theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Adam Dance:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to improve small business confidence in Yeovil constituency. \p Lucy Rigby: As set out in the Plan for Change, the Government’s priority mission is to deliver strong, secure and sustainable economic growth. The Government will deliver this in partnership with businesses, making the UK the best place in the world to invest and to do business.

We recently published ‘Backing your business: our plan for small and medium-sized businesses’ which set out a long-term direction for the Government’s support for smaller firms. This includes:

- going further than any previous government with the most significant package of legislative reforms in 25 years to tackle late payments;

- increasing the financial capacity of the British Business Bank to £25.6bn, which will enable a two-thirds increase in support for SMEs across the UK. As part of this, we are expanding Start-up Loans to offer 69,000 new businesses, and committing to the British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme for the longer term;

- cutting the administrative costs of regulation for business by 25%, to save businesses time and money so they can focus on running successful businesses;

- modernising the tax and customs system, as referenced in HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap - including AI powered tech and personalised digital experiences make it easier for small businesses to navigate their tax affairs

- Launching a High Streets and Growth Incubators to back high street businesses, redevelop commercial space and trigger private investment.

- delivering growth boosting support with a new Business Growth Service to unlock business potential.

I recognise the importance of the Defence sector for Yeovil’s economy. Our uplift of national defence spending to 2.6% of GDP, with the ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament when economic and fiscal conditions, will help revitalise our economic base, benefiting towns like Yeovil.

Businesses in Yeovil can get access to free expert advice, support and signposting to all kinds of Government programmes by engaging through the Heart of the South West Growth Hub.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64049 on Alcoholic Drinks, what those international conventions are. \p Lucy Rigby: I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 23 July to PQ UIN 68763.

Thirteen of the twenty largest sovereign green bond issuers to date, including the UK, explicitly exclude the financing of alcohol-related spending in their green bond frameworks. Another issues Sharia-compliant green bonds. Five of the remaining six make no mention of alcohol in their frameworks, and France places partial restrictions on alcohol production. The UK’s approach is thus in line with international norms.
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the OBR’s report entitled Fiscal risks and sustainability, published on 8 July 2025, what plans she has to commission the OBR to assess the fiscal implications of artificial intelligence. \p Lucy Rigby: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is required to prepare an analysis of the sustainability of the public finances annually, known as a Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report (FRS), as set out in the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act (BRNAA) 2011. The content of the FRS is determined independently by the OBR.

In the OBR’s latest FRS, published on 8 July 2025, it noted that if productivity grows faster than expected it could significantly improve the outlook for the public finances.[1] The OBR also noted that the “rapid development and dissemination of artificial intelligence could be one driver of upside risk to future productivity growth, although the magnitude and timing of the potential boost to productivity remains highly uncertain”.

[1]Fiscal risks and sustainability report, Office for Budget Responsibility, July 2025, p. 134.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is she will take steps to support the hospitality sector in Staffordshire. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector and local businesses across the UK.

To deliver on our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27. We recognise that, ahead of the new multipliers being introduced, RHL businesses need support in 2025-26. So, we have prevented RHL relief from ending by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor also announced a duty cut on qualifying draught products – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year and cut 1p off the duty on an average strength pint.

The hospitality sector is predominately made up of smaller businesses. The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all next year. More than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package and eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

In line with the Government’s Regulation Action Plan, we also want to ease the regulatory burden on hospitality businesses. The Government set up a Licensing Policy Taskforce earlier this year, to ensure licensing conditions for businesses within the sector – such as pubs, restaurants, and music venues – are proportional. The Taskforce’s recommendations were published in July, and the Government accepted the majority of its recommendations. We are now working with the sector to implement these measures, helping to drive economic growth, regenerate our high streets, and support vibrant and healthy communities.

More specifically, Staffordshire has benefitted from £20m of funding for the Stafford Station Gateway and a £17m award to regenerate Leek town centre.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with stakeholders in the banking sector on the use of a first school as an (a) online and (b) telephone security question. \p Lucy Rigby: Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) in the Payment Services Regulations 2017 sets out the requirements which firms must follow when customers are accessing their payment accounts online, including the use of two-factor authentication to verify a customer’s identity. However, the specific questions firms should use to authenticate a customer’s identity are not prescribed, which is a matter for individual firms.

Therefore, the Government has not had discussions with banking stakeholders on the specific uses of first school attended, mother’s maiden name, pet’s name or birthplace as online banking or telephone security questions.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that renters can include regular rent payments in credit reports to support access to credit and financial products. \p Lucy Rigby: Ensuring individuals have access to the appropriate financial products and services they need is a key priority for the Government. This is why I have committed to publish a Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year which will seek to tackle a range of barriers individuals face, including how to increase access to affordable credit for underserved consumers.

