Written questions by Timothy.

How many firms have ceased being legal aid providers since 23 April 2025.

This data breach was the result of serious criminal activity but it was enabled by the fragility of the LAA’s IT systems as a result of the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. Upon taking office, I was shocked to see how fragile our legal aid systems were. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but failed to invest. By contrast, since taking office, this Government has prioritised work to rebuild the LAA digital systems. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services as we build back better in response to this attack. We are now in a position where all providers have online access to our civil legal aid services currently available via SiLAS, alongside our criminal legal aid services, which were restored in September.This is an evolving situation but to date the total operational and digital costs of the incident are forecast to be £22 million for this financial year.All providers have been able to access payment for work carried out whilst systems have been offline.For some types of legal aid this meant adjusting the way in which providers submitted their claim for payment to the LAA. From 19 May, providers have been able to claim their usual payments for Legal Help, Crime Lower & Mediation work via a contingency process. Due to previous investment, the criminal legal aid systems were more modern, and internal access was restored more quickly. This enabled the LAA to resume paying Crown Court bills from early June.It was necessary to agree a payment contingency for Civil Representation work with HM Treasury. This led to the implementation of the Average Payment Scheme on 27 May. The Average Payment Scheme enables providers to opt in to receive a temporary average payment for Civil Representation work that would otherwise be due, or where the value of their outstanding work varies from this, to apply for a specific payment to meet the cost of that work. Payments are made on a weekly basis. The weekly average payment is based on previous payments made to that provider over the 3 month period preceding the cyber incident.  Some providers have not opted in to receive payment in this way and wait for the restoration of the systems, but payments are there should they need it. We are unable to quantify the number of legal aid providers who have not opted in to receive an average payment in each of the weeks it has been available.Providers are obligated to act in the best interests of their clients both by their own SRA regulatory requirements and by their LAA Contracts. In circumstances where a legal aid provider is unable to continue providing representation in an ongoing case, for whatever reason, they have a professional and contractual obligation toward their client to assist them in finding alternative representation.We have not seen any evidence of legal aid providers leaving the market directly as a result of the cyber-attack. Since April 2023 there has been a net increase in the number of providers contracted to deliver legal aid services.

What progress his Department has made in assisting law enforcement agencies responding to the Legal Aid Agency data breach on 23 April 2025.

Since the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s digital portal was identified, we have worked closely with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the police. As sensitive investigations remain ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment on the nature or detail of this engagement.We take the security of people’s personal data extremely seriously. An injunction has been put in place to prohibit sharing of this data. Anyone who does so could be sent to prison. We are continuing to work with the NCA to monitor the dark web. As far as we are aware, no data has been shared or put out in the public domain. If it is identified that a specific individual is at risk, action will be taken to try to contact them.

What steps his Department has taken to restore Legal Aid Agency digital services since the data breach on 23 April 2025.

We acknowledge and appreciate the constructive way that providers have worked with us following the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital systems. They have continued to do vital work in challenging circumstances.The LAA and Ministers have proactively engaged with representative bodies throughout to address any concerns regarding the criminal attack on LAA systems. Our focus was first to maintain access to justice and then to ensure providers had access to the cash flow that they needed. The LAA sought views and feedback from provider representative bodies to help shape contingency measures and supporting guidance in a way which supports legal aid providers most effectively. Regular updates have been provided to legal aid providers via email and published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber incident webpage and FAQ page.The Department has worked around the clock to ensure that digital services were restored as swiftly and safely as possible. The LAA Portal has been replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). We worked closely with providers to test functionality before bringing providers back onto our systems in a careful, phased approach. We are now in a position where all our civil systems accessible via SiLAS are operational alongside our crime systems, which were restored in September.

What representations has he received from (a) barristers, (b) solicitors, and (c) legal aid providers regarding the Legal Aid Agency data breach on 23 April 2025.

