Written questions by Hayes.

For what purposes HM Courts and Tribunals Service has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.Work to date has involved early-stage testing of solutions including productivity tools like Microsoft Co-pilot, intelligent document processing, knowledge management and transcription, to help our staff operate effectively and efficiently. However, we currently have no live AI systems in use across our operations and front-line services.A small number of staff are trialling the use of Microsoft 365 Co-pilot as part of a Ministry of Justice wide pilot, looking to reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.HMCTS can draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform AI usage. For example, the Generative AI Ethics Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework, the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for he policies of trends in the levels of reoffending rates in Lincolnshire in the past five years; and what steps her Department is taking to help reduce reoffending rates in that county.

The overall proven reoffending rate for Lincolnshire has decreased from 28.8% in 2018 to 26.3% in 2022 (the latest year for which reoffending data is available – see Table 1). Despite this overall downward trend, the reoffending rate increased from 24.5% in 2021 to 26.3% in 2022. We have seen reoffending rates increase slightly as we move away from Covid-affected periods (during which reoffending rates were impacted by court closures and other Covid-related operational restrictions). Despite this, rates remain lower than historical levels.Table 1: Rate of reoffending for Lincolnshire across the past 5 years Jan 18 -Dec 18Jan 19 - Dec 19Jan 20 - Dec 20Jan 21 -Dec 21Jan 22 -Dec 22Lincolnshire28.8%25.2%25.0%24.5%26.3%This Government is committed to reducing reoffending by giving people the tools they need to turn their backs on crime, including by investing in getting offenders into employment which we know can reduce reoffending by up to 9 percentage points.  We have, for example, recruited specialist employment leads in prisons to support and prepare prisoners for work on release. This role is currently in place at HMP Lincoln and HMP North Sea Camp, two prisons located in Lincolnshire. We have also recently launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time will bring businesses together with probation services and the Department for Work and Pensions to support offenders in the community. The county of Lincolnshire is covered by the East, North & West Midlands Employment Council.

How many court clerks worked at Boston Magistrates' Court in each year since 2014 for which data is available.

Boston operates as a hearing venue only and has done since consultation in 2019. There are 2 members of staff based there, who operate as a back office to support the wider Cluster, taking work primarily from Lincoln County Court. The role of Court Clerk exists in two jurisdictions, Crown Court and County Court. The Crown Court does not sit in Boston. If required, County Court clerks travel over from Lincoln.

For what purposes (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.To seize this opportunity, the Ministry of Justice has established a new Justice AI Unit, led by the Department’s first Chief AI Officer, to develop a comprehensive AI strategy for the Department and its agencies.Officials are trialing the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot across 1,300 staff in the Department, specifically on its ability to reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks. In addition, we are exploring various pilots to support key functions, including frontline and operational staff.We adhere to a safety-first policy and have co-developed an AI ethical framework and toolkit with the Alan Turing Institute. This resource is designed to assist stakeholders, developers, policymakers, and decision-makers in understanding the requirements for fostering responsible innovation in the use of AI within the criminal justice system.

How many and what proportion of people convicted for shoplifting offences reoffended within (a) 12 months and (b) two years in each of the last five years.

The proven reoffending rate for the adult cohort convicted of shoplifting offences between 2017/18 and 2021/22 (the latest year for which reoffending data is available) can be found in the table below, along with the number of offenders and reoffenders included in this cohort. The proven reoffending rate is calculated using a 12-month follow up period.Table 1: Rate of reoffending for adults convicted of shoplifting offences in England and Wales in 12-month follow up period, across the past five years Apr 17 – Mar 18Apr 18 - Mar 19Apr 19 -Mar 20Apr 20 -Mar 21Apr 21 - Mar 22Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)59.058.254.854.060.3Number of offenders in cohort41,22235,15928,79016,03615,358Number of reoffenders24,30520,46315,7748,6619,265The proven reoffending methodology is complex and based on a one-year reoffending rate. Providing this information for a new 2-year reoffending measure would be of disproportionate cost.

If she will make an estimate of the number of sharia councils operating in England and Wales.

Sharia Councils are not part of the judicial system; therefore the Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of sharia councils in operation, and there is no plan to produce such data at this time.

How many justices of the peace served at Boston Magistrates court in each of the last five years.

HMCTS deploys Magistrates (Justices of the Peace) who are allocated to a bench and are then placed on a rota to sit as a panel. Boston Magistrates would be served by the Lincolnshire Bench and the numbers on that bench are below for the period stated:Year...

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Probation Service in the East Midlands.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service routinely publishes information about Probation Service regions’ performance as part of the Community Performance Annual Statistics. The most recent data, published in July, cover the financial year 2023-24, and ...

If she will make it her policy to immediately deport foreign nationals convicted of criminal offences resulting in custodial sentences.

The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is an important priority of this Government. FNOs who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. ...

How many prison officers have (a) been recruited and (b) left their roles since 2014.

The quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication covers staffing information, including number of staff in post as well as the number of joiners and leavers, by different grades and structure etc.The number of HMPPS joiners and leavers by grade is pub...

What steps she is taking to reduce the backlog of court cases in Lincolnshire.

We have interpreted this question as in reference to the Crown Court outstanding caseload in Lincolnshire. We inherited a record and rising Crown Court backlog from the previous Government and we are committed to tackling it.We are pursuing a number of me...

How many and what proportion of those convicted for sexual offences were not given prison sentences in the last five years.

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent judiciary.This Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls within the decade. To do so, we must improve the justice system’s response to these crim...

How many prisoners released under the early release scheme on (a) 10 September 2024 and (b) 22 October 2024 are registered as residing in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

Data on SDS40 releases forms a subset of data intended for future publication.

If she will publish the offences committed by prisoners released under the early release scheme.

SDS40 applies to standard determinate sentences, but certain offences have been excluded from the SDS change. the following offences are excluded: Sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more...

How many people have escaped from Category D prisons in the last 10 years.

An escape that does not involve overcoming a physical security restraint or barrier (such as that provided by a wall or fence, locks, bolts or bars, a secure vehicle, handcuffs or the direct supervision of staff) is classified as an abscond. By definition...

How many confiscations of Class A drugs took place in prisons in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last three years.

Data on the number of incidents where Class A drugs were found in prisons in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last three years are provided in the attached table.The availability of drugs in prison is yet another sign of the prisons crisis the new...

How many confiscations of mobile phones took place in prisons in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last three years.

The number of incidents where mobile phones were found in prisons in England and Wales, over the past three years: 2021-222022-232023-24England7,7787,59610,351Wales210241318Total7,9887,83710,669 We publish the number of incidents where mobile phones were ...

How many and what proportion of prisoners released under the early release scheme have been electronically tagged.

Data on SDS40 releases forms a subset of data intended for future publication. We do not yet hold centrally collated data on how many prisoners released under SDS40 have been electronically tagged.Electronic Monitoring is only one part of a range of strin...

How many people will be released from prisons in Lincolnshire under the early release scheme.

Data on SDS40 releases in specific areas such as Lincolnshire forms a subset of data intended for future publication.  The number of prison places projected to be saved nationally is in the Impact Assessment published on 17 July 2024.

Whether her Department informs victims when perpetrators of crimes against them are due to be released under her Department's scheme to temporarily reduce the proportion of some custodial sentences served in pris

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Victims’ Commissioner. I can confirm recent meetings have included discussions about the impact on victims of the prison capacity measures announced on 12 July, and the processes in place to ensure that vict...