Credit reference agencies (CRAs) have traditionally only collected data on consumers’ credit agreements, so rental payments made under tenancy agreements are not typically recorded on credit reports. However, since the Government’s Rent Recognition Challenge in 2017, various third-party services have emerged to make it possible for rental payments to be reported to CRAs and subsequently appear on individuals’ credit reports.
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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the average wait time for callers to HMRC helplines; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for callers to HMRC helplines. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC publishes its call waiting times on GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates

Improving day-to-day performance is a key priority for HMRC. Last year, HMRC recruited and deployed additional customer service advisers. They are also investing in new technology which will significantly enhance the customer experience.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when his Department last made an assessment of ultrafast broadband coverage in (a) rural areas and (b) West Dorset constituency. \p Ian Murray: Three months ago, when Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2025 Spring reporting (published May 2025) assessed that 57% of rural UK premises and 58% of all West Dorset premises have access to ultrafast broadband (of 100 Mbps or faster).
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to fibre broadband in older houses in rural areas. \p Ian Murray: The Government is committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises receive gigabit broadband coverage by 2032.

To ensure equitable broadband access, through Project Gigabit we are delivering broadband to UK premises (typically via fibre connections) that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. These premises predominantly fall in rural areas.

To inform Project Gigabit delivery, we collect and analyse supplier information on completed and planned build to identify premises in need of public subsidy. Eligibility is based on this information rather than the age of the premises.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department has taken since the spending review to improve broadband connectivity in (a) rural areas and (b) West Dorset. \p Ian Murray: The government has recently reconfirmed its commitment to achieving nationwide gigabit coverage and the government now expects 99% of premises to have access to a gigabit-capable connection by 2032.

Following the Spending Review, Building Digital UK (BDUK) is refreshing its delivery plans to meet the government’s new 2032 target.

Wessex Internet is delivering two Project Gigabit contracts: one in North Dorset, and another covering other parts of Dorset and South Somerset. Approximately 4,100 premises in the West Dorset constituency are currently included in these contracts. Build on the latter contract is expected to complete in 2029, while build in North Dorset is expected to complete shortly.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of poor internet access on West Dorset businesses. \p Ian Murray: We have not made any specific assessment regarding the potential impact of poor internet access on West Dorset businesses.

Wider government analysis has shown that fast and reliable connectivity contributes to increased economic growth and productivity. That is why the government is committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises, including businesses, receive gigabit broadband coverage by 2032, with over 88% already able to do so.
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes by technology companies to data protection features available in their products on consumers; and what steps he is taking to protect consumers’ data privacy. \p Ian Murray: The UK’s data protection legislation applies to technology companies providing services to people in the UK, if they are processing personal data. The legislation sets out general rules on how such data should be processed and safeguarded. This includes ensuring that any processing is lawful, fair and transparent. Organisations must also carry out a data protection impact assessment, when processing activities involving new technologies that are likely to result in a high risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms. The legislation is independently regulated by the Information Commissioner's Office. We recently strengthened their powers in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to help them investigate suspected breaches of the legislation.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government plans to publish (a) Keeling Schedules and (b) implementation dates for the changes that have not had immediate effect made by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR and PECR. \p Ian Murray: The Government does not plan to publish Keeling Schedules illustrating how measures in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 amend the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. However, we have published information about each measure, which legislative provisions they amend, and plans for commencement dates, on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/data-use-and-access-act-2025
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) effective management and (b) oversight of fibre broadband rollout in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Ian Murray: Openreach is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across Surrey. This contract currently includes approximately 1,900 premises in the Surrey Heath constituency.

All Project Gigabit contracts include criteria and obligations regarding time and budget against which suppliers’ performance is monitored. These include measures to manage effective build plans, milestones, risks and issues.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) holds regular meetings with suppliers to discuss their progress. Each supplier’s performance is measured using monthly contractual reporting, reviewing the build progress and payment claims on each contract.

Failure to deliver to a contract milestone on any build phase of a contract can result in the trigger of a rectification plan process and cessation of payments until the milestone is achieved.

Beyond Project Gigabit, in areas where deployment is commercially viable we have created a competition-friendly environment to support the quick roll-out of gigabit technologies.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help improve enforcement where employers (a) delay and (b) withhold data in response to subject access requests. \p Ian Murray: The ICO can and does take action against organisations, as a result of people’s complaints about their right of access to personal data. Information about the ICO’s enforcement action is available at: https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/.

