Written questions by Anderson.

What data his Department holds on the number of prison officers who do not have English as a first language.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

What data his Department holds on the number of interpreters used in the court system in each of the last fives years; and what languages these interpreters were for.

The Ministry of Justice uses interpreting and translation services provided under contract.The information requested is not held centrally.

What data his Department holds on the total cost of (a) translation and (b) interpretation services in the prison system for each of the last five years.

The requested information has been provided in the tables below.Translation:FYTranslationFY21-22£ 83,462.46FY22-23£ 137,213.31FY23-24£ 280,071.34FY24-25£ 328,526.54FY25-26£ 142,303.32Total £ 971,576.97 Interpreting:FY InterpretingFY21/22£ 133,776.35FY22/23£ 125,495.41FY23/24£ 163,546.08FY24/25£ 161,212.42FY25/26£ 105,987.79Total £ 690,018.05 The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers whilst maintaining high standards of service delivery.

What recent estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals in prison.

The number of foreign national offenders in prison is published as part of the Offender Management Quarterly statistics series. The series can be accessed with the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of making people convicted of murder ineligible for transfer to open prisons.

Public protection is the Government’s foremost priority when considering any progression within the custodial estate.There are no current plans to restrict those convicted of murder from being held in open prison conditions, as long as it safe to do so.A prisoner serving a mandatory life sentence for murder is eligible to be considered for a move to an open prison only if within three years of completing the minimum term (tariff) set by the Court at the point of sentence. Further, other than in exceptional circumstances, a life sentence prisoner will be approved for transfer to open conditions only in response to a recommendation made by the Parole Board, following a rigorous risk assessment. Even where the Parole Board makes such a recommendation, the Secretary of State is not bound by it and conducts his own risk assessment before approving the recommendation and so authorising transfer. If, following transfer, the prisoner shows signs of increased risk, s/he will be returned to closed conditions.Following a long period of incarceration in closed conditions, a period in open conditions may provide important evidence for the purposes of the Parole Board’s determination of whether the prisoner may be safely released into the community on life licence. It also helps to acquaint the prisoner with life outside of prison, which might have changed substantially during the period of imprisonment. This Government remains committed to supporting the progression of prisoners serving life or other indeterminate sentences by supporting them to reduce their risk to a level where the Parole Board determines they may be safely released, subject to a robust risk management plan.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making prisoners ineligible for parole until after they have served their minimum term in prison.

Prisoners may only be considered for release by the Parole Board once their minimum term has been served; this is known as the parole eligibility date (or tariff expiry date for indeterminate sentences). This statutory safeguard guarantees that no prisoner will be released prior to serving the minimum period of custody established by the court. Release before this point is not permitted under legislation other than the Secretary of State’s overriding power to release any prisoner early on compassionate grounds, which is rarely used.The recent Independent Sentencing Review proposed a progression model that would allow certain offenders, namely those serving extended determinate sentences, to earn earlier consideration for release based on behaviour and rehabilitation. However, this recommendation was rejected because we do not think it would be right to allow prisoners who have been deemed dangerous by the courts to have their parole eligibility date brought forward.

How many prisoners have successfully applied for parole before their minimum sentence has been served.

We have interpreted “eligible for parole” to mean that a prisoner must lawfully be referred to the Parole Board of England & Wales to assess whether they can be safely released into the community on licence.The statutory framework on parole for both indeterminate and relevant determinate sentence cases is set out in the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003.Prisoners are not eligible to be considered for parole until the end of the minimum custodial term which is their earliest possible release date. That date is known as the parole eligibility date (PED) or tariff expiry date (TED) depending on the type of sentence. The minimum custodial term is set by the courts when the sentence is imposed and cannot be changed by the Secretary of State.There is no data on the number of prisoners who have successfully applied for parole before their minimum sentence has been served, because such releases are not permitted under legislation.

How many people convicted of (a) murder, (b) other violent offences, and (c) sexual offences have successfully applied for parole in each of the last 3 years.

