theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the role of (a) farmers and (b) gamekeepers in fighting wildfires. \p Samantha Dixon: The Government recognises the valuable role that farmers and gamekeepers can play in supporting the response to wildfires. Fire and Rescue Services lead the operational response to wildfires in England and work closely with land managers, including farmers and gamekeepers, to share information and coordinate activity where appropriate.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is working closely with the National Resilience Wildfire Advisor, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Defra and land management bodies to strengthen local partnerships and collaboration.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has with supported accommodation providers on the (a) role and (b) needs of those providers in the development of local homelessness strategies. \p Alison McGovern: The Homelessness Code of Guidance sets out that housing authorities will need work with partners when drafting their homelessness strategies and have regard for supported housing provision to help prevent and resolve homelessness for people with support needs. You can read the Code of Guidance on gov.uk here.

I regularly meet with stakeholders, including supported housing providers and representatives, to discuss a broad range of homelessness policy issues.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that the formal legal names of new (a) strategic authorities and (b) unitary councils reflect (i) local identities and (ii) long-standing associations. \p Alison McGovern: The names of Strategic Authorities are decided in discussion with the constituent councils.

While the Government has not asked for names of new unitary councils to be included in proposals, we have set out that councils are welcome to include names. The Government will consult on final proposals before deciding on which, if any, proposal to implement. Views on names could be provided through those consultations. The secondary legislation that establishes a new unitary council will specify various matters, including the name. Representations will be sought from councils on those matters before the secondary legislation is agreed by the Minister and laid in Parliament.

Once established, new authorities will have the ability to change their name by resolution, should they wish to, using existing legislation.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85786 on Community Development: Finance, how much funding he plans to provide to each council. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The funding of councils through the Community Cohesion Resilience Programme is set out in my response to UIN 87321.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the consultation outcome entitled Greater Essex devolution consultation, updated on 17 July 2025, how much funding his Department has allocated to the Mayoral Combined County Authority Investment Fund. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: As specified in the English Devolution White Paper, the 30-year investment fund remains a core part of the offer to Devolution Priority Programme areas, who will receive this funding on their creation. An announcement on funding for Greater Essex and the other Devolution Priority Programme areas will be made in due course. New Strategic Authorities will also continue to receive Mayoral Capacity Funding to kickstart their organisations. As stated in the White Paper, we intend on standardising funding for new institutions to increase transparency and fairness.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Department plans to take to monitor participation in trade promotion programmes by SMEs in the North East. \p Chris Bryant: I refer my hon. friend to the answer I provided to UIN 89172 on 18th November: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the projected cost to British businesses of the European Union's carbon border taxes. \p Chris Bryant: The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism’s (EU CBAM) definitive regime begins January 2026. UK businesses may face administrative costs providing emissions data to EU importers to support their compliance with the EU CBAM. The cost of certificates for the carbon price liability of embedded emissions is borne by EU importers.

To support business readiness, the Department for Business and Trade has compiled a comprehensive package, including webinars, and an upcoming explainer on business.gov.uk. The Government is also engaging with the European Commission on emissions trading scheme linking, which is expected to facilitate a mutual UK-EU CBAM exemption in due course.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what proportion of export-focused civil service posts are vacant. \p Chris Bryant: Export-focused civil servants are primarily employed in the Exports Directorate within the Domestic and International Markets and Exports Group (DIME) of DBT. The relevant units are currently going through a restructuring and therefore this vacancy rate is likely to change significantly by the next financial year. As of September 2025, the vacancy rate was 32% among the civil service posts in the Exports Directorate. In the Department for Business and Trade, there are other civil servants whose work relates to exports as part of their wider roles, but not the majority of their responsibilities.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the year-on-year spending has been for export-focused civil service teams since 2020. \p Chris Bryant: The year-on-year spending is as follows:

Year

Total spend (£m)

2020/21

52.6

2021/22

54

2022/23

63.7

2023/24

58.9

2024/25

45.4

All data has been taken from DBT's Financial Forecasting Tool (FFT). The current financial year has not been finalised, therefore response to end of 2024-25 provided.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) Section 232 tariffs, (b) digital tax negotiations and (c) IP reforms have been discussed with USA trade officials in the context of a future UK–USA trade agreement. \p Chris Bryant: The UK has continued to engage across the range of issues outlined in the General Terms for the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal agreed in May.

