Written questions by Lam.

What proportion of Crown Court defendants entered an early guilty plea, broken down by individual Crown Court centre, for each financial year from 2019–20 to 2024–25.

Awaiting answer.

How many court sitting days were sat in each individual Crown Court centre in England and Wales in each financial year from 2019–20 to 2024–25.

Awaiting answer.

Why his Department's Crown Court Information data tool, which previously published receipts, disposals, guilty plea and trial effectiveness statistics broken down by individual Crown Court centre, has not been updated since December 2023, and whether he plans to update and make these statistics publicly available.

Awaiting answer.

What was the (a) average length of a trial and (b) average time taken for a case to reach completion following receipt at the Crown Court, broken down by individual Crown Court centre, for each financial year from 2019–20 to 2024–25.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she plans to extend the British-Irish visa scheme to any further nationalities.

The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security.The British-Irish visa scheme is a good example of this collaboration and whilst it remains in operation for Indian and Ch...

If she will publish a breakdown of the nationality of immigration offenders identified by Operation Gull since June 2025.

Operation Gull is an ongoing Home Office Immigration Enforcement intelligence led initiative and deployments are carried out on that basis.The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be ...

How many (a) days of action have been conducted under and (b) immigration offenders have been identified by Operation Gull since July 2024 by month.

Operation Gull is an ongoing Home Office Immigration Enforcement intelligence led initiative and deployments are carried out on that basis.The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be ...

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Republic of Ireland's implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum on the flow of illegal migrants and asylum see

We note that the EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum entered into force on 12 June. We will continue to monitor the impact of the introduction of the Pact across EU Member States including Ireland. The UK and Ireland work closely together to prevent abuse o...

How much his Department has spent on legal and administrative costs in connection to the Saville Inquiry.

This information is publicly available at;https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a796e76e5274a3864fd6eef/bloody_sunday_inquiry_-_annual_expenditure_by_category_to_end_may_2010.pdf

How much his Department has spent in relation to legal action connected to Soldier F.

In responding to this Question, it has been assumed that references to Soldier F relate to the individual prosecuted in connection with Bloody Sunday. The Ministry of Defence is committed to supporting veterans and their families. As part of this, Soldier...

How much his Department has spent on compensation on claims in relation to Northern Ireland in each year between 2000 and 2026.

The table below sets out the total compensation which, according to our records, has been paid by the Department in each year since 2000 on Northern Ireland Troubles-related civil claims. This includes damages paid to claimants as well as associated recov...

How much his Department has spent on legal costs in cases related to Northern Ireland in each year between 2000 and 2026.

Legal costs for Northern Ireland legacy cases include legal fees and related litigation expenses associated with inquests, judicial reviews, civil claims, criminal investigations and public inquiries. They includecosts directly incurred by the Department ...

Hat assessment she has made of the potential impact of Government intervention on food prices on farmers.

The government has announced that we are suspending tariffs on food to bring down prices for consumers. The list of products for which tariff suspensions are proposed takes account of domestic production and food security and does not include any signific...

For what reason HMRC does not collect data on the number of wine producers claiming Small Producers Relief; and whether the Department plans to begin collecting such data to inform the evaluation of the 2023 alcohol duty reforms.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) holds data on the volume of products on which Small Producer Relief (SPR) is claimed, however it is not possible to accurately attribute this amount to a specific number of producers.HMRC does not approve producers for SPR as both eligibility and rates can vary annually, depending on production levels. Instead, producers self- assess their eligibility and calculate the correct rate, meaning there is no central record of SPR claimants.In some cases, the duty is paid by someone other than the producer. For example, goods may move in duty suspension from the producer to an excise warehouse, which pays the duty. In other cases large producers may conduct processes, such as bottling, on behalf of several smaller producers and account for the duty on behalf of their customers when the goods are released.These arrangements reduce burdens on small producers while accommodating common commercial practices. Although HMRC cannot determine a definitive number of producers claiming SPR, it assesses that very few wine producers will have claimed the relief due to the 8.5% ABV eligibility limit.HMRC will evaluate the 2023 duty reforms using several data sources, including SPR clearance volumes. For the reasons stated there are no plans to collect additional data on the number of producers claiming SPR.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of business rate increases on the rural economy.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This has led to increases in rateable values for some properties, as current values are based on pandemic-era valuations in recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills. To respond to those who are seeing large increases, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. Rural Rate Relief also continues to be available for key amenities and community assets in rural areas. It provides 100% rate relief for properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000.

What recent steps she has taken to disrupt organised crime groups engaged in the supply of illicit tobacco products.

The actions we are taking to tackle illicit tobacco are set out in the illicit tobacco strategy. Our recent results can be found here, including criminal and civil sanctions as well as seizures.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential link between (a) organised crime groups facilitating illegal migration across the Channel, (b) organised crime groups engaged in the UK's illegal drug trade, and (c) organised crime groups engaged in the UK’s illicit tobacco trade.

Organised Immigration Crime differs from other forms of organised crime as we often see loose affiliations of criminal networks, sometimes working together when it suits, enabling various stages of people’s journeys.The National Crime Agency’s (NCA) 2025 National Strategic Assessment does note that a core characteristic of Serious Organised Crime (SOC) in 2024 was the continued diversification of criminal activity beyond previous understandings of the SOC threat. This is the result of the emergence of new groups of offenders with a broader range of motivations, diversification of methodologies, and more crossovers between different SOC threats.A key trend in 2024 was for offenders to broaden their criminal activity across multiple threat areas, enabled by online connectivity, use of new technology, and reliance on the specialist services offered by ‘crime as a service’ providers. It is becoming increasingly easier for SOC offenders to connect with other offenders or to enter new criminal marketplaces.The NCA continues to lead the UK law enforcement system to tackle the harms posed by serious and organised crime and protect the public.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in effectively managing (a) waste disposal, (b) water pollution and (c) other environmental and public safety issues arising from traveller sites.

Planning Policy for Traveller Sites, which can be found on gov.uk here, makes clear that local authorities should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally. In doing so, authorities should ensure their policies provide for proper consideration of the effect of local environmental quality on the health and well-being of any travellers that may locate there.

How many (a) arm’s-length bodies, (b) Government Departments, (c) agencies and (d) public bodies (i) have been assessed as redundant and (ii) are being prioritised for (A) merging and (B) closure.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a full review of all UK government ALBs on April 6, 2025. This review is ongoing, with outcomes to be announced in due course.The UK government announced on 21st July 2025 that Ofwat would be abolished and replaced by a new, single, more powerful regulator, combining the water-related functions of several agencies. Additionally, on 20th August 2025, the UK government announced that the UK Space Agency will be absorbed into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology by April 2026.

What steps his Department has taken to encourage the procurement of British-made office products and stationery by (a) his Department and (b) its arms-length bodies.

The Department for Business and Trade and its arms-length bodies do not have any policies to specifically encourage procurement of British made office products and stationery. However, the Government is committed to supporting British businesses, ensuring they have opportunities to win UK public contracts and deliver high-quality goods and services.Cabinet Office is consulting on a package of further reforms to public procurement regulation to support the Government’s Industrial Strategy.