Written questions by Robertson.

Which coroner jurisdictions have the longest inquest wait times; and what steps she is taking to bring them in line with national averages.

The requested information is available in, or can be extrapolated from, the Coroner Statistics 2023 which are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 08 May 2025.The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.

What the average waiting times are for coroner inquests in each region.

The requested information is available in, or can be extrapolated from, the Coroner Statistics 2023 which are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 08 May 2025.The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.

Whether hon. Members serving a custodial sentence at His Majesty’s Pleasure are permitted by HM Prison & Probation Service to receive Parliamentary casework by post.

All prisoners have a statutory entitlement to send and receive letters, this includes parliamentary casework by post where an Hon. Member is serving a custodial sentence.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal aid provision for parents of children who are or may be deprived of their liberty.

Legal aid is fundamental to a fair justice system, underpins the rule of law, and facilitates access to other public services across government. We are committed to a well-functioning legal aid system, and one which aids in the smooth running of the justice system. For this reason, we keep the adequacy of all legal aid provision, including for deprivation of liberty and kinship carers, under regular review.Individuals may be eligible for legal aid where a child is, or may be, subject to deprivation of liberty proceedings under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 (Secure Accommodation Order) or under the Inherent Jurisdiction of the High Court (Deprivation of Liberty Order). This is subject to meeting the relevant means and merits tests. Kinship carers may be eligible for legal aid in family proceedings such as Care Proceedings subject to meeting the relevant means and merits tests.We continue to work closely with the Department for Education on these areas, including following the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal aid provision for prospective kinship carers.

Legal aid is fundamental to a fair justice system, underpins the rule of law, and facilitates access to other public services across government. We are committed to a well-functioning legal aid system, and one which aids in the smooth running of the justice system. For this reason, we keep the adequacy of all legal aid provision, including for deprivation of liberty and kinship carers, under regular review.Individuals may be eligible for legal aid where a child is, or may be, subject to deprivation of liberty proceedings under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 (Secure Accommodation Order) or under the Inherent Jurisdiction of the High Court (Deprivation of Liberty Order). This is subject to meeting the relevant means and merits tests. Kinship carers may be eligible for legal aid in family proceedings such as Care Proceedings subject to meeting the relevant means and merits tests.We continue to work closely with the Department for Education on these areas, including following the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

How many (a) internal policy reviews, (b) independent reviews, (c) external reviews, (d) taskforces, (e) public consultations, (f) investigations and (g) other reviews their Department launched between 5 July 2024 and 5 January 2025; what the titles were of those reviews; and how many of those reviews have been (i) completed and (ii) published.

This Government has outlined its ambitions through the Plan for Change, which sets out an ambitious set of milestones - across the missions - for this Parliament.As the House would expect, the Government continually reviews its work to ensure that it is delivering the best outcomes for the people of the United Kingdom, and that its policies continue to represent the best value for the taxpayer.Public reviews will be available on Gov.uk as they are published.