Written questions by Davies.

When his Department will publish the details and allocations of its £550 million investment over the next three years in victim support services as part of the Government's violence against women and girls strategy.

This Government is committed to halving Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade. Ensuring victims receive the right and timely support is a key part of this mission. The Ministry of Justice has committed £550 million in funding for victim and witness support services over the next three years, including year-on-year increases. This includes funding for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, and national services such as the Witness Service and the Homicide Service.We do not routinely publish the full Ministry of Justice budget for victim and witness support services. The budgets for individual PCC areas are published on each area’s website. A breakdown of grant funding for the previous financial year is published on an annual basis on the Government Grants Information System. The latest data, released in March 2026, covers the 2024-2025 financial year.

What steps he is taking to increase the a) age, b) ethnic and c) socioeconomic diversity of magistrates.

We continue to make progress in building a magistracy that better reflects the communities it serves. Recent recruitment rounds have shown increasing diversity among applicants and new appointees, supported by targeted outreach and improvements to the recruitment process. In 2024/25, 23% of new appointees came from ethnic minority groups, 41% of new appointees were aged under 50, and around 3% of new appointees were from routine or manual occupations: Diversity of the judiciary: 2025 statistics - GOV.UK.

How many Crown Court Judges were assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March in each of the last 5 years including 2026.

This question has been interpreted to mean the total number of salaried Crown Court Judges assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March and not the number that actually sat on 1 March each year. 1 March 2025 and 1 March 2026 were on a Saturday and Sunday respectively.The number of salaried Crown Court Judges assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March for each of the past 5 years are as follows:1 March 2022: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 1.91 March 2023: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 2.11 March 2024: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 2.21 March 2025: In Post: 4 – Full Time Equivalent: 3.21 March 2026: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 3

What information his Department holds on the date that a vacancy to become a Magistrate on the Shropshire bench was a) advertised b) recruited to.

For the Family Court, the most recent Shropshire vacancies were advertised from 1 February 2024 and closed on 29 February 2024. For the Adult (crime) Court, the vacancies were advertised from 2 July 2024 and closed on 29 July 2024.Appointments to the Shropshire bench arising from these campaigns were made in June and July 2025.We expect Shropshire to open its next recruitment in May 2026.

What assessment he has made of his Department's progress on increasing the processing capacity of the court system.

The Government has made significant progress in increasing the processing capacity of the courts and tribunals system and remains committed to reducing backlog.In the Crown Court for this financial year, we have allocated 111,250 sitting days - the highest number of sitting days on record and over 5,000 more than the previous Government funded for the last financial year.In the Family Courts, reforms are already delivering results. Courts operating under the private law Pathfinder model are achieving some of the lowest case durations nationally, in South East Wales, for example, average duration fell from 37 weeks to 12 weeks on average. In addition, the Department for Education invested £10 million in 2024/25 to fund pilots aimed at reducing delays in family proceedings, with evaluation due to conclude in 2026.Across the tribunals system, we are taking a comprehensive approach to improve productivity. Sitting day capacity has been set at or close to the maximum deliverable level. We are also promoting early dispute resolution to reduce unnecessary demand, including judicial Alternative Dispute Resolution pilots in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.The Deputy Prime Minister and Lady Chief Justice continue discussions on allocation for 2025-26 and we will say more in due course.

What assessment he has made of his Department's progress towards its target of increasing prison capacity.

This Government inherited a prison system in collapse. We have taken decisive action to put prison capacity on a sustainable footing and end the cycle of repeated crises. We have committed to the largest expansion of the estate since the Victorians, investing £7 billion in building prison places between 2024/25 and 2029/30. We are on track to deliver 14,000 new prison places by 2031 with c. 2,900 delivered already under this Government. On top of this, we have introduced landmark sentencing reforms to end our prisons crisis – and deliver punishment that cuts crime. On 2 September we introduced the Sentencing Bill to take forward most of the recommendations made by David Gauke’s Independent Sentencing Review, as well as the measures that go further to manage offenders in the community. The House of Lords committee stage was concluded on 3 December.

What proportion of claims under the Eastwood Park Compensation Scheme have resulted in payouts; and what the average amount paid out for those claims is.