I must clarify that prisoners serving parole eligible sentences do not apply for parole. By law, the Secretary of State for Justice must refer such prisoners to the independent Parole Board at the point of earliest eligibility in line with the sentence being served.The table below sets out the number of release directions issued by the Parole Board for the period requested, broken down by offence group:Offence Group 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25Sexual offences493638687Murder308379344Violent offences9861,2551,1781. The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.In considering prisoners’ suitability for release, the independent Parole Board conducts a stringent assessment of risk based on a dossier of evidence. Public protection remains the number one priority and the Parole Board will only release prisoners where it is satisfied that any risks posed are able to be safely managed in the community under the supervision of the Probation Service.

How are victims' opinions taken into account in parole decisions for prisoners before they have served their minimum term.

Prisoners may not be considered for release by the Parole Board until they have served the minimum custodial term imposed by the court. Victims have important rights when it comes to prisoners who are eligible for release via direction from the Parole Board and there are established mechanisms to enable them to exercise those rights. Victims who are eligible under the Victim Contact Scheme are contacted in advance of the prisoner’s first parole review – and any subsequent reviews. This allows them to submit a Victim Personal Statement explaining the effect that the crime has had on them and their family, which may inform the Parole Board’s consideration of licence conditions, should release be directed. However, this engagement does not influence the timing of parole eligibility.

For what reasons prisoners can become eligible for parole before their earliest potential release date.

We have interpreted “eligible for parole” to mean that a prisoner must lawfully be referred to the Parole Board of England & Wales to assess whether they can be safely released into the community on licence.The statutory framework on parole for both indeterminate and relevant determinate sentence cases is set out in the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003.Prisoners are not eligible to be considered for parole until the end of the minimum custodial term which is their earliest possible release date. That date is known as the parole eligibility date (PED) or tariff expiry date (TED) depending on the type of sentence. The minimum custodial term is set by the courts when the sentence is imposed and cannot be changed by the Secretary of State.There is no data on the number of prisoners who have successfully applied for parole before their minimum sentence has been served, because such releases are not permitted under legislation.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers.People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career, contributing to the Opportunity Mission and to the wider economy.Over the past year, the Ministry of Justice has delivered targeted recruitment initiatives to support underrepresented groups through our Life Chance Pathways. These schemes are:Going Forward into Employment scheme and the Probation Employment Pathway, which provide opportunities for prison leavers and individuals with convictions;Going Forward into Employment Care Leavers pathway, designed for care-experienced individuals; andAdvance into Justice programme, which supports service leavers and veterans.These pathways provide tailored support and fair access to employment opportunities across the Department for individuals who face barriers to work.In addition, the Ministry of Justice participates in the Civil Service Care Leaver Internship Scheme (‘Launch’), a cross-Government initiative led by the Department for Education. This scheme provides 18-month Administrative Officer (AO) or Executive Officer (EO) internships to help young care-experienced individuals gain valuable work experience and progress into employment.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) victim support and (b) communication processes with (i) victims and (ii) victims' families within the (A) court system and (B) criminal justice system.

The Government is committed to ensuring victims and victims’ families have the information and support they need to navigate the criminal justice system. Implementation of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 is underway, and once commenced, these measures will help to drive more strategic commissioning of victim support services through the Duty to Collaborate; ensure victims know their rights under the Victims’ Code; and require criminal justice bodies to collect data set out in secondary legislation on how their services comply with the Victims’ Code, which may include information on the victim experience. The Victims and Courts Bill will provide a new route for victims to request information via a dedicated helpline, which will give victims confidence about the routes available to receive information about their offender’s release. The Ministry of Justice is also exploring opportunities to transform how victims access information and experience the justice system through data and digital improvement. The Ministry of Justice continues to fund victim and witness support services, including ringfenced funding for community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services, and core funding to Police and Crime Commissioners. The Department funds the Witness Service which provides emotional and practical support to witnesses in court, to enable them to give their best evidence. The Ministry of Justice also commissions a national Homicide Service which aims to ensure families bereaved by, eyewitnesses of, and children or young people impacted by a homicide or major incident where a crime has caused fatalities, receive the support they need to help them build resilience to cope with the impact of these devastating crimes. This includes support through criminal justice processes. We continually keep under review Ministry of Justice commissioning of victim support services. The Victims Funding Strategy, published in May 2022, sets out a framework to improve the way Government funds victim support services, seeking to better align and co-ordinate funding to enable victims to receive the support they need.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) victim and (b) family support in the (i) the court system and (b) the criminal justice system.

