Written questions by Olney.

How many stage (a) one, and (b) two, complaints were submitted to HM Courts and Tribunals Service in (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service holds the following data on how many stage (a) one and (b) two complaints were submitted in 2024 and 2025. For context, the annual HMCTS report published for the period 2024/5 reports states HMCTS received over 4.2 million cases.YearStage One (First Contact)Stage Two (Review)202433,5524,3732025*26,4113,974*Data for 2025 is for the period 1 January – 30 September inclusive

Whether he plans to amend the presumption of parental involvement when a parent has been convicted of abuse or violent crimes.

The Government has announced that it will repeal the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989 when Parliamentary time allows.We are committed to ensuring that the child’s welfare remains at the heart of the courts’ decision-making, and that each case considers the individual child and their family circumstances. Courts will continue to make decisions in line with the remaining provisions in the Children Act, the Human Rights Act 1998, ECHR considerations, and caselaw, with the child’s welfare remaining the paramount consideration.The measure to repeal the presumption forms a key part of broader family court reforms, which include the expansion of the Pathfinder courts. These reforms aim to ensure that any decisions centre the child’s welfare and are based on a robust assessment of potential risks.Alongside this announcement, we have published the Review of the Presumption of Parental Involvement and the accompanying reports from the three commissioned research projects.

When she expects the Legal Aid Agency's digital services covering civil legal aid will return online; and what recent discussions she has had with the Legal Aid Agency on this matter.

We expect that the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) digital platform and services will begin to be restored from early September onwards and this will be a phased return. The LAA has written to representative bodies and providers to update them that the old Portal will be replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). This represents a recovery and transformation model which has been subject to testing by a small pilot group throughout August. This is subject to testing, security and legal criteria being met.The expected phased restoration is as follows:In mid-September, Crime systems (Crime Apply, and Submit a Crime Form) will be available for access.From mid to late September, Civil systems (Civil Apply, and the Client and Cost Management System (CCMS)) will be available for access.Services relating to functionality previously provided by the Controlled Work Administration (CWA) system are expected to return from October.The LAA continues to engage with representative bodies to help shape the steps to service restoration in a way which supports legal aid providers most effectively. Regular updates are being provided to providers. The LAA continues to publish information and updates about SiLAS on its FAQ page: Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident: frequently asked questions - GOV.UK.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding the pilot programme to provide to victims of rape and sexual offences on request a free copy of judges’ sentencing remarks to all victims of crime.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Justice launched a pilot to enable victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases are heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks for free. Between May 2024 and 25 April 2025, HM Courts & Tribunals Service received 498 applications under the pilot. The pilot is due to conclude at the end of May 2025.We recognise the value that transcripts can have for victims of crime. Victims of rape and sexual offences were chosen for the pilot due to the particular difficulties they face when attending court. We are actively exploring opportunities to use technology to reduce the cost of transcripts of hearings in the criminal courts in future, but maintaining a high degree of accuracy will always be of paramount importance.We are currently assessing the pilot’s uptake and impact and will be able to say more on our plans for future provision in due course.

Whether her Department plans make the Rape and Sexual Offences Free Sentencing Remarks pilot scheme permanent.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Justice launched a pilot to enable victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases are heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks for free. Between May 2024 and 25 April 2025, HM Courts & Tribunals Service received 498 applications under the pilot. The pilot is due to conclude at the end of May 2025.We recognise the value that transcripts can have for victims of crime. Victims of rape and sexual offences were chosen for the pilot due to the particular difficulties they face when attending court. We are actively exploring opportunities to use technology to reduce the cost of transcripts of hearings in the criminal courts in future, but maintaining a high degree of accuracy will always be of paramount importance.We are currently assessing the pilot’s uptake and impact and will be able to say more on our plans for future provision in due course.

How many people have signed up to her Department's pilot programme to provide free sentencing remarks to victims of rape and sexual offences.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Justice launched a pilot to enable victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases are heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks for free. Between May 2024 and 25 April 2025, HM Courts & Tribunals Service received 498 applications under the pilot. The pilot is due to conclude at the end of May 2025.We recognise the value that transcripts can have for victims of crime. Victims of rape and sexual offences were chosen for the pilot due to the particular difficulties they face when attending court. We are actively exploring opportunities to use technology to reduce the cost of transcripts of hearings in the criminal courts in future, but maintaining a high degree of accuracy will always be of paramount importance.We are currently assessing the pilot’s uptake and impact and will be able to say more on our plans for future provision in due course.

What information her Department holds on the number of complaints that were submitted to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman about His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service in each year since 2015.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold the data requested.The number of complaints submitted to the Parliamentary and Heath Service Ombudsman will be information held by them.

How many stage (a) one and (b) two complaints were submitted to HM Courts and Tribunals Service in each year since 2015.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service holds the following data on how many stage (a) one and (b) two complaints were submitted in each year since 2015. For context the annual HMCTS report published for the period 2015/16 states HMCTS handled over 3.98 million cases and the 2023/4 reports states HMCTS received over 4.1 million cases. YearFirst Contact (stage 1)Review (stage 2)201516,5111,591201617,2531,768201717,5751,928201819,4842,387201921,0783,011202018,4442,223202123,7972,878202228,1953,580202332,7454,1882024*32,2123,496 *Data for 2024 is for the period 1 January – 30 November inclusive.

What estimate she has made of the cost of providing free court transcripts to survivors of sexual assault and other serious crimes.

I understand transcripts may help individuals obtain closure from traumatic events.Since May 2024, the Ministry of Justice has been running a pilot providing free sentencing remarks to victims of rape and serious sexual offences. We will be evaluating the pilot to understand cost, uptake and impact on victims when it ends in May 2025.