A requester may also apply for a court order requiring an organisation to comply with a subject access request or to seek compensation. It is a matter for the court to decide, in each particular case, what action to take.

The ICO is currently consulting on changes to how it handles complaints, with a view to improving data protection compliance. The consultation closes on 31 October: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/ico-and-stakeholder-consultations/2025/08/ico-consultation-on-draft-changes-to-how-we-handle-data-protection-complaints/.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions his Department has had with mobile network operators on the (a) resilience and (b) reliability of mobile infrastructure to deliver emergency alerts during (i) power outages or (ii) network congestion. \p Ian Murray: The Emergency Alerts capability relies on mobile network operators’ infrastructure to issue alerts. Under the Communications Act 2003 and Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, UK communications providers have a statutory requirement to take appropriate and proportionate steps to identify risks to their resilience, reduce those risks, prepare for compromises and mitigate and remedy them when they do occur. These requirements are overseen by Ofcom. The Department has regular discussions with the UK’s mobile network operators and works in partnership with communications providers to ensure that their networks remain secure, resilient, and accessible, including during emergencies.
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Andy MacNae:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to instruct the Data Standards Authority to recognise OpenActive as an official government data standard for physical activity information. \p Ian Murray: The Data Standards Authority is currently considering the adoption of OpenActive as an official Government standard to improve data about physical activity opportunities and making it available for anyone to access and use. The Data Standards Authority is working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and other organisations to take the standard through its approval process.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of digital exclusion on the quality of life for older people. \p Ian Murray: Those who cannot use digital technologies are likely to pay more for certain transactions, have worse health outcomes, and find it more difficult to manage their finance. That’s why tackling digital exclusion, which disproportionately impacts certain demographics including older people, is a priority for Government.

In February we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year on digital inclusion.

One of these actions was to launch the £9.5mn Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support and expand local community initiatives to get people online. All funded projects will support at least one of the focus demographic groups, including older people.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the digitally excluded have access to (a) groceries, (b) banking, (c) the NHS and (d) other key services in rural areas in Yeovil constituency. \p Ian Murray: DSIT is working closely with departments and with partners across the UK to address digital exclusion, making certain no one is left behind in an increasingly digital world.

Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers about measures to ensure access to nutritious, safe and affordable food.

On banking, we are working with industry to rollout 350 banking hubs across the UK to provide face-to-face support for critical cash and in-person services. The Government is also developing a Financial Inclusion Strategy which includes a focus on access to banking and digital inclusion.

For NHS England, mitigating the risk of digital exclusion is one of five key priorities asked of Integrated Care Systems to address in their drive to reduce healthcare inequalities.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the proportion of households with occupants over the age of 75 that do not have access to reliable broadband. \p Ian Murray: Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, estimates that there are 48,000 premises without access to decent broadband – i.e. at least 10Mbit/s download and 1Mbit/s upload speed - in the UK. We do not have sufficient data to estimate how many of these premises have occupants over the age of 75.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the fees charged for (a) lowering, (b) relocating and (c) diverting the network by Openreach. \p Ian Murray: As the independent regulator for communications services, Ofcom regulates Openreach’s charges to ensure fair competition, so the government has not made any such specific assessment.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help tackle digital exclusion in Yeovil constituency. \p Ian Murray: The Digital Inclusion Action Plan sets out the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including in Yeovil.

They will be targeted at local initiatives for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.
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Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that internet-connected smart TVs do not monitor users’ activity without prior, informed consent; and if she will consider requiring such devices to use an opt-in system for data collection. \p Ian Murray: All organisations in the UK that process personal data must comply with the requirements of the UK GDPR, including ensuring any processing is lawful, fair and transparent. Providers of smart devices must consider how their products implement these principles effectively and include appropriate safeguards to protect people's rights.

In addition, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 include more specific rules on the use of technologies such as cookies on people’s smart devices. This is prevented unless an exception applies, for example, where the user has given their consent.

The Information Commissioner is currently consulting on a revised version of guidance on the use of storage and access technologies.
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Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a legal requirement for broadband and fibre providers to provide 2 month contracts. \p Ian Murray: Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, is responsible for setting the rules on contract lengths for telecom services in the UK. Under Ofcom’s General Conditions, providers must offer at least one 12-month contract for each service, e.g. landline, broadband.