The Government is committed to ensuring victims and victims’ families have the information and support they need to navigate the criminal justice system. Implementation of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 is underway, and once commenced, these measures will help to drive more strategic commissioning of victim support services through the Duty to Collaborate; ensure victims know their rights under the Victims’ Code; and require criminal justice bodies to collect data set out in secondary legislation on how their services comply with the Victims’ Code, which may include information on the victim experience. The Victims and Courts Bill will provide a new route for victims to request information via a dedicated helpline, which will give victims confidence about the routes available to receive information about their offender’s release. The Ministry of Justice is also exploring opportunities to transform how victims access information and experience the justice system through data and digital improvement. The Ministry of Justice continues to fund victim and witness support services, including ringfenced funding for community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services, and core funding to Police and Crime Commissioners. The Department funds the Witness Service which provides emotional and practical support to witnesses in court, to enable them to give their best evidence. The Ministry of Justice also commissions a national Homicide Service which aims to ensure families bereaved by, eyewitnesses of, and children or young people impacted by a homicide or major incident where a crime has caused fatalities, receive the support they need to help them build resilience to cope with the impact of these devastating crimes. This includes support through criminal justice processes. We continually keep under review Ministry of Justice commissioning of victim support services. The Victims Funding Strategy, published in May 2022, sets out a framework to improve the way Government funds victim support services, seeking to better align and co-ordinate funding to enable victims to receive the support they need.

How many prisoners serving sentences for (a) violent and (b) sexual offences have been transferred to open prisons in the last five years.

The relevant data for this PQ has been attached alongside the answer.Prisoners are required to pass thorough risk assessments to become eligible for a move into open conditions, and we retain the ability to return prisoners to closed conditions if there is any evidence of an increased risk.Under the Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS), which aims to improve efficiency across the prison estate, prisoners convicted of all sexual and violent offenders serving a sentence of at least four years are ineligible to move to open conditions.

Whether he has any plans to review (a) policies on the transfer of prisoners to open prisons and (b) the eligibility criteria for prisoners to be moved to open prisons.

There are no current plans to revise the policy on transfer of prisoners to open prisons, or the eligibility criteria. As with all prison categories, this matter is kept under continuous review. Changes may be made, as necessary, to adapt the capacity of the prison estate to changes in the composition of the custodial population.

What recent discussions he has had with the Parole Board on the involvement of victims in early parole release decisions.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release.It is important in the parole process that victims’ voices are heard and that they receive information and support to understand how the Parole Board reaches its decisions. We work closely with the Board on victims’ involvement and how to ensure their rights under the Victims’ Code and Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 are being met. This includes the right for victims to submit a Victim Personal Statement to the Parole Board explaining how the crime has affected them and their families. Eligible victims may also make representations about licence conditions imposed on offenders when released and, since 1 April 2025, we have worked with the Parole Board on measures to support victims to apply to observe parole hearings. Throughout the process victims are kept updated and given support by their Victim Liaison Officer, where they have signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme operated by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.