We acknowledge and appreciate the constructive way that providers have worked with us following the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital systems. They have continued to do vital work in challenging circumstances.The LAA and Ministers have proactively engaged with representative bodies throughout to address any concerns regarding the criminal attack on LAA systems. Our focus was first to maintain access to justice and then to ensure providers had access to the cash flow that they needed. The LAA sought views and feedback from provider representative bodies to help shape contingency measures and supporting guidance in a way which supports legal aid providers most effectively. Regular updates have been provided to legal aid providers via email and published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber incident webpage and FAQ page.The Department has worked around the clock to ensure that digital services were restored as swiftly and safely as possible. The LAA Portal has been replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). We worked closely with providers to test functionality before bringing providers back onto our systems in a careful, phased approach. We are now in a position where all our civil systems accessible via SiLAS are operational alongside our crime systems, which were restored in September.

What information her Department holds on the number of foreign nationals in prisons who are on remand in the community since 2019, broken down by (a) year, (b) nationality and (c) offence committed.

If a foreign national accused of a crime is held on remand, they are detained in custody ahead of trial and sentencing and will not be in the community. We are therefore not able to provide a response to this question as currently worded.The Ministry of Justice does publish information on the number of Foreign National Offenders in prison which includes the number of Foreign Nationals in prison on remand. The latest available published data can be found at Table 1_Q_9 in the attached link: prison-population-31-Mar-2025.ods.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.

How many and what proportion of sentences given in (a) magistrates’ courts and (b) crown courts were less than 60% of the statutory maximum length in the latest period for which data is available.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of offenders sentenced at criminal courts in England and Wales in the following links. This includes the information on sentence outcomes, including grouped custodial sentence lengths and average sentence lengths, for a wide range of offences, which can be viewed individually to show the range of sentencing outcomes:Magistrates’ courts: Magistrates' court data toolCrown Court: Crown Court data toolUsing data held centrally to align individual convictions to statutory maxima would only be possible at disproportionate costs.

How many prison officers recruited since 5 July 2024 are (a) British nationals and (b) foreign nationals, broken down by country of origin.

Our latest published prison and probation workforce statistics present data up to June 2024. The link to the latest publication is: Recruitment Diversity Statistics: June 2024 - GOV.UK, data tables: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bcaa1d3cc0741b92314631/recruitment-diversity-statistics_jun-2024_final.ods. We are unable to provide data for periods following June 2024 as this could pre-empt the next set of published Staff in Post data which will be released on Thursday 20 February 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25772 on Prison Service: Recruitment, whether prisons are obligated to (a) advertise positions for British nationals before foreign nationals and (b) hire British residents before overseas residents.

HM Prison and Probation Service publishes vacancies across formal UK advertising boards and welcomes applications from people wishing to work in prisons in England and Wales. The hiring process is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals. Selection is on the basis of fair and open competition, in accordance with the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality. All applicants applying to work in the Department must meet the CSNRs and other eligibility criterion published in job adverts.

How many people of what (a) nationality and (b) ethnicity were found guilty of (i) murder and (ii) manslaughter in each year since 2010.

Data on those convicted of murder or manslaughter, up to 30 June 2024, can be found in the principle offence proceedings and ‘Outcomes by Offence’ data tool, available at: Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024. In the 'Outcomes by Offences' document, select the `Overall volumes’ page, then select the offence filter. Select '1 Murder' and then separately, '4.1 Manslaughter'. The number of convictions for murder or manslaughter for each year can be found in the `Convicted’ row. Data on ethnicity can also be viewed using the 'ethnicity' filter. Data on nationality is not collated by the Ministry of Justice. To do so could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

How are jobs in the prison service advertised (a) domestically, and (b) overseas.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service publishes vacancies across formal UK advertising boards, including Civil Service Jobs. Selection for appointment to the prison service must be on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as per the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.The Department does not advertise job roles overseas.

If she will outline the recruitment process for foreign nationals applying for positions in the prison service; and if she will publish all related documents.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) publishes vacancies across formal UK advertising boards, including Justice Jobs and Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK.The recruitment process applied across HMPPS is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals, where selection for appointment is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as per the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.In accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, each candidate is assessed and selected fairly against the criteria published in the job advert. As the Ministry of Justice operates a devolved recruitment model, most recruitment is managed locally.The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality. All applicants applying to work in the Department must meet the CSNRs and must have valid right to work in the UK for successful completion of pre-employment checks.The Department welcomes job applications from everyone, irrespective of background, identity, experience, or circumstance, and particularly those underrepresented in our workforce.

