Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant to the written answer 106063 of 14 January 2026 on Community Orders: Appeals, how many people have received compensation for work undertaken following their sentence being overturned.

There is no specific route to claim compensation related to any work or community service undertaken as part of a sentence, which is subsequently overturned.For individuals who have suffered a miscarriage of justice, section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act provides for the Secretary of State to pay compensation to an individual, subject to meeting the statutory test. This is administrated by the Miscarriages of Justice Application Service. If an individual is deemed eligible, the level of award is determined by an Independent Assessor, and in October 2025, we increased the maximum cap for compensation by 30%.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to compensate people who carry out community service as part of a criminal sentence that is later overturned.

There is no specific route to claim compensation related to any work or community service undertaken as part of a sentence, which is subsequently overturned.For individuals who have suffered a miscarriage of justice, section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act provides for the Secretary of State to pay compensation to an individual, subject to meeting the statutory test. This is administrated by the Miscarriages of Justice Application Service. If an individual is deemed eligible, the level of award is determined by an Independent Assessor, and in October 2025, we increased the maximum cap for compensation by 30%.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the workloads of prison officers in the North West.

Staffing models in public sector prisons and associated staffing numbers, are reviewed on a routine basis to take account of business changes that may impact on the workload of staff.

How many defendants in each of the last five years have completed unpaid work as part of a sentence later overturned on appeal.

The table below sets out number of individuals with sentences that terminated in the calendar years between 2021 and 2025, and where there was Unpaid Work completed as part of the sentence itself recorded as having been terminated due to being overturned on appeal:Calendar yearNumber of individuals202192202274202362202464202571These data have been gathered from National Delius (the Probation Service case management system).

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to help protect the privacy of people affected by fatal or serious accidents.

The Government is committed to open justice which means criminal justice should be administered in public and subject to public scrutiny including media reporting. However, there are exceptions in statute or common law which: exclude the press/public from court for all/part of proceedings; permit information to be withheld from open court; or impose temporary/permanent bans on reporting of proceedings or part of proceedings (e.g. identity of those appearing).Automatic reporting restrictions are applied to complainants in rape cases and all other sexual offences. There is a ban on reporting any matter that would identify a child or young person (under 18) in the Youth Court, whether that is a victim, witness or defendant. Victims of Female Genital Mutilation, Human Trafficking, and Forced Marriage are also granted automatic anonymity for life.Lifetime anonymity can be granted to an adult witness or victim in any offence if the quality of the witness’s evidence or their co-operation is likely to be diminished by reason of fear/distress in testifying.Reporting restrictions are a matter for judicial discretion - decisions on whether to impose these are made on a case by case basis by judges taking into account the circumstances of the case, the parties involved and the interests of justice.In addition, the Victims’ Code is a practical and useful guide for all victims of crime to understand what they can expect from the criminal justice system. This includes victims of fatal or serious accidents where they constitute a criminal offence. We will consult on a new Victims’ Code in due course to ensure that we get the foundations for victims right.

How many offenders were subject to alcohol monitoring tags over the Christmas and New Year period in each of the last five years.

The Department does not directly compare the cost-effectiveness of alcohol monitoring tags and alcohol-related custodial sentences.Alcohol monitoring is used a tool to assist with the safe management of individuals in the community, where alcohol has been shown to be a factor in their offence or offending behaviour, and in support of other requirements added to a court order or post-custody licence. There will and should be instances where an individual is required to serve a custodial sentence given the offence they have committed and for public protection. The compliance rate of alcohol monitoring imposed by the court as part of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order, which imposes a total ban on drinking alcohol for up to 120 days, showed from the introduction of the technology in October 2020 through to 6 June 2025, the devices did not register a tamper or alcohol alert for 97.3% of the days worn.The number of individuals subject to alcohol monitoring between October 2020 and June 2024 is available in Table 4.1 of the data tables published in the following link: Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, June 2024 - GOV.UK. The most recent provisional figures for alcohol monitoring, covering November 2025, can be found in the following link: Ad-Hoc Alcohol Monitoring Statistics Publication, Dec 2025 - GOV.UKPlease note that caseload statistics published after July 2025 are not directly comparable with earlier data due to changes in the definition and methodology used to classify individuals as “tagged”.

What comparative assessment his Department has made of the cost-effectiveness of (a) alcohol monitoring tags and (b) custodial sentences for alcohol-related offences.

