Written questions by Pinkerton.

What discussions he has had with the Post Office Horizon Inquiry on the publication of evidence.

The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry is a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 and Sir Wyn Williams and the Inquiry team have the right to receive full access to the information and witnesses they require in order to investigate what went wrong at the Post Office. The Inquiry is entirely independent. Within its published terms of reference, Sir Wyn has the power to decide what to look at and which evidence to make public.The Department for Business and Trade is the lead department on Post Office issues, so the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice has not engaged with the Inquiry on the publication of its evidence. It is important that the Government respect Sir Wyn’s independence, therefore it would not be appropriate for Government to comment further on the Inquiry.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of court delays on the mental wellbeing of victims of sexual violence in Surrey Heath constituency.

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. It is unacceptable that victims and witnesses are waiting years for justice. This has left tens of thousands of victims facing devastating delays for justice, disrupting their ability to function, work, or maintain relationships.It is not possible to supply data for Surrey Heath constituency. However, data for the Surrey Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) is published routinely as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly. The latest published data shows that, in Q2 2025, sexual offence cases in the Surrey Crown Court spent an average of 350 days in the court – an improvement down from 468 days in 2024, and 384 in 2023. At the end of June 2025, the open caseload at Crown Court for sexual offences in Surrey stood at 181, an increase from 136 in 2024 and 113 in 2023.We are committed to creating a more sustainable justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. Upon taking office, the Deputy Prime Minister took immediate action to allocate additional Crown Court sitting days this financial year, taking the total to 111,250 sitting days.However, demand is currently so high, it is indisputable that fundamental reform is needed. That is why this Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose once-in-a-generation reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims. Part one of his report has now been published. We are carefully considering Sir Brian’s proposals and will respond in due course.To support all victims of sexual violence, including those impacted by court delays, I have protected dedicated Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) victims spending in the Department this year to ensure help is available to survivors of these awful crimes.

Whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the consistency of sentencing outcomes for (a) veterans and (b) non-veterans convicted of similar offences.

Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary, who take into account the circumstances of the offence and any aggravating and mitigating factors, in accordance with the relevant law. Sentencers also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, unless in the interests of justice not to do so. Sentencing guidelines help promote consistency and transparency in sentencing. Whilst the fact that someone is a veteran is not explicitly listed as a mitigating factor in statute nor in sentencing guidelines, judges have the flexibility to consider relevant factors in an individual case and could, for example, choose to take previous positive good character or exemplary conduct into account when determining a sentence, if considered appropriate to do so based on the full facts of the case. We do not hold data concerning the previous military service of those sentenced at the criminal courts and so are unable to make an assessment of sentencing outcomes for this cohort relative to non-veterans. More generally, prisoners are asked on entry into custody whether they have served in the armed forces, and responses are then checked against Ministry of Defence records.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of procedures for notifying people of County Court proceedings.

The Government has announced plans to implement a reform to allow claimant names to be published on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. This reform will help people who have county court judgments made against them to identify who to contact about the claim. The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) is responsible for the rules that govern the procedure for notifying people of court proceedings, known as the rules of service. It has recently consulted on changes to the service rules including to permit electronic service on parties with whom there has already been electronic communication pre-action. The CPRC is currently reviewing responses and will make decisions on procedural rule changes in due course.

Whether his Department is taking steps to help support people to challenge County Court Judgments issued without their knowledge in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government has announced plans to implement a reform to allow claimant names to be published on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. This reform will help people who have county court judgments made against them to identify who to contact about the claim. The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) is responsible for the rules that govern the procedure for notifying people of court proceedings, known as the rules of service. It has recently consulted on changes to the service rules including to permit electronic service on parties with whom there has already been electronic communication pre-action. The CPRC is currently reviewing responses and will make decisions on procedural rule changes in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce court delays for victims of sexual violence in Surrey Heath constituency.