Consequently, Government has not made any such assessments on the provision of a two-month contract. We would expect that any assessment would need to include the practical and financial implications of such short contracts for the operators as well as potential clients.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether any funding will be available to deliver the Digital Inclusion Action Plan beyond the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund. \p Ian Murray:
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Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on (a) publishing the work programme of the Digital Inclusion Action Committee and (b) examining the digital exclusion of elderly people within the committee. \p Ian Murray: The Digital Inclusion Action Committee is an external advisory body that will work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It is made up of national and local experts to tackle digital exclusion. Its role is to scrutinise, steer and help determine the work of the government in reducing digital exclusion in every part of the UK. One of its aims will be to identify systemic barriers to digital inclusion and propose actionable solutions, particularly for underserved groups such as older people.

The terms of reference for the Digital Inclusion Action Committee were published earlier in 2025 and full membership was announced in August 2025. The members are scheduled to meet again this autumn.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if his Department will issue guidance to retailers on ethical standards for the use of facial recognition technology. \p Ian Murray: The use of live facial recognition technology (LFRT) in retail is governed by multiple legal frameworks, including data protection, employment, equalities, and human rights law. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the data protection regulator, has issued guidance clarifying that retailers may use FRT to prevent crime, such as shoplifting, if it is necessary, proportionate, and lawful. The guidance also clarifies that, where FRT captures personal or sensitive data, it is regulated under UK’s data protection framework. Using FRT in this way will require retailers to be aware and comply with key principles such as fairness, transparency, accuracy and retention. DSIT continues to monitor developments in this space and supports the ICO’s role in providing guidance to organisations to help their compliance.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has had discussions with civil liberties organisations on the use of facial recognition technology in commercial settings. \p Ian Murray: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology engages with a range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, regarding privacy and data protection matters. The government recognises the benefits of deploying FRT systems in commercial settings, where these are used proportionately, responsibly, and in compliance with the UK’s data protection framework, as well as other relevant legal frameworks. The Information Commissioner’s Office has also issued guidance to support organisations in complying with data protection law, and this can be found here.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure the availability of reliable broadband in rural areas to support access to essential services. \p Ian Murray: Through Project Gigabit, we are delivering future-proofed, gigabit-capable connections nationwide, to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, including to premises in rural areas.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: On 24 October 2024, the Cabinet Office announced that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time.

Office occupancy data is published on a quarterly basis. The data is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, for what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: Officials have used two prototype tools in the last year which are only accessible by government employees: GCS Assist and Redbox. These tools harness the latest transformative artificial intelligence technology. Officials can “chat” securely with a Large Language Model and summarise or ask questions of documents.
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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of staff in his Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions his Department issues to staff who do not meet this target. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: On 24 October 2024, the Cabinet Office announced that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time.

Office occupancy data is published on a quarterly basis. The data is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data

If people do not meet that reasonable expectation, as with any management instruction it will be dealt with via existing performance management processes and ultimately with disciplinary action should there be sustained failure to comply.

The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies, principally the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice, who remain the employers. All staff assigned to the Scotland Office adhere to the policies of their parent department, including performance management processes.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of prison safety in Category (a) B and (b) C prisons. \p Alex Davies-Jones: Safety in prisons is a key priority, and we are working hard to make prisons as safe as possible for staff and prisoners.

We have specialist staff and equipment to stop the smuggling of contraband in prisons, such as drugs, weapons and mobile phones, which can fuel violence and create instability.

Prisons face a range of factors which impact on their safety, and these often vary between types of prisons, which is why it is important that all prisons have local safety strategies that address the local drivers of safety, whilst operating within the approach set out in the national Prison Safety Policy Framework.
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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will consider the introduction of mandatory autism awareness training for staff working in (a) HM Courts and Tribunals Service, (b) the police and (c) other areas of the criminal justice system. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of training and delegates responsibility for determining specific training needs to individual operational bodies. While autism awareness training is not currently mandatory, agencies across the justice system have the discretion to introduce such training based on operational requirements.

For example, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) provides access to a Diversity and Inclusion Learning Hub for all staff, as well as a Neurodiversity Line Managers’ Handbook to support understanding of neurodiverse conditions.

Any proposal to introduce mandatory autism awareness training within the Ministry of Justice would be subject to its Mandatory Learning Governance Process, which ensures consistent and robust decision-making through engagement with subject matter experts.

The Home Office is the Department with oversight of policing in England and Wales and is best placed to provide detailed information regarding autism training within police forces.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing restrictions on serious (a) sexual and (b) violent criminals. \p Alex Davies-Jones: It is crucial that we have a justice system that punishes offenders and supports victims. That’s why increasing restriction on serious sexual and violent offenders is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.