The Department does not directly compare the cost-effectiveness of alcohol monitoring tags and alcohol-related custodial sentences.Alcohol monitoring is used a tool to assist with the safe management of individuals in the community, where alcohol has been shown to be a factor in their offence or offending behaviour, and in support of other requirements added to a court order or post-custody licence. There will and should be instances where an individual is required to serve a custodial sentence given the offence they have committed and for public protection. The compliance rate of alcohol monitoring imposed by the court as part of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order, which imposes a total ban on drinking alcohol for up to 120 days, showed from the introduction of the technology in October 2020 through to 6 June 2025, the devices did not register a tamper or alcohol alert for 97.3% of the days worn.The number of individuals subject to alcohol monitoring between October 2020 and June 2024 is available in Table 4.1 of the data tables published in the following link: Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, June 2024 - GOV.UK. The most recent provisional figures for alcohol monitoring, covering November 2025, can be found in the following link: Ad-Hoc Alcohol Monitoring Statistics Publication, Dec 2025 - GOV.UKPlease note that caseload statistics published after July 2025 are not directly comparable with earlier data due to changes in the definition and methodology used to classify individuals as “tagged”.

How many possession claims relating to Section 21 notices are currently awaiting court hearing; and what the average waiting time is for those hearings.

A Section 21 notice provides for an accelerated court process, usually without a hearing. However, if the application is not in order or the tenant challenges the claim a hearing may be scheduled.The Civil Procedure Rules stipulate that possession claims should be listed within 4 to 8 weeks of a claim being issued.  The most recent published statistics, covering the period July to September 2025 show that the median time from claim to order is 7.6 weeks.The Government has set out its roadmap for implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Private landlords will not be able to serve new Section 21 notices on their tenants on or after 1 May 2026.The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on possession claims at: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK.

What estimate he has made of the potential number of historical child sexual abuse cases likely to be brought following the removal of the limitation period for such claims.

Measuring the scale and nature of child sexual abuse is difficult because it is usually hidden from view. Victims often feel unable to report their experiences and adults are not always able to recognise that abuse is taking place. As a result, there is no data available to represent the full scale of the issue. We therefore do not know how many people are currently experiencing, or have experienced, child sexual abuse or how many potential victims and survivors may be impacted by these changes.However, the Government recognises, as was reinforced by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, that it might take years and in many cases decades for the victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to come forward and feel ready to disclose their trauma. That is why we accepted the critical issue the Inquiry sought to remedy in calling for reform of limitation law to overcome some of the barriers to justice that are faced by victims and survivors.

How many prisoners have been released early in Lancashire in the last 12 months.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue. Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK , and provide data up to March 2025. The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

Which prisons had the highest rates of accidental release of prisoners in each of the last five years.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue. Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK , and provide data up to March 2025. The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

How many prisoners have been accidentally released early in each of the last five years.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue. Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK , and provide data up to March 2025. The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of probation services in preventing reoffending.

Probation services play a vital role in reducing reoffending, with a range of evidence to support this including:For a matched group of offenders, custodial sentences of less than 12 months had reoffending rates 4 percentage points higher than those on community or suspended sentences.Offenders with one or no previous convictions, the one-year re-offending rate is 14 to 17 percentage points lower for offenders on licence than similar offenders not on licence.An international meta-analysis also found that the average reoffending rate for offenders supervised by officers trained in Core Correctional Practices (CCP) was 36%, compared with an average reoffending rate of 50% for offenders supervised by officers lacking the CCP training.The Impact Evaluation of the Acquisitive Crime Electronic Monitoring Project found reoffending by burglars, robbers and thieves reduced by around 20%, when their movements were tracked by electronic monitoring.Finally, curfew tags and radio frequency electronic monitoring, used as part of community sentences, reduced reoffending by around 20%. Probation supports rehabilitation through close monitoring and management of offenders’ risk, supporting access to treatment, education, and employment, and through specialised programmes and services, including:Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) are specialist interventions delivered in partnership with private, voluntary and community organisations to support individuals under probation supervision, or on license following release from custody. They address key rehabilitative needs that, if unmet, increase the risk of reoffending and are designed to complement and improve access to mainstream services such as housing, healthcare, and local authority support.Multi-agency programmes such as Intensive Supervision Courts and Integrated Offender Management, that address the underlying causes of offending and promote positive change. Internationally, there is strong evidence that problem-solving courts, such as Intensive Supervision Courts, reduce reoffending. Evidence drawn from several countries shows a 33 percent fall in arrests from these courts compared to standard sentences.