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. It is unacceptable that victims and witnesses are waiting years for justice. This has left tens of thousands of victims facing devastating delays for justice, disrupting their ability to function, work, or maintain relationships.It is not possible to supply data for Surrey Heath constituency. However, data for the Surrey Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) is published routinely as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly. The latest published data shows that, in Q2 2025, sexual offence cases in the Surrey Crown Court spent an average of 350 days in the court – an improvement down from 468 days in 2024, and 384 in 2023. At the end of June 2025, the open caseload at Crown Court for sexual offences in Surrey stood at 181, an increase from 136 in 2024 and 113 in 2023.We are committed to creating a more sustainable justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. Upon taking office, the Deputy Prime Minister took immediate action to allocate additional Crown Court sitting days this financial year, taking the total to 111,250 sitting days.However, demand is currently so high, it is indisputable that fundamental reform is needed. That is why this Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose once-in-a-generation reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims. Part one of his report has now been published. We are carefully considering Sir Brian’s proposals and will respond in due course.To support all victims of sexual violence, including those impacted by court delays, I have protected dedicated Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) victims spending in the Department this year to ensure help is available to survivors of these awful crimes.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of safeguards for preventing harm to children during court-ordered contact arrangements.

This Government has been clear – child safety during court-ordered contact is vital.The recently published review of court’s application of the presumption of parental involvement found a high incidence of ordered contact. In some instances, this could have negative implications for children.That is why this Government plans to repeal the presumption from the Children Act 1989. This will be part of a package of reforms to the family courts – including the further expansion of the Pathfinder model.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s recent report entitled Everyday Business: Addressing domestic abuse and continuing harm through a family court review and reporting mechanism, published on October 2025, on (a) contact and (b) parental responsibility for families currently involved in family court proceedings.

The Government welcomes the publication of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s report.We are carefully considering the recommendations and will publish a full response by the end of the year.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safeguards in preventing harm to children during court-ordered contact arrangements.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of safeguarding children during court-ordered contact arrangements.The legislation which governs child arrangements cases makes a child’s welfare paramount and presumes a child’s welfare is furthered by the involvement of both parents, unless there is evidence of a risk of harm. Following the recommendation from the ‘Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases’ report, the Ministry of Justice has carried out a thorough review of the presumption of parental involvement, which will be published shortly.Where an individual believes that a wrong decision or an unjust decision (due to serious procedural or other irregularity in the proceedings in the lower court) has been made by the courts, there are routes of appeal and individuals can apply to have a Child Arrangements Order varied or discharged.In some cases, to ensure children’s safety, courts order contact at Child Contact Centres. These are primarily accredited centres run by the National Association of Child Contact Centres, which operate under rigorous safeguarding standards. These include secure premises with controlled access, trained staff present during supervised contact, and comprehensive risk assessments tailored to each family's circumstances.

What recent discussions she has had with (a) judicial and (b) safeguarding bodies on improvements to child protection in private law family proceedings.

The Family Justice Board, which is co-chaired by ministers from the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education and is regularly attended by the President of the Family Division, the Chief Executives of Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, the Chief Social Worker, and Ofsted, monitors performance across the family justice system and considers relevant strategic issues, including safeguarding of children in family proceedings. At the March meeting, the Board discussed findings from the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s report on intra-familial child sexual abuse.The Board also plays a role in the delivery of key priorities aimed at improving outcomes for children and families such as the Pathfinder private law model, now operating in six court areas. Pathfinder was designed in collaboration with the judiciary and safeguarding partners and aims to improve the experience and outcomes for children and parents involved in private family law proceedings, including those who have experienced domestic abuse.

What steps she is taking to ensure that disabled court users have equal access to (a) legal representation and (b) appropriate support in court jurisdictions.

Legally-aided advice and representation is available to disabled people on the same basis as it is to the wider population. The issue must usually be in-scope of legal aid, and applicants are subject to means and merits tests, if applicable.Duty solicitors may be available in some proceedings to help ensure individuals, regardless of disability, are able to access representation.The Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service offers on the day in-court emergency representation to anyone at risk of losing their home.At the magistrates’ court, a disabled person who has been charged with a criminal offence is entitled to the same legal protections and support as any other defendant. This includes access to the Court Duty Solicitor Scheme, which provides free legal advice and assistance to unrepresented individuals on their first appearance.With regards to financial eligibility for legal aid, there are several disability-related payments that are disregarded from the income assessment for criminal and civil legal aid. These include Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, direct payments and Attendance Allowance.Our current grant programmes are providing over £6 million of grant funding up to March 2026 to over 60 organisations across the advice sector. This funding will help organisations to sustain and improve their legal support provision, including support at court where necessary.HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) provides reasonable adjustments for disabled court and tribunal users in accordance with its legal duty under the Equality Act 2010. To meet its wider Public Sector Equality Duty and the commitments in its vulnerability action plan, HMCTS also has a wider duty to take steps to avoid treating people less favourably because of their disability. Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch with HMCTS to discuss any particular adjustments or support they require, to enable their individual needs to be met when they attend court.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing greater oversight in the Single Justice Procedure for (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable defendants.