What (a) interviews and (b) security checks there are for foreign nationals applying for positions in the prison service; and whether their country of origin is a factor.

HM Prison & Probation Service welcomes applications from people wishing to work in prisons in England and Wales. The interview process is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals. Selection is on the basis of fair and open competition, in accordance with the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.Each candidate is assessed against the criteria published in the job advertisement. Most recruitment is managed locally. In relation to nationality, eligibility is governed by the Civil Service Nationality Rules.All candidates, regardless of nationality, are subject to robust screening to assess their suitability against the relevant legislative requirements and security-related factors. These checks include confirmation of identity; confirmation of right to work in the UK; a criminal record check, declaration of any connections with offenders; employment reference enquiries; and a financial vulnerability assessment.All directly-employed prison staff must achieve, as a minimum, security clearance at Enhanced Level 2. HM Prison & Probation Service also undertakes a range of digital vetting and social media checks for new prison officer starters and chaplains.Non-directly employed staff working in our prisons must achieve, as a minimum, clearance at Enhanced Level 1. In some cases, depending on risk and role, these staff may additionally require either a Standard or an Enhanced Check by the Disclosure and Barring Service. For staff working in prisons in the Long-Term High Security Estate, an additional National Security Vetting Check, at Counter-Terrorist level, is required as a minimum for all staff.

Whether she plans to decolonise the (a) artwork and (b) heritage assets in (i) her Department, (ii) the (A) courts and (B) prison estates and (iii) each of her Department's arm's length bodies.

There has been no change in the Ministry of Justice’s management of artwork or heritage assets across our estate since the previous administration.As separate entities, the responsibility for creating policy and guidance for artwork sits with each individual Arm’s Length Body, rather than with the Department.

How many (a) days and (b) hours per week (i) county, (ii) family, (iii) magistrates and (iv) youth courts were open for in 2024.

Court opening times/hours are distinct from court sitting days/hours and are the hours in which the public can access HMCTS buildings. In practice in most ordinary working weeks, courts are open to the public for five days a week for a minimum of eight hours a day (40 hours a week), but each court building operates opening hours that suit the local operating environment. This differs for certain Magistrates Courts which hear remand cases on Saturday mornings (and some bank holidays) and are therefore open longer. We do not collect data on the specific days and hours that courts are open for. Opening hours usually start at some time between 08:30am and 09:30am and run to approximately 5:00pm. Court sitting hours, are normally 10.30am - 4.30pm but the timings of court sittings are a matter for the independent judiciary.The Lord Chancellor has a statutory duty to ensure there is an effective and efficient system to support the carrying out of the businesses of the courts, and that appropriate services are provided for those courts. Opening hours in all courts are at the discretion of the Lord Chancellor under the Courts Act 2003.

What the size of the current court case backlog is in England and Wales.

We publish court open caseloads across the criminal court, family court, and tribunals jurisdictions in the following publications:Criminal court statistics quarterly: July to September 2024 - GOV.UK.HMCTS management information - September 2024 - GOV.UK.Tribunals statistics quarterly: July to September 2024 - GOV.UK.

What industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) her Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to her Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps she plans to take to end each dispute.

No Ministry of Justice (excluding HMPPS) recognised trade union, or trade union recognised by Ministry of Justice contractors, currently holds a mandate to call industrial action.HMPPS has one industrial dispute. NAPO (National Association of Probation Officers) is in dispute with HMPPS on pay and workload. Industrial action would potentially range from refusal to work overtime to days of strike action. HMPPS is in full pro-active engagement with NAPO to avert this.The intention of HMPPS is to resolve the workload situation through resetting the work of probation with some tasks already removed.On pay, at present, NAPO is content that without prejudice talks for 25/26 will commence in the near future. On workload reduction they are actively engaged in talks with HMPPS.