How many prisoners have been granted early parole in each of the last five years; and how many prisoners granted early parole subsequently committed (a) violent and (b) sexual offences in each of the last five years.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release.The information on how many prisoners have been granted parole can be found at: The Parole Board for England & Wales Annual Report 2024/25 - GOV.UK.We have interpreted ‘subsequently committed (a) violent and (b) sexual offence’ as those qualifying offences under the Probation Serious Further Offence (SFO) Procedures as set out in Annex A of the SFO Policy Framework: Probation Service Serious Further Offence procedures Policy Framework - GOV.UK.The table below sets out the total number of convictions for a) violent offence or b) a sexual offence, where the offender was released by the Parole Board (either from an indeterminate sentence, an extended sentence or following a recall to custody) and where cases were notified to HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2023.YearViolent offencesSexual offences2018-20191692019-202017112020-20211052021-202218122022-2023117Figures are based on conviction data that was produced on 30 September 2024.Data are based on the year the notification of the SFO was received by HMPPS and not the date of conviction.Violent and sexual offences are defined by the Serious Further Offences Policy Framework and do not include all violent or sexual offences. The list can be accessed at annex A via the following link Serious_Further_Offences_2024.odsThe number of SFO cases released by the Parole Board include those released from indeterminate sentences, extended sentences for public protection and those released following a recall to custody.SFO cases don’t necessarily come from the general Parole Board releases. If the Parole Board released people in 2022/23, it does not mean the 2022/23 SFO cases came from those Parole Board releases.Provisional figures are subject to change as outstanding cases are concluded at court.Data Sources and Quality. We have drawn these figures from administrative IT systems which, as with some large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Figures are published based on the date of SFO notification (ie, when the offender was charged with an SFO) as received by the National SFO Team in HMPPS. The lag between the date of publication and the conviction figures is to allow time for most cases to complete the criminal justice process. Conviction Figures for 2023/2024 will be published on 30 October 2025.SFOs are incredibly rare, with fewer than 0.5% of offenders supervised by the Probation Service going on to commit serious further offences but each one is investigated fully so we can take action where necessary.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of early parole release decisions on (a) victim wellbeing and (b) public confidence in the criminal justice system.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release. Most prisoners, even those who have committed serious offences, will become eligible for release once they have served the minimum term of their sentence set by the court. We know that Parole Board decisions can be difficult for victims but we are committed to ensuring victims understand release decisions, can contribute to the process and are supported through it. This support is provided to eligible victims through the Victim Contact Scheme which includes Victim Liaison Officers who offer tailored guidance, keep victims informed, and help them navigate the parole process.A number of changes have been made to the parole process in recent years including the introduction of decision summaries which can be provided by the Parole Board, the Reconsideration Mechanism (which allows parties to a case to ask for Parole Board decisions to be looked at again), public parole hearings and the ability for victims to apply to observe private hearings. We support these and other measures to improve transparency, victim involvement and public confidence in the system.

Whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of excluding people convicted of violent offences from early parole eligibility.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release. Eligibility for release at the discretion of the Parole Board is determined by the type of sentence a prisoner is serving. All prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence – life or imprisonment for public protection (IPP) – must serve the minimum term in prison set by the judge before they become eligible to be considered for parole. Prisoners serving an extended determinate sentence (EDS) or sentence for offenders of particular concern (SOPC) must serve two-thirds of their custodial term in prison before being referred to the Parole Board to consider release. By their nature, sentences which involve release by the Parole Board are imposed on the most serious and dangerous offenders, including those convicted of violent offences. In all cases, the Parole Board may only direct release if they are satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the offender remain confined.The recent Independent Sentencing Review recommended that EDS prisoners should be subject to a new ‘progression model’ but the Government rejected that proposal because we do not think it would be right to allow for prisoners who have been deemed dangerous by the courts to have their parole eligibility date brought forward.

What steps her Department is taking with the Parole Board to ensure that (a) victims and (b) their families have a key role in the decision-making process in early parole release hearings.

We have interpreted “early parole” to mean a release direction made by the Parole Board once a prisoner serving a parole-eligible sentence has completed the minimum custodial term (tariff) set at the point of sentence and so becomes eligible for release. The Ministry of Justice and the Parole Board are committed to ensuring victims, and their families in the case of deceased victims, can participate in and are supported through the parole decision-making process. As part of this commitment, a national policy was rolled out earlier this year to enable victims to apply to observe parole hearings remotely, supported by trained staff from the Victim Contact Scheme. Victims also have the right to submit a Victim Personal Statement, which may be read aloud during the hearing and eligible victims can make representations about licence conditions imposed on offenders when they are released. There is also a process by which victims can make representations to the Secretary of State if they think there are grounds for the Secretary of State to apply for a release decision to be reconsidered by the Parole Board. These measures aim to improve transparency, support victim engagement, and ensure their voices are heard throughout the parole process.