We're continuing talks on a wider deal which will look at addressing specific tariff and non-tariff barriers, increasing digital and services trade, and unlocking new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations. We cannot comment on the specifics of live negotiations.

Intensive discussions also continue on other sectors under Section 232 investigation towards the significantly preferential outcome provided for under the General Terms.
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Sarah Pochin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to prevent the sale of high-powered after-market batteries for (a) e-scooters and (b) e-bikes. \p Kate Dearden: Under existing UK regulations, businesses must only place safe products, including batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters, on the market. In 2024, the Department published statutory guidelines for lithium-ion e-bike batteries, clarifying that they must protect against the risk of thermal runaway to be considered safe products. Regulators have powers to enforce these regulations. The Government has now introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which will enable us to modernise and improve our product safety framework for products sold online and on the high street.

E-bikes must meet legal speed and power limits to be used on the road.
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Chris Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has considered an education campaign to raise public awareness of the potential merits of low-noise fireworks. \p Kate Dearden: The Government continues to engage with the British Fireworks Association, businesses, consumer groups, and charities to understand the issues with and impacts of fireworks.

The insights from these discussions helped to inform the campaign that I launched for this year’s fireworks season which encourages the use of lower noise fireworks. The campaign materials have been shared widely to increase their impact. The Government will continue to gather evidence, including on the impact of fireworks on animals and vulnerable people to inform any future action.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of on the potential impact of the domestic use of fireworks on (a) children (b) adults with PTSD and (c) domestic pets. \p Kate Dearden: No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of the domestic use of fireworks on children, adults with PTSD and pets. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on fireworks-related issues and inform future action.

I launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign features guidance for those running events to reduce the impact on the community, and social media materials that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks, and the promotion of low noise fireworks.
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Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to adopt a UK-wide model similar to the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Act (Scotland) 2022, which empowers local authorities to set up fireworks-free zones. \p Kate Dearden: There are currently no plans to adopt such a model UK-wide. The Government regularly engages with its counterparts in Scotland is keen to understand the impact Firework Control Zones have made before considering if similar changes are needed for England and Wales.
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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has (a) implemented a domestic abuse policy for staff and (b) trained line managers to effectively respond to staff who are experiencing domestic abuse. \p Kate Dearden: The Department for Business and Trade is committed to supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse and has guidance in place that outlines the support available to employees affected by domestic abuse.

Line managers complete 'Manager Essentials' training, which promotes wellbeing and guidance on handling complex issues.

Employees at risk of, or experiencing, domestic abuse can access:

Once available, we will promote the take-up of the training product for managers currently being developed by the Cabinet Office.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage economic growth in the (a) pubs and (b) hospitality sectors. \p Kate Dearden: The Government recognises the vital role that hospitality businesses play in local communities and the economy. That’s why we’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.

The Government invited views and evidence to aid development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. A Call for Evidence ran for four weeks until 6 November. This attracted a significant number of responses and work is now underway to analyse these. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.

We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to conduct a review into the adequacy of fireworks legislation. \p Kate Dearden: No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of current legislation governing fireworks. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of regulatory costs on the pub sector. \p Kate Dearden: The Government is committed to easing regulatory burdens for businesses like pubs in the UK, creating the space they need to grow, innovate and thrive. We work closely with the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the productivity and resilience of hospitality businesses by co-creating solutions to the issues impacting business performance.

This is why we launched the licensing taskforce last April, a joint effort between Government and Industry with aims to reduce the administrative burdens the UK licensing regime places on our highstreets. The Government invited views to help shape these reforms and the Call for evidence ran for 4 weeks and ended on the 6 November. This attracted a significant number of responses and work is now underway to analyse these.

Additionally, to help ease cost pressures on pubs, from April 2026, eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000 will benefit from permanently lower business rates multipliers and alcohol duty has been reduced on qualifying draught products which is approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to support community pubs. \p Kate Dearden: We recognise the vital role pubs play as social hubs within communities, fostering connections while driving local economies and supporting high streets. That’s why we’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.