The Eastwood Park Detention Centre Settlement Scheme commenced on 14 January 2025. To date, 659 claims have been received including 264 claims settled with damages paid. There are 6 further claims where settlement has been agreed, and payments will be made shortly.Of the 264 claims settled to date, the average payment is £3,114.Since the commencement of the scheme in January, the average length of time taken to settle claims is 136 days (at 30 September 2025). This figure should not be taken as a benchmark expectation for any outstanding or future claims. The amount of time taken to settle a claim will vary in each case based on a variety of factors such as incomplete information provided when the claim is lodged. All claims are subject to appropriate scrutiny and HM Treasury approval.The Prison Service successfully defends two-thirds of cases brought by prisoners. Any debts owed by offenders to their victims and the courts are deducted before a payment is made.

How many cases are currently being processed under the Eastwood Park Compensation Scheme; and what the average waiting time is for cases under the scheme.

The Eastwood Park Detention Centre Settlement Scheme commenced on 14 January 2025. To date, 659 claims have been received including 264 claims settled with damages paid. There are 6 further claims where settlement has been agreed, and payments will be made shortly.Of the 264 claims settled to date, the average payment is £3,114.Since the commencement of the scheme in January, the average length of time taken to settle claims is 136 days (at 30 September 2025). This figure should not be taken as a benchmark expectation for any outstanding or future claims. The amount of time taken to settle a claim will vary in each case based on a variety of factors such as incomplete information provided when the claim is lodged. All claims are subject to appropriate scrutiny and HM Treasury approval.The Prison Service successfully defends two-thirds of cases brought by prisoners. Any debts owed by offenders to their victims and the courts are deducted before a payment is made.

When court room six at Shropshire Justice Centre will be re-opened.

The works to make courtroom six operational were completed on 7 June 2025, and the first sitting took place on 10 June 2025.

What steps she is taking to reopen court rooms at Telford Justice Centre.

I recently visited Telford Justice Centre and observed for myself the state of the court estate. Of the eight courtrooms at Telford Justice Centre, seven are currently operational, with one courtroom temporarily out of use due to damage caused by water ingress from the roof which requires complete replacement.HMCTS is focused on completing the works required to bring this courtroom back into operation as quickly as possible. Temporary patch repair is complete, and redecoration works are now being scheduled.We are already progressing complete replacement of the roof as a priority project, and HMCTS is working with contractors to develop designs and final project proposals. The extensive and complex nature of the work means that commencement of this project is unlikely before March 2026.Historical underfunding under the previous Government has resulted in challenges such as this across the court and tribunal estate. That is why this Government has announced a boost in court capital maintenance and project funding from £120 million last year, to £148.5 million for 2025/26.

What steps her Department is taking to recognise the long service of Magistrates.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the outstanding service of magistrates through several initiatives. Magistrates can be nominated for UK National Honours by anyone who has noticed their exceptional conduct. Additionally, there is a scheme to recognise extended periods of service, where magistrates receive certificates upon reaching 10, 20, and 30 years of service, signed by Lord-Lieutenants and the Lady Chief Justice respectively. Magistrates may also be invited to attend a Royal Garden Party through the allocation of tickets given to the Magistrates Association as a recognition of their invaluable contribution to society.

What is the length of the longest serving Magistrate in each Justice area.

In the majority of the 75 Local Justice Areas across England and Wales, the current longest-serving magistrate for each has been in post for over thirty years, with many of these serving in excess of 40 years. In Shropshire, the longest service is 38 years, and across all Local Justice Areas, the longest that a current magistrate has been in service is over 46 years. The full breakdown can be found in the attached table.

How many Magistrates have been awarded a Royal Honour due to their service as a Magistrate in each year for which data is available.

Over the last five years, the Ministry of Justice has recorded that there have been 56 magistrates awarded UK national honours. Records are not kept for longer than five years. Many more than this have been nominated across all Departments, but not all are successful. This number does not include the Birthday Honours List for 2025 which is not due to be published until 14 June 2025.The breakdown by year (across two lists per year) is as follows:2020: 112021: 92022: 82023: 92024: 122025 (One list only so far): 7

How many Magistrates have served as Magistrates for (a) 10 years or more, (b) 20 years or more and (c) over 25 years.

