Written questions by Brown-Fuller.

When his department will publish the family justice strategy.

Awaiting answer.

If he will provide the date of his last formal communication with the Hillsborough Law Now and Pete Weatherby KC campaign regarding the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.

The Government engages regularly with Hillsborough Law Now at both an official and political level. There has been a recent change in Ministers with responsibility for this portfolio. As part of my introductory meetings, I recently met with representative...

If he will provide a date as to when his Department will respond to the consultation into regulation and oversight of private prosecutions in the Criminal Justice System which closed in May 2025.

Private prosecutions brought by individuals or companies play an important role in the justice system. However, in recent years, some private prosecutors have been found to have acted unlawfully, improperly and well below the standards the public expects,...

What proportion of people who appeal against sentence and conviction from the magistrates court are unrepresented.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold, and does not have access to, centrally collated data identifying whether people who appeal against conviction or sentence from the magistrates’ courts are legally represented. As a result, we are unable to provide fi...

What proportion of hearings of appeals against conviction from the magistrates' court involve A) complainants in general and B) vulnerable complainants.

The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data on appeals of magistrates’ court decisions heard at the Crown Court. This can be accessed through the Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly publications (Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to Dece...

What assessment has been made of the specific impact of extending fixed-term recall periods from 28 to 56 days on (a) pregnant women, (b) mothers of young children, and (c) women recalled for minor administrative licence breaches; and whether a gender-specific impact assessment of this provision has been published.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department plans to review the prohibition on prison officers taking industrial action.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the European Committee of Social Rights on the UK’s compliance with the European Social Charter in relation to prison officers.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

If he will undertake a review of the legal management of divorce proceedings; and if he will make it his policy to reform interim financial arrangements to ensure neither party is financially disadvantaged or placed in financial difficulty prior to the final settlement.

The Government has no plans to undertake a further review of divorce law in respect of the way in which marriages are dissolved. This is because significant reforms were introduced by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act (“DDSA”) 2020, which came into force on 6 April 2022. These reforms established a system of no-fault divorce, enabled joint applications and strengthened protections for respondents, including by making provision to delay the final order where financial disadvantage may arise before the settlement becomes final.The law governing financial remedies on divorce enables parties to apply to the court for the division of assets. This legislation also allows applications for interim maintenance orders (known as “maintenance pending suit”) once a divorce application has been made. These orders can meet immediate needs, in so far as the court thinks reasonable, before a financial settlement is reached.The Law Commission conducted a review of the law relating to financial remedies on divorce in December 2024. The Government will be considering issues raised by the Law Commission, including issues relating to vulnerable individuals, in its upcoming consultation on Cohabitation and Financial Remedies.

If he will publish the dates of all meetings with the campaign group Hillsborough Law Now, or Pete Weatherby KC, since Sunday 18 January 2026.

Ministers value a close and collaborative working relationship with Hillsborough Law Now and Pete Weatherby KC and have engaged continuously since 18 January through phone calls, messages and official meetings including on 19 January and 6 March.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in the provision of prison education on future reoffending rates.

The Ministry of Justice remains firmly committed to reducing reoffending by ensuring that prisoners can access high‑quality education, skills training and work opportunities. Rising delivery costs have impacted the level of provision that can be commissioned through the Core Education contracts, but this is one part of a much broader offer designed to support rehabilitation. Prisoners continue to benefit from a wide range of educational opportunities, including digitally enabled in‑cell learning, locally commissioned programmes, library services, higher‑level study, vocational qualifications, apprenticeships and work in prison industries. Governors retain the flexibility to commission provision that best meets the needs of their population. We will monitor delivery and outcomes through contract management and a full evaluation of the new Prisoner Education Service.

Whether he will consider reopening the Magistrates Court in Chichester.

There are currently no plans to reopen the former Chichester Magistrates’ Court. The building has been closed since 2017 and is now in very poor condition. With the neighbouring Chichester Combined Court having transitioned from a Nightingale court to the permanent estate, HMCTS is now reviewing options for the future of the former Magistrates’ Court site, including its disposal.

What plans he has for the Magistrates Court building in Chichester.

There are currently no plans to reopen the former Chichester Magistrates’ Court. The building has been closed since 2017 and is now in very poor condition. With the neighbouring Chichester Combined Court having transitioned from a Nightingale court to the permanent estate, HMCTS is now reviewing options for the future of the former Magistrates’ Court site, including its disposal.

What estimate he has made of the percentage of the cases awaiting a Crown Court trial that have a potential sentence of up to three years imprisonment and that would go before a Judge-only court under his proposed court reforms.

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Whether his Department has information on the median age of cases that have yet to elect mode of trial.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly. The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

What assessment he has made of the percentage of the current Crown Court backlog would be sent for judge alone trials under the government’s proposed court reforms.

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

What assessment he has made of the proportion of cases in the backlog are still pending the decision of the defendant to elect mode of trial.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly. The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

What estimate he has made of the percentage of cases in the overall Crown Court backlog are either way cases that would be no longer eligible for jury trial under the government’s proposed reforms.

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

What assessment he has made of the current number of either-way cases in the present Crown Court backlog that have yet to elect mode of trial.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly. The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

Whether he plans to bring forward legislation to reverse the PACCAR judgement within the current Parliament.

We intend to introduce legislation to mitigate the effect of the PACCAR judgment as soon as parliamentary time allows. The new legislation will clarify that Litigation Funding Agreements are not Damages Based Agreements. The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice and is committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.We will outline next steps in due course.