For most sentences, we will introduce a new model inspired by Texas where offenders will serve at least one-third of their sentence in custody subject to their behaviour. However, certain serious violent and sexual offenders will still serve at least half their sentence before release and could serve up until the end of their sentence in custody if they do not comply with rules and restrictions.

After prison, offenders will face tougher post-custody supervision – with a presumption that they will be tagged. We are introducing a new power which will allow probation to impose these restriction zones on offenders on licence and serving community sentences, where appropriate. These will restrict certain offenders to specific areas – so their victims know they are safe wherever else they want to go.

Also, in November last year, we launched new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) in selected areas. DAPOs bring together the strongest features from current protective orders into a single more comprehensive order that goes further to protect victims of domestic abuse.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support is available to victims of domestic abuse on navigating the civil court system. \p Alex Davies-Jones: Victims of domestic abuse in both the civil and family court systems have the protection of special measures such as giving evidence via a video link or from behind a screen, and prohibition of direct cross examination of a victim by a perpetrator.

The Government recognises that victims of domestic abuse may need help to understand their legal rights and navigate the courts systems in civil and family proceedings. Legal aid is available for private family matters, such as child arrangements, financial remedy proceedings and divorce if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused. Legal aid is also available for domestic abuse victims for certain urgent protection applications – for example, non-molestation orders and occupation orders.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice is providing funding to support litigants in person, including domestic abuse victims, to help them navigate the civil justice system effectively, including preparation for court and support at court. In 2025/26, over £6 million of funding will be provided to 60 organisations to support the delivery of free legal support and information, both in-person and online. This includes some Citizens Advice and Law Centres, Rights of Women and AdviceNow, as well as organisations that specifically focus on supporting victims of domestic abuse.

Support is also provided via a specialist service FLOWS (Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors), delivered by RCJ Advice, to support victims of domestic abuse to apply for protective orders in the family courts. The service can help all survivors, whether or not they are eligible for legal aid.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the legal aid portal will reopen. \p Sarah Sackman: We expect that services will be restored from early September, as part of a phased return. This is subject to testing, security and legal criteria being met.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has written to representative bodies and providers to update them that the Portal will be replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). This has been subject to testing by a small pilot group throughout August.

The expected phased restoration is as follows:

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 and further information will be published on GOV.UK closer to the go live date. In the meantime, 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support she is providing to legal aid providers in (a) rural and (b) semi-rural areas. \p Sarah Sackman: Citizens in England and Wales meeting the eligibility criteria should be able to access legal aid services regardless of where they live.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services, and it monitors the numbers of providers in each procurement area and across all categories of law. It takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise and works closely with the Ministry of Justice on policy solutions concerning the supply of legal aid.

The Ministry of Justice has undertaken a comprehensive review of civil legal aid and recently published its response: Civil legal aid: Towards a sustainable future, consultation response - GOV.UK. We have confirmed that we are increasing fees for all housing & debt, and immigration & asylum legal aid work. This is a significant investment of £20 million a year– the first increase since 1996. In addition, the Department is looking at other potential changes that could support providers, for example, (civil) contractual requirements regarding provider offices and limits to the provision of remote legal aid that providers say are burdensome. Any changes would aim to give providers more autonomy in meeting client need, while maintaining effective in-person provision for clients who need this.

As part of the £24 million increase for criminal solicitors implemented in 2024, the Ministry of Justice is paying for travel time for solicitors who work or commute to work in a small number of scheme areas with fewer than two legal aid providers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, 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. \p Sarah Sackman: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Sarah Coombes:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of people convicted of death by dangerous driving did not pass the compulsory extended re-test in the last 12 months; and of these drivers, how many received a lifetime driving ban. \p Sarah Sackman: Data on convictions and disqualifications (including lifetime bans) for death by dangerous driving offences is published in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics. The data can be filtered on the offence and the period of driving disqualification using the sentencing outcomes tab.

The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold information on individuals required to take an extended re-test following a conviction of death by dangerous driving.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what funding she is providing for youth justice services in areas of high need. \p Sarah Sackman: For 2025/26, this Government is providing c.£94 million in funding to Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) to support the operation and provision of youth justice services across England and Wales. This funding enables YOTs to provide interventions and support tailored to the needs of children in their local area. Despite the challenging fiscal environment this Government inherited, this is an increase on the previous year.

In addition, c.£15 million has been allocated to the Turnaround Programme, which provides funding to all YOTs to intervene earlier and address the reasons that lead to children offending. Since the programme launched in 2022 this has enabled YOTs to reach up to 20,500 additional children not currently on their statutory caseloads.