Written questions by Slaughter.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to answer given to Question UIN 77478 on 14 October 2025, what discussions her officials have had with their Saudi counterparts regarding (a) the execution of Jalal Labbad for offences allegedly committed while he was a minor and (b) other juvenile defendants currently on death row.

The Government continues to monitor individual cases of concern in Saudi Arabia, and we regularly raise human rights with the Saudi authorities, including at ministerial level.

On the basis of what evidence was the estimate of a 20 per cent time saving for judge only trials made, including the following evidence referred to in the Leveson report (i) the quantitative analyses, (ii) the quantitative estimate of impact from the workshop with HMCTS operational staff and (iii) a summary of judicial expectations of time saving; and what is the confidence interval for the 20 per cent estimate.

Hearing cases without a jury negates the need for jury selection, judges explaining legal concepts to jurors, and jury deliberation. There is no denying that these add to the time it takes to hear a case.The latest figures show offences heard by magistrates already complete more than four times faster than similar cases in the Crown Court.In Part I of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, Sir Brian Leveson, one of the foremost judges of his generation, and his Expert Advisers have estimated a new Crown Court bench division would speed up cases by at least 20%. Sir Brian himself has indicated that he believes this was a conservative estimate and could be significantly more in practice.Further details of the work undertaken to arrive at this assumption can be found below:Quantitative analyses explored potential proxies for jury trial savings by drawing comparisons within the current system. Whilst there is no directly comparable proxy for judge only trials within our own systems, this provided a framework for elicitation workshops and judicial engagement.A structured elicitation workshop with expert operational staff from HMCTS. The quantitative analysis was shared with participants, and the workshop generated a suggested estimated range of 10-30% for lower to upper end plausible time savings, with 20% given as a median value.Engagement session with judges to understand their personal expectations of potential time-savings, intended to provide an anecdotal indication of where and how the judiciary thought time savings may or may not become apparent in a CCBD. Their views were in keeping with wider estimates.The 20% assumption is also broadly in line with international evidence from New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research who compared quantitative data from judge only and jury trials. Whilst time savings varied by offence type, for all offences it found a 16% reduction in trial length for judge only trials, and a 29% time saving for complex and prejudicial offences.A full Impact Assessment of the policy measures announced will be published alongside legislation as is usual.We will continue to monitor conviction rates and sentencing outcomes as part of our ongoing assessments of the criminal justice system.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring shops to hide knives for sale from public view.

Since 2016 there has been a voluntary agreement between the Home Office and most major high street retailers on the responsible sale of knives. The purpose of the agreement is to set out best practice around the sale of knives, including age verification and display.Retailers who are signatories are required to ensure knives are displayed and packaged securely as appropriate to minimise risk. This should include retailers taking practical and proportionate steps to restrict accessibility and avoid immediate use, to reduce the possibility of injury, and to prevent theft.We are clear that knives should be sold responsibly. Through measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, we are increasing the maximum penalties for selling knives to those under the age of 18 and selling prohibited weapons to 2 years imprisonment.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of people needing homelessness relief from local authorities on release from prison.

We are taking a number of steps to reduce numbers of those being released from prison homeless, including measures to improve joint processes and guidance across prisons, probation and local authorities. Overall statutory responsibility for housing and homelessness lies with local authorities in both England and Wales.We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other Departments through the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to develop a new long-term cross-government strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.We deliver our Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) to support prison leavers who are subject to probation supervision and at risk of homelessness, by offering up to 12 weeks of basic transitional accommodation to provide a stable base on release.We employ 50 prison-based Strategic Housing Specialists, including nine across the female estate, to support prisons to reduce homelessness on release by working in partnership with probation teams and Local Authorities.Published figures relating to offender accommodation outcomes can be found here: Offender Accommodation Outcome Statistics - GOV.UK.

How many and what proportion of prisoners were (a) released into homelessness and (b) homeless three months after release in each quarter since January 2022.

We are taking a number of steps to reduce numbers of those being released from prison homeless, including measures to improve joint processes and guidance across prisons, probation and local authorities. Overall statutory responsibility for housing and homelessness lies with local authorities in both England and Wales.We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other Departments through the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to develop a new long-term cross-government strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.We deliver our Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) to support prison leavers who are subject to probation supervision and at risk of homelessness, by offering up to 12 weeks of basic transitional accommodation to provide a stable base on release.We employ 50 prison-based Strategic Housing Specialists, including nine across the female estate, to support prisons to reduce homelessness on release by working in partnership with probation teams and Local Authorities.Published figures relating to offender accommodation outcomes can be found here: Offender Accommodation Outcome Statistics - GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Civil Military Coordination Centre at Kiryat Gat on coordinating aid delivery into Gaza.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 84235.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what Britain’s role is in the Civil Military Coordination Centre at Kiryat Gat.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 84235.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the terms of reference are for the Civil Military Coordination Centre at Kiryat Gat.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 84235.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she last asked her Bahraini counterpart to allow a research mission by a UN Special Rapporteur to consider the human rights situation in Bahrain.

We continue to encourage all countries to engage constructively with UN mechanisms, including Special Rapporteurs, as part of their international commitments. The UK remains committed to supporting progress on human rights.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the UN Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council entitled Situation concerning Western Sahara, published on 30 September 2025; and if she will he call for the renewed United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara mandate to allow unhindered freedom of movement.

The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process led by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General Mr Staffan de Mistura in support of finding a just, lasting, and mutually agreed resolution to the Western Sahara dispute.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by the UN Secretary-General entitled Situation concerning Western Sahara, published on 30 September 2025.