Magistrates are a central pillar of our justice system. Their resilience and commitment have been and continue to be vital in ensuring continued access to justice. Of all currently serving magistrates, 3406 have served for 10 years or more, 1273 have served 20 years or more, and 1467 have served over 25 years.

If she will publish a timetable for a data sharing agreement between the (a) Crown Prosecution Service, (b) courts, (c) police and (d) other criminal justice agencies; and if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of not having such an agreement.

There are several data sharing agreements that exist between Criminal Justice System (CJS) agencies for specific purposes, and we are working with CJS agencies to further improve how data is shared. For example, we have run a pilot to link data between probation, prisons and police to enhance data driven decision-making by probation practitioners and are developing a cross-CJS dataset that brings together data from the Crown Prosecution Service, courts, police, prisons and probation services to better inform policy decisions.We know there are several economic benefits to improving the flow of data across the CJS. The Ministry of Justice is currently working with Home Office and AGO/CPS on joint proposals to improve the flow of data across the system.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14th October 2024 to Question 6697 on Magistrates' Courts: Telford, when she expects Shropshire remand cases to be returned to Telford Magistrates' Court.

The week commencing Monday 24 March 2025 would be a suitable go-live date for the new listing plan to start and for Shropshire prisoners to be returned to Telford Crown Court. This date was shared with local stakeholders at a dedicated court user group meeting on Tuesday 3 December 2024, with further meetings promising to share updates prior to and after go-live.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming child arrangement orders to help accommodate parents that are Armed Forces personnel on mandatory overseas deployment.

The Government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming child arrangement orders to help accommodate parents that are Armed Forces personnel on mandatory overseas deployment.Child Arrangements Orders are determined on the individual facts of each case. The Children Act 1989, which governs applications for child arrangements orders, makes the child’s welfare paramount and presumes the child’s welfare is furthered by the involvement of both parents, where it is safe to do so, unless the contrary is shown.In determining the child arrangements orders, the court will apply the factors set out in the ‘welfare checklist’ in the Children Act 1989. These include the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child concerned, the impact on the child of any change in circumstances, and how capable each parent is of meeting the child’s needs.

What data her Department holds on the number of (a) criminal legal aid firms and (b) duty solicitors contracted to provide legal aid in (i) Shropshire and (ii) Telford constituency for each year data is available.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales.The commissioning and monitoring of criminal legal aid services are undertaken at a national level.Information about the number of legal aid providers contracted to provide services are published as part of the LAA’s statistics [see tables 9.1-9.8]. These statistics are used by the LAA as management information to monitor the supply of legal aid services over time, in different areas of law and different regions of England Wales.The duty schemes serving the Shropshire and Telford constituency are the Shrewsbury and Telford schemes. There are currently 13 duty solicitors (members) in the Shrewsbury scheme, 8 duty solicitors in the Telford scheme and a total of 7 criminal legal providers across Shropshire.The LAA is satisfied that there is adequate provision of criminal legal aid services in Telford and Shropshire, including under the relevant duty solicitor schemes operating in the area.

How many court clerks have worked at Telford Magistrates Court for each year that data is available.

Year No of Legal Advisors 2023/20244 Legal Advisors based at Telford (which includes a Trainee Legal Advisor)2022/20234 Legal Advisors based at Telford (which includes a Trainee Legal Advisor)2021/20224 Legal Advisors based at Telford (including a Trainee Legal Advisor)2020/20214 Legal Advisors based at Telford2019/20204 Legal Advisors based at Telford2018/20194 Legal Advisors based at TelfordHMCTS employs Legal Advisors, rather than clerks, to support magistrates in court and therefore this response is based on the number of Legal Advisors routinely based at Telford Magistrates Court from 2018 to 2024. On the occasions that the Crown Court is listed to sit at the court, a Crown Court clerk will also work there.

What outstanding money was owed by defendants in (a) court fines, (b) prosecution costs, and (c) victim related costs at Telford Magistrates for each year data is available.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Although HMCTS holds data on the total amount of impositions outstanding at an enforcement accounting division level, we do not report on it at an individual court level. To access the court level detail, each account in that division’s database would need to be interrogated to find the cases heard at Telford Magistrates and then the outstanding balances extracted, collated and totalled and this would therefore result in disproportionate cost.