What the average age of the prison estate is; and how many prisons are rated as being in (a) poor and (b) very poor condition.

The average age of a currently operating prison in England and Wales is c. 82 years. In reality, there have been more recent additions/replacements to many existing establishments. Information on the condition of establishments, and how they are rated, is available at: Prison Estate Conditions Survey Programme Summary Information - GOV.UK.

What the most recent figures are for reoffending rates within 12 months of release.

The latest quarterly reoffending statistics (October to December 2023 cohort) show that, among adults released from custody, 41.1% reoffended within 12 months—down from 48.8% for the same quarter in 2013. We are committed to tackling the root causes of reoffending by investing in a range of interventions and services which address offenders’ underlying criminogenic needs and support their rehabilitation journey. This includes access to education & employment opportunities, stable accommodation, and substance misuse treatment.

What steps his Department is taking to use technology to improve (a) prison management and (b) prisoner monitoring.

The Ministry of Justice is committed to developing modern digital platforms and processes to improve prison management and prisoner monitoring. The Ministry of Justice is continuing to deploy Digital Prison Service (DPS) which will provide a new set of digital services to manage and record data on offenders, which will replace the legacy system NOMIS.

What the vacancy rate is for prison officers; and what assessment he has made of the regional disparity in demand for prison officers.

HMPPS publishes the difference between Staff in Post and Target Staffing Figures at establishment and national level in the quarterly HMPPS Workforce statistics (Table 4 of the Prison and Probation Officer Recruitment Annex: HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: June 2025 - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab). The June 2025 HMPPS Workforce quarterly statistics are the latest currently available. The September 2025 HMPPS Workforce quarterly statistics are due to be published on 20 November. Target Staffing level is the number of staff required to run an optimal regime in each prison. This level is greater than the minimum number of staff required for a prison to operate safely, and includes allowances for staff taking leave, being off sick or being on training. Target Staffing Figures are set on a site-specific basis and vary in size, contributing to varying demand for prison officers by site and across regions nationally. We remain committed to ensuring prisons are sufficiently resourced which is fundamental to delivering quality outcomes in prisons. Substantive recruitment efforts will continue at all sites where vacancies exist or are projected, with targeted interventions applied to those prisons with the most need.We closely monitor staffing levels across the estate, including at a regional level, and look to provide short-term tactical support where possible. Where establishments feel that their staffing levels will affect stability or regime, there are a number of ways they can maximise the use of their own resource and seek support from other establishments in the short term, through processes managed nationally at Agency level.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the period of time within which a victims' family can appeal a sentence.

Through the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme, a victims’ family (and members of the public) can request that the Attorney General refers a sentence to the Court of Appeal for review. Parliament intended the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme to be an exceptional power, and any expansion of the scheme must be carefully considered. While we understand calls for expansion, it is important for both victims and offenders that there is finality in sentencing.The Law Commission is undertaking a review of the law governing criminal appeals. They launched a public consultation which invited views on a range of reforms to criminal appeals, including the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. They are now reviewing those responses and expect to publish their findings and recommendations in 2026.The Government will carefully and holistically consider the Law Commission review’s final recommendations.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73115 on HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Data Protection, whether (a) financial penalties and (b) contract management actions were taken against any delivery partner.

We have no central record of any financial penalties against any supplier/delivery partner in relation to this issue.Contract management actions are undertaken as standard; HMCTS and the Ministry of Justice engage suppliers via frameworks managed by the Crown Commercial Service and did so over the course of the HMCTS Reform Programme (for example on the Digital Outcome and Specialists and G Cloud frameworks). These frameworks are designed to enable Government Departments to procure digital and technology services in a compliant, flexible, and value-for-money manner. Both frameworks operate under pre-approved terms and conditions that set clear expectations for supplier performance, financial management, and contract governance, providing Departments with consistent mechanisms to manage delivery risk and ensure accountability across multiple suppliers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73118 on Social Security and Child Support Tribunal: ICT, whether any (a) personal and (b) sensitive information was exposed.

No personal or sensitive information was exposed as a result of the IT system bug referenced.