We are planning on introducing reforms to premises licensing to simplify outdated rules, making it easier and more affordable to run hospitality venues and to allow communities to thrive. These proposals will include a National Licensing Policy Framework. A Call for Evidence closed on 6 November. We are now analysing responses at pace.

We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value and through the English Devolution Bill, we have introduced a strong new ‘right to buy’ to help communities safeguard valued community assets, empowering local communities to reclaim and revitalise empty shops, pubs, and community spaces, helping to revamp our high streets and eliminate the blight of vacant premises.

We continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council, working together to address the challenges facing all hospitality businesses.
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Sir Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with (a) large supermarket chains and (b) representatives of independent retailers on the illegal sale of fireworks. \p Kate Dearden: The Government met with supermarkets and representatives of independent retails in July where the illegal sale of fireworks and what measures they could take in addressing illegal sale was discussed. This includes, but is not exclusive to, supermarkets and independent retailers via the British Retail Consortium and Associations of Convenient Stores.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to improve enforcement laws for the misuse of fireworks in Poole constituency. \p Kate Dearden: Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers.

I have launched a public campaign for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes social media materials with information on current legislation and the penalties for illegal use, as well as the risks from the misuse of fireworks.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64084 on Night Time Industries Association, if he will publish (a) the letter from the Association and (b) his Department's response. \p Kate Dearden: Responses are issued directly to the original correspondent in line with the Cabinet Office guidance for correspondence - Guide to Handling Correspondence - September 2024

A letter has been issued directly to the original correspondent.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, under what powers the National Investigation Service was able to seize and forfeit money. \p Kate Dearden: The Accredited Financial Investigators from the National Investigation Service used powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, including s294 for seizure of cash, s297A for forfeiture of cash and s303Z9 for forfeiture of money held in accounts.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76468 on National Investigation Service: Audit, if he will publish the report into NATIS conducted by the Public Sector Fraud Authority; and what recommendations did the Public Sector Fraud authority make on the governance of the National Investigation Service. \p Kate Dearden: The Department is not planning to publish the report or recommendations from the Public Sector Fraud Authority’s review of the National Investigation Service at this time. Any future publication will be coordinated with the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, who oversee the PSFA. Disclosure would risk revealing sensitive operational, policy, and commercial information, which could prejudice law enforcement activities and undermine ongoing policy development and commercial interests. The balance of public interest lies in maintaining the confidentiality of this information to protect the effectiveness of counter-fraud operations and ensure robust policy formulation.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase the volume of exports of a) UK buses and b) UK technology and services within the bus manufacturing supply chain. \p Chris McDonald: The Government is focused on boosting the UK bus manufacturing sector’s long-term competitiveness and advancing zero-emission vehicles. Trade agreements will open new export opportunities, remove tariffs, and introduce flexible rules of origin, benefiting automotive businesses nationwide.

According to industry figures, nearly 80% of UK automotive production is exported, with direct export support available from DBT alongside dedicated automotive export campaign support, and through UK Export Finance, with £14.5 billion allocated for UK exports from UKEF in 2024/25.

The £2.5bn DRIVE35 programme accelerates R&D and commercial scale-up in strategic vehicle technologies, unlocking investment in zero-emission bus manufacturing and supply chains, increasing competitiveness in international markets.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the value of unclaimed benefits by each benefit in (a) England, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham. \p Andrew Western: On 30 October 2025 the Department published Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2024, covering Pension Credit and Housing Benefit for pensioners in Great Britain. As these estimates are based on survey data, they are not available for lower-level geographies.

On the same day the Department also published Households potentially eligible for Pension Credit, 2023 to 2024, a sub-national analysis of eligible households in receipt of Pension Credit and potentially eligible households not claiming Pension Credit.

Estimates are not currently available for other DWP benefits, however on 15 May 2025 the Department published Unfulfilled eligibility in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates, providing estimates of how much extra money benefit claimants in Great Britain could be getting if they told us accurately about their circumstances. It does not cover take-up of benefits, which is where people could have claimed certain benefits based on their current circumstances but have not done so. As these estimates are based on sample data, they are not available for lower-level geographies.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps is he taking to measure progress in reducing youth unemployment relative to OECD comparators. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has been rising for too long, which is why we are tackling this crