Written questions by Hayes.

How much His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has spent on equipment for staff to work from home in each of the last three years.

Obtaining this information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

How much her Department spent on equipment for civil servants to work from home in each of the last three years.

Obtaining this data would require manually reviewing and reclassifying purchases made across multiple systems and procurement channels. Given the broad range of equipment types and purposes — particularly across a large and complex estate such as the Ministry of Justice — this process would be highly resource-intensive and result in a disproportionate cost to the Department.

How many people absconded while on bail awaiting trial in each of the last five years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of people sentenced for failing to surrender to bail under section 6 of the Bail Act 1976 at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

How many people have been prosecuted for driving with excessively noisy exhausts in the last ten years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences including motoring offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, the data do not identify cases as a result of illegally tinted windows, excessively bright lights, or excessively noisy exhausts.

How many people have been prosecuted for driving with excessively bright lights in the last ten years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences including motoring offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, the data do not identify cases as a result of illegally tinted windows, excessively bright lights, or excessively noisy exhausts.

How many people have been prosecuted for driving with illegal tinted windows in the last ten years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences including motoring offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, the data do not identify cases as a result of illegally tinted windows, excessively bright lights, or excessively noisy exhausts.

How many and what proportion of people who are eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 50 per cent of their sentence were convicted of (a) actual bodily harm and (b) grievous bodily harm.

Many offenders who commit these types of offences are subject to two-thirds release provisions, and others are subject to 50% depending on their specific circumstances and sentencing outcomes. Establishing who is released at exactly 50% would require examination of individual records and therefore comes at disproportionate cost.

How many and what proportion of people who are eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 50 per cent of their sentence were convicted of rape.

Many offenders who commit these types of offences are subject to two-thirds release provisions, and others are subject to 50% depending on their specific circumstances and sentencing outcomes. Establishing who is released at exactly 50% would require examination of individual records and therefore comes at disproportionate cost.

If she will publish a list of offences that are eligible for automatic release after serving 40% of a prison sentence.

The previous Government left the criminal justice system in an unconscionable state, with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. On 10 September 2024, the Government therefore took the unavoidable step to move the release point for certain standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40% (‘SDS40’).Certain offences have been excluded from the SDS40 change including sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more; specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length (including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation); as well as offences concerning national security.The legislation which covers eligibility for SDS40 is publicly available online, for example here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/844/schedule/made; and https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/1331/article/3/made.Once released, offenders will be subject to the same set of strict licence conditions that would apply had they been released at a 50% automatic release point and will be liable to recall to prison if they do not comply with these conditions or are judged to be a risk to public safety.

If she will take steps to introduce mandatory prison sentences for people convicted of drug driving offences in cases where no accident has occurred.

The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out next steps on this in due course.While independent judges decide sentences, we are committed to making sure the courts have the sentencing powers to ensure punishments fit the severity of the crime.Provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (the Act) increased the maximum penalty from 14 years’ imprisonment to life for the offences of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, and causing death by dangerous driving.We continue to work alongside the Department for Transport to ensure sentencing law for driving offences is appropriate.

If she will set a timeline for the introduction of mandatory chemical suppressants for sex offenders.

As set out by the Lord Chancellor’s oral statement on 22 May 2025, it is vital that people convicted of sexual offences are robustly managed to ensure the public are protected to the fullest degree.We are committed to increasing the use of medication to manage problematic sexual arousal for sex offenders by expanding the existing feasibility pilot in the Southwest to two additional regions, which will see the service extend from four to 20 prisons as a first step.The Government wants to learn from the pilots and experience in other jurisdictions, as it takes policy in this area forward.

If she will make it his policy to establish an independent body to administer compensation following miscarriages of justice.

Under the statutory scheme set out in section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, the Secretary of State for Justice is responsible for considering applications for compensation in cases of miscarriages of justice in England and Wales, subject to specific criteria. Where an individual meets the criteria, an Independent Assessor has discretion in determining the amount awarded, in accordance with the statute. Given this established process, as agreed by Parliament, there are currently no plans to create an independent body to administer compensation following miscarriages of justice.

Whether she has had discussions with the Victims Commissioner on the recommendations of the Independent Sentencing Review: Final report, published 22 May 2025.

The Victims’ Commissioner met with the Lord Chancellor, Minister Dakin and the Chair of the Independent Sentencing Review, David Gauke, to discuss the recommendations.The Department continues to engage a range of representatives of the victims’ sector on the Government’s response to the Review.

How many and what proportion of people eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 75 per cent of their sentence were convicted of carrying a knife or blade.

No prisoners are eligible for automatic release at the 75% point.

How many and what proportion of people who are eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 75 per cent of their sentence were convicted of rape.

No prisoners are eligible for automatic release at the 75% point.

How many and what proportion of people eligible for automatic release from prison after serving 75 per cent of their sentence were convicted of (a) actual bodily harm and (b) grievous bodily harm.

No prisoners are eligible for automatic release at the 75% point.

What estimate her Department has made of the male estate prison capacity in 2028.

This Government inherited a prison system in crisis due to the previous government only adding 500 places to the estate in 14 years. If our prisons collapse, courts are forced to suspend trials. The police must halt their arrests, crime goes unpunished, and we face the breakdown of law and order in this country.We are building the largest expansion of the prison estate since the Victorians, with 14,000 places by 2031. We have already delivered 2,400 places since taking office.But it is clear that given the rate of demand, we cannot build our way out of this. As the Lord Chancellor set out this week on current forecasts by early 2028, we will be 9,500 places short without further action.That is why she commissioned and published the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure that we never again run out of prison places and that there will always be space to lock up dangerous offenders.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeship starts in her Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.Additionally, a new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, the ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’ (CLA), will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various Departments, starting from January 2026.

What steps she has taken to increase provision of legal aid in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands.

This Government recognises that legal aid is a vital part of the justice system. It enables those individuals, who need it most, to have access to publicly funded legal assistance in order to uphold their legal rights.We have recently consulted on uplifts to housing and immigration legal aid fees which would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year once implemented.In December 2024, we announced that criminal legal aid solicitors will receive up to £92 million more a year, subject to consultation, to support the sustainability of the criminal legal aid market. The consultation is now live and closes on 4 July 2025. This funding is in addition to the £24 million increase we announced in November 2024 for criminal solicitors. This latest commitment reflects the vital work that is undertaken by those who provide criminal legal aid. We are committed to continuing to work with the criminal legal aid profession, on further opportunities to support the overall sustainability, diversity, and efficiency of the system.The Legal Aid Agency is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. Procurement for legal aid contracts is now operated under the ‘always on principle’ so that the procurement remains open during the life of the contract. This is a significant change from the previous approach where firms could only bid to join at the initial tender of what typically was a five-year contract term. This new approach enables new entrants to apply for a contract at any time and for existing providers to expand their services. It is a more flexible approach, removing hard deadlines and maximising the available supply of services.There is currently an adequate supply of services in Lincolnshire and the East Midlands across all categories of civil legal aid, and under the relevant criminal duty solicitor schemes serving the area.

With reference the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025, whether her Department plans to amend its policy on the use of women only spaces in its buildings by transgender women.

The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers and Government Departments should note and follow the ruling.It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings. We will follow external advice from relevant advisory bodies.