Written questions by Jenrick.

Whether there are any other live legal cases of prisoners challenging their detention in a Close Supervision Centre or Separation Centre.

I refer the right honourable Member to the answer I gave on 11 December to Question 97787.

How many (a) murderers and (b) prisoners with a history of attacking prison officers are in open prisons for which the latest data is available.

As of 30 September 2025, there were 266 prisoners with an index offence of murder in prisons whose predominant function is open in England and Wales.Information on the number of prisoners in the open estate with a history of attacking prison officers could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.The decision to categorise a prisoner at Category D, indicating suitability to be placed in open conditions, involves a thorough risk assessment that takes into account the prisoner’s individual circumstances, including the nature of the offence and any risk they present to the public. In the case of a prisoner serving a sentence of imprisonment for life, or for public protection, the assessment takes account of advice from the independent Parole Board.Note: The figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

On what dates he has officially visited HMP Chelmsford since his appointment; and whether he has met with the Governor to discuss the recent mistaken release.

The Deputy Prime Minister met with the Governor of HMP Chelmsford on 24 October, the same day as the release in error of Hadush Kebatu. The Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending is planning to visit HMP Chelmsford in the coming months.

On what dates he has officially visited HMP Wandsworth since his appointment; and whether he has met with the Governor to discuss the recent mistaken release.

The Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending is planning to visit HMP Wandsworth in the coming weeks.

For what reasons Jonathan Hall KC’s review into Separation Centres has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish that review.

The Government is carefully considering the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC and will publish his report in due course.

How many transgender prisoners with convictions for (a) sexual and (b) violent offences are housed within the general female prison estate; and how many of those prisoners have been granted a Ministerial exemption to remain there in the last 12 months.

As of 1 December, there were no transgender women, including individuals with Gender Recognition Certificates, in the general women's prison estate with any convictions for sexual offences and five or fewer transgender women with convictions for violent offences. (Where statistics include a total of five or fewer, the exact figure is not given, for data protection reasons.)The individuals with convictions for violent offences received Ministerial exemptions to be held in the general women's estate under the previous Government. No exemptions have been provided by this Government since it came into power.

Whether any offenders currently detained in (a) separation and (b) close supervision centres are challenging their detention.

There are no ongoing judicial review challenges made with regards to separation centres and no ongoing challenges that have reached the courts with regards to close supervision centres.

Whether the proposed removal of the right to trial by jury for offences carrying a maximum sentence of less than three years will apply retrospectively to defendants who have already entered a plea of not guilty and elected for jury trial.

Ministers will introduce detailed proposals to Parliament as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

When he plans to visit HMP Wandsworth.

Ministers regularly visit prisons across the country. Any plans to visit specific prisons will be notified to the relevant Members of Parliament in advance.

What proportion of Crown court cases are for murder, manslaughter and rape.

In the 12 months to June, there were 114,325 cases disposed of at the Crown Court for all offences, 3,615 for rape, 483 for murder and 49 for manslaughter – rape accounts for 3.0%, and murder and manslaughter combined make up less than 0.1% of all disposals at the Crown Court in the period.This is a further breakdown of Crown Court workload statistics, Table C1, published in Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly here.

How much his Department has spent on the construction of new Crown Court courtrooms with full jury facilities in the last year.

In the last full financial year (2024/25), the Department has spent £3,131,757 on property projects that include creating new jury enabled Crown courtrooms. Some of these courtrooms are flexible use and can be used for multiple purposes. This figure includes all property costs, such as design and development, as well as construction costs.

How many murder, manslaughter and rape cases were dealt with in the Crown court in the past 12 months.

In the 12 months to June, there were 114,325 cases disposed of at the Crown Court for all offences, 3,615 for rape, 483 for murder and 49 for manslaughter – rape accounts for 3.0%, and murder and manslaughter combined make up less than 0.1% of all disposals at the Crown Court in the period.This is a further breakdown of Crown Court workload statistics, Table C1, published in Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly here.

How many prisoners have absconded from or failed to return to open prisons in the past 12 months.

Open prisons play an important role in preparing individuals for safe resettlement into the community, and Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) is a key part of that process. We have robust risk assessments and monitoring in place to minimise absconds and failures to return. When a prisoner absconds, police are immediately notified, with the majority of absconders being recaptured and returned to custody.Those who abscond face serious consequences, including being returned to closed prison conditions where they may serve up to two additional years on conviction. Prisoners subject to parole decisions will likely face longer before they are released.Data on absconds and failures to return from release on temporary licence are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK. Information on these for open prisons specifically can be generated through the ‘Escapes Data Tool’. Data for April 2025 onwards will form part of a future publication.

With reference to Sahayb Abu v Secretary of State for Justice [2025] EWHC 3026 (Admin), how much his Department has paid Mr Denny De SIlva in (a) damages, (b) other compensation, (c) ex gratia or out-of-court payments and (d) legal costs.

I refer the Right Hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 17 November to Question 89422.

Whether his Department intends to reinstate rules against the release of prisoners on Fridays.

The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk. There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information. By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.

How many prisoners have been released on Fridays since the suspension of standing rules against the release of prisoners on Friday.

The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk. There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information. By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.

When his Department waived rules against the release of prisoners on Fridays.

The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk. There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information. By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.

Under what powers his Department waived rules against the release of prisoners on Friday.

The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk. There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information. By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.

How many prisoners have been detained beyond their sentence since 1 April 2025; and whether he has made an estimate of the amount of compensation to be paid out in those cases.

Release inaccuracy is yet another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those errors that do occur, and this includes unlawful detentions.On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps which includes strengthening release checks across prisons and an independent inquiry will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies. The Government is determined to fix release inaccuracies and ensure the public is properly protected.The data requested comes from internal management information and is not fully quality assured. We are therefore unable to answer this question within cost limits.

How many whole life orders were handed down by courts in England and Wales in each year between 2021 and 2025.

The Ministry of Justice publishes Accredited Official Statistics on sentencing outcomes including life sentences, in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.These data are based on the Court Proceedings Database. However, it is not possible to separately identify life sentences that carry a whole life order. This information may be held within court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.