Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rupert Lowe this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 141–160 of 214 · Ministry of Justice
How many biological males are currently serving a custodial sentence in a women's prison.
The latest published data on the placement of transgender prisoners (which covers transgender prisoners without gender recognition certificates, and is taken from a snapshot of the prison population on 31 March 2024), there were 2 or fewer transgender women housed within the women’s estate.
How many and what proportion of prisoners released under the early release scheme have been rearrested.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold any data on arrests or rearrests as that is held by Home Office. Reoffending rates are published regularly on an annual and quarterly basis. The most recent rates are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics. Prisoners released on SDS40 are subject to licence and liable to recall to prison if they do not comply or are judged a risk to public safety.
How many foreign national offenders were granted temporary release in 2024.
The number of foreign national offenders Released on Temporary Licence (ROTL) in 2024 is not available; this data forms a subset of ROTL data scheduled for future publication in April 2025. In accordance with the requirements of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, we may not give any early indication of the contents of this statistical report.
If she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of legal aid for irregular migrants in 2024.
Expenditure data for irregular migrants across all legal aid schemes is not held centrally.Where proceedings are before a court or tribunal in England or Wales, legal aid is available to individuals who qualify for services irrespective of their immigration status.The Legal Aid Agency publishes information about case volumes and expenditure data for the immigration and asylum category as part of its official statistics. Please see tables 5.2-5.3 for volume an expenditure data for Legal Help and Controlled Legal Representation – this covers advice and representation before the Immigration Tribunal. Tables 6.1-6.10 set out volume and expenditure date for Civil Representation – this covers representation before the county courts and higher courts including High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
What the average daily cost is of electronic tagging.
The average cost for an individual subject to electronic monitoring (EM) is approximately c.£9 per day.It is important to note the above figure does not include the average cost of a probation or police officer supervising an individual with EM. For information relating to the additional supervision costs of managing an individual with EM please refer to the following: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
What the total amount of deportations to Pakistan is under the UK-Pakistan Prisoner Transfer Agreement.
The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is an important priority of this Government and we refer all FNOs in receipt of custodial sentences to the Home Office to be considered for deportation.Ten Pakistani nationals have been repatriated to Pakistan under the bi-lateral Prison Transfer Agreement between August 2010 and October 2024.We repatriate longer sentenced prisoners via prisoner transfer agreements that the Government already has with over 110 foreign countries. The Government continues to negotiate new, mutually beneficial agreements with a range of others as part of efforts to return offenders to their home countries, to be rehabilitated and serve their sentences there.Prisoner Transfers are only one of the ways we remove FNOs from the country. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 January 2025 2,580 FNOs were removed (this includes removals from custody and the community post release), this is an increase of 23% compared to the same period last year.
If she will publish the total cost to the public purse for the provision of diversity, equality and inclusion courses for staff in her Department in 2024.
Ministry of Justice Headquarters spent £2,101 in 2024 on a course which includes the awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in a leadership training series delivered via the Cabinet Office Learning Frameworks provision. All Ministry of Justice staff have the opportunity to complete the free, central Civil Service Expectations online training, which replaced several EDI courses in 2023
How much was spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation in courts in 2024.
This question has been interpreted to mean spend for all language services, both translation and interpretation provided in a court setting, and for printed materials available in HMCTS buildings.Information is not held disaggregated as (a) translation and (b) interpretation but has been provided in total.In 2024/25 financial year, total spend to date (Apr-24 to Dec-24) by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service on translation and interpretation is:Financial Year to Date (Apr-24 to Dec-24)2024-25Total Cost£10,049,422These year to date figures for the current financial year are provisional and remain subject to change until the 2024-25 financial year concludes and the annual report and accounts have been audited.It is vital that victims, witnesses and defendants understand what is happening in court to ensure justice is done, and we will always take steps to ensure a qualified interpreter is provided when needed.
What estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions for financial year 2025-26.
The Government will provide support for Departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to Departments, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way, which is in line with the approach taken under the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.
If she will make an assessment of the value for money of rehabilitation of foreign national offenders.
We provide rehabilitation services to offenders given community sentences and those sent to prison. All Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) given custodial sentences are referred to the Home Office to consider deportation.HMPPS manages the risks and rehabilitation of FNOs, including any subject to deportation orders, to reduce risk and keep the public safe. During this time, practitioners will have access to a full range of risk management interventions until the FNO is deported and no longer under HMPPS’ jurisdiction or statutory oversight.As per the approach of the previous Government, we conduct evaluations and assessments of the effectiveness of rehabilitative services, but we have not made any specific assessment of the value for money in relation to FNOs.
