024,75066.9%2025 to date14,2073,2351,97160.9%The above information relates to applications made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme) only. For minor applicants, the two-year time limit depends on when the incident was reported to the police. We have taken that into account in the above response.
What the average processing time was for applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme by people living in Rotherham in each of the last five years.
The table below shows the average time for decisions to be made on applications* for criminal injuries compensation by people resident in Rotherham**.Financial Year of CICA decisionAverage time (days)2020-212922021-223372022-234632023-243632024-25367 * The table does not include archived bereavement applications because the address of the applicant is not retained. In most cases, applications are archived three years after the case has been closed.** The above table includes all awards where the applicant named Rotherham as the town in their home address in their application.