The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process led by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General Mr Staffan de Mistura in support of finding a just, lasting, and mutually agreed resolution to the Western Sahara dispute.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the provisions in the Employment Rights Bill on backlogs in the employment tribunals.

The Employment Rights Bill is part of the Government’s commitment to Make Work Pay. The Bill includes measures that strengthens the rights of workers, which we expect will increase demand in the Employment Tribunal.To address rising demand in the Employment Tribunal, we are working to invest in tribunal productivity measures through the recruitment of additional judges, the deployment of legal officers, the development of modern case management systems and the use of remote hearing technology. This has delivered over 1,500 additional sitting days. The Lord Chancellor allocated 33,900 sitting days for the Employment Tribunals in the financial year 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.We do recognise that there are significant demand pressures on the Employment Tribunals and are therefore working with the judiciary, HMCTS and the Department for Business and Trade on any further actions needed to alleviate pressures on the Employment Tribunals, improve efficiency and reduce waiting times to ensure the Employment Tribunal is able to absorb the impact of the Employment Rights Bill whilst ensuring timely access to justice for claimants and respondents.

How many outstanding cases there have been in the Employment (a) Tribunal and (b) Appeal Tribunal in each of the last five years.

Data on open caseload for the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeals Tribunal is published in Tribunals Statistics Quarterly and data to March 2025 can be found in table S_4 of the main tables here: Tribunals statistics quarterly: January to March 2025 - GOV.UK.Figures for ET single claims, ET multiple claims and EAT claims are in columns H, J and K respectively.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her officials have had with their Saudi counterparts on the continued detention of (a) Waleed Abu al-Khair and (b) Mohammed al-Bejadi.

The Government continues to monitor individual cases of concern in Saudi Arabia, including the cases of Waleed Abu Al-Khair and Mohammed Al-Bejadi. We regularly raise human rights with the Saudi authorities, including at ministerial level.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her officials have had with their Saudi counterparts on (a) the execution of Jalal Labbad for offences allegedly committed whilst a minor and (b) other juvenile defendants on death row.

The Government continues to monitor individual cases of concern in Saudi Arabia, including the cases of Waleed Abu Al-Khair and Mohammed Al-Bejadi. We regularly raise human rights with the Saudi authorities, including at ministerial level.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the UN Secretary General’s designation of Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory in the process of decolonisation.

Western Sahara is a UN Non-Self-Governing Territory with no defined Administering Power. The UK has endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting solution of the Western Sahara conflict and welcomed Morocco's stated commitment to provide further details of what autonomy within a Moroccan state could entail, with a view to restarting serious negotiations. In that context, we continue to engage with all relevant parties in support of the UN-led process to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to call on MINURSO to (a) conduct human rights monitoring in Western Sahara and (b) report their finding to the UN Security Council.

The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara. Our policy regarding the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is informed by ongoing engagement with the parties and regular meetings and consultation with regional and international partners, including MINURSO, the UN, civil society, and the broader international community. The UK has previously supported language in UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make his policy to talk to his Moroccan counterpart on the blocking of visits by (a) parliamentarians, (b) researchers, (c) journalists and (d) lawyers to occupied Western Sahara.

The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process regarding Western Sahara. We have supported language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. The UK also shares a bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Morocco, the third session of which is due to take place in London by the end of the year.

Whether her Department retains access to all data held in the case management systems impacted by the Legal Aid Agency data breach.

This has been an unprecedented event and every effort is being made to restore services following the criminal attack on our systems. The Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services have been taken offline to negate the threat and prevent further exposure of legal aid providers and users. We have been able to return some systems to internal use, enabling an improved ability to support criminal legal aid applications and payments.We cannot confirm a specific timescale for full service restoration. In the interim, the LAA will continue to provide updates as soon as they are available and will work closely with representative bodies to ensure any extended or refined contingency measures support providers and their clients to the maximum extent. All updates, including contingency arrangements, are published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber security incident webpage Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident - GOV.UK.Contingency measures have been implemented to ensure that access to legal aid remains available and that providers are receiving payments. This included the implementation of emergency legislation on 27 June. The new legislation provides for increased delegation of powers to providers and removes civil client contributions. The average payment scheme already operating in civil legal aid will continue.The LAA retains all data impacted by this incident. There is no evidence of data being permanently lost or destroyed. However, while systems are offline some data is not accessible. Access will be restored as part of service restoration.The recent data breach is 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 underinvestment under the last Conservative Government. By contrast, since taking power this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

When she plans for the Legal Aid Agency’s case management system to be fully operational, following the recent data breach.

This has been an unprecedented event and every effort is being made to restore services following the criminal attack on our systems. The Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services have been taken offline to negate the threat and prevent further exposure of legal aid providers and users. We have been able to return some systems to internal use, enabling an improved ability to support criminal legal aid applications and payments.We cannot confirm a specific timescale for full service restoration. In the interim, the LAA will continue to provide updates as soon as they are available and will work closely with representative bodies to ensure any extended or refined contingency measures support providers and their clients to the maximum extent. All updates, including contingency arrangements, are published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber security incident webpage Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident - GOV.UK.Contingency measures have been implemented to ensure that access to legal aid remains available and that providers are receiving payments. This included the implementation of emergency legislation on 27 June. The new legislation provides for increased delegation of powers to providers and removes civil client contributions. The average payment scheme already operating in civil legal aid will continue.The LAA retains all data impacted by this incident. There is no evidence of data being permanently lost or destroyed. However, while systems are offline some data is not accessible. Access will be restored as part of service restoration.The recent data breach is 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 underinvestment under the last Conservative Government. By contrast, since taking power this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.