The Government keeps the operation of the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) under regular review. The SJP continues to be an important route for dealing with minor, non-imprisonable offences, such as certain vehicle-related offences, where the defendant has either pleaded guilty or not responded to an SJP Notice.However, the Government is concerned about the consistency in standards of private prosecutors, including those who use the Single Justice Procedure. We know the importance of ensuring that the SJP is accessible and fair to all defendants, including those who are elderly or vulnerable.That is why we launched a consultation on the Oversight and Regulation of Private Prosecutors which included a chapter on the SJP. This looks at the operation of the SJP generally, encompassing minor vehicle related offences. The consultation closed on 8 May and work is ongoing to analyse the responses received. These findings will inform future work in this area, including considerations for additional safeguards and support where appropriate, and we will legislate if necessary.The Government response to the consultation is expected to be published later this year.

When her Department plans to publish a report on the findings of the consultation on the Single Justice Procedure.

The Government keeps the operation of the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) under regular review. The SJP continues to be an important route for dealing with minor, non-imprisonable offences, such as certain vehicle-related offences, where the defendant has either pleaded guilty or not responded to an SJP Notice.However, the Government is concerned about the consistency in standards of private prosecutors, including those who use the Single Justice Procedure. We know the importance of ensuring that the SJP is accessible and fair to all defendants, including those who are elderly or vulnerable.That is why we launched a consultation on the Oversight and Regulation of Private Prosecutors which included a chapter on the SJP. This looks at the operation of the SJP generally, encompassing minor vehicle related offences. The consultation closed on 8 May and work is ongoing to analyse the responses received. These findings will inform future work in this area, including considerations for additional safeguards and support where appropriate, and we will legislate if necessary.The Government response to the consultation is expected to be published later this year.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Single Justice Procedure in handling minor vehicle-related offences.

The Government keeps the operation of the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) under regular review. The SJP continues to be an important route for dealing with minor, non-imprisonable offences, such as certain vehicle-related offences, where the defendant has either pleaded guilty or not responded to an SJP Notice.However, the Government is concerned about the consistency in standards of private prosecutors, including those who use the Single Justice Procedure. We know the importance of ensuring that the SJP is accessible and fair to all defendants, including those who are elderly or vulnerable.That is why we launched a consultation on the Oversight and Regulation of Private Prosecutors which included a chapter on the SJP. This looks at the operation of the SJP generally, encompassing minor vehicle related offences. The consultation closed on 8 May and work is ongoing to analyse the responses received. These findings will inform future work in this area, including considerations for additional safeguards and support where appropriate, and we will legislate if necessary.The Government response to the consultation is expected to be published later this year.

What assessment she has made of effectiveness of her Department's programmes for supporting offenders in returning to employment in Surrey Heath constituency.

We know that finding employment after release reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why the Government’s manifesto commits to break the cycle of reoffending by better supporting prisons to link up with employers to get more people with convictions into work. We have launched regional Employment Councils, including for the region Kent, Surrey & Sussex. For the first time, they bring businesses together with probation and the Department of Work and Pensions to support offenders in the community. In addition, Prison Employment Leads, Employment Hubs, ID and Banking Administrators and Employment Advisory Boards are in every resettlement prison, including at HMP Coldingley in Surrey Heath. They play a key role in getting offenders work-ready, matching them to jobs on release and linking prisons with local businesses. The proportion of ex-offenders in employment within six months of release in Kent, Surrey and Sussex was 29.5% in the year to March 2024, an increase of 4.7 percentage points from the previous reporting year to March 2023.