What the total cost to the public purse was of legal aid for people (a) accused and (b) convicted for their involvement in grooming gangs, broken down by nationality [in each of the last five years].
This information requested is not held centrally.There is no single criminal offence of ‘involvement in a grooming gang’. As such, the information recorded and tracked regarding offence type when applying for legal aid does not differentiate between defendants involved in group-based child sexual exploitation offences from those accused or convicted of sexual offences more generally.Further, where proceedings are before a court or tribunal in England or Wales, legal aid is available to individuals who qualify for services irrespective of their nationality or usual place of residence. As nationality is not a determinative factor in the availability of legal aid it is not mandatory that this information is provided with an application for legal aid.
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 21759 on Offences against children, whether the information requested is held by her Department.
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, including rape. They can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics. Information on the immigration status of defendants is not routinely collected by the courts.
What the cost to the public purse of legal aid for foreign national offenders was, broken down by nationality, in each of the last ten years.
This information requested is not held centrally.Where proceedings are before a court or tribunal in England or Wales, legal aid is available to individuals who qualify for services irrespective of their nationality or usual place of residence. As nationality is not a determinative factor in the availability of legal aid this information is not requested with an application for legal aid.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a review of sentences for people serving a custodial sentence for posting offensive remarks on social media.
Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent courts. There are a range of communication related offences, both summary-only and triable either way, across different pieces of legislation with varying maximum penalties. For example, section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 which criminalises the sending of a communication that is either grossly offensive, or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character. This offence carries a maximum 6 months’ imprisonment and/or unlimited fine.The Government has launched an Independent Review of Sentencing chaired by former Lord Chancellor, David Gauke. The Review will examine options following three core principles: sentences must punish offenders and protect the public; sentences should encourage prisoners to turn their backs on a life of crime and we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the operation of Sharia courts on the legal system.
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 18 December to Question 18879: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-12-10/18879.Sharia Councils are not part of the judicial system.
If she will make it her policy to close all Sharia courts in the UK.
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 18 December to Question 18879: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-12-10/18879.Sharia Councils are not part of the judicial system.
If her Department will make an estimate of the number of Sharia Courts there are in the UK.
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 18 December to Question 18879: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-12-10/18879.Sharia Councils are not part of the judicial system.
What the average time is for grooming-gang offences to proceed through the judicial system from initial report to final decision.
Information on timeliness through the criminal justice system is published as part of the quarterly Accredited Official Statistics series “Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly” which is available at the link provided: Criminal court statistics.Information on whether defendants dealt with are part of ‘grooming gangs’ is not centrally identified in the criminal courts data systems relevant to this question. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the specific information requested.The Government’s priority is to take action on delivering the recommendations of the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The Home Secretary announced that we will be bringing in mandatory reporting, making grooming an aggravating factor in CSA cases, and introducing a new performance framework for policing.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a review of sentencing guidelines for people convicted of grooming-gang offences.
Child sexual abuse and exploitation are the most horrific of crimes and the Government is determined to act to strengthen the law in this area. We have committed to legislate to make grooming an aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences, to ensure that this behaviour is reflected in the sentencing of perpetrators. We will also make it a mandatory duty for those working with children to report child sexual abuse – a key recommendation of Professor Alexis Jay’s report – and this will go into the Crime and Policing Bill due to be introduced to Parliament this spring.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. The guidelines produced provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is.Sentencing guidelines for child sex offences, including for the offence of meeting a child following sexual grooming, were first published by the Council in 2013. Following consultation, revised guidelines for some child sex offences were published in May 2022. As an independent body, the Council decides its own work plan and priorities.
How many and what proportion of people convicted for their involvement in Pakistani heritage grooming gangs (a) had previous convictions and (b) have reoffended.
Information on whether individuals are part of ‘Pakistani heritage grooming gangs’ is not centrally identified in the data systems relevant to these questions. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the specific information requested.It is also not possible to identify an offender’s nationality from the centrally collated convictions data. This information may be held on court records: however, to identify the nationality of people convicted of specific crimes would require the examination of individual court records. This would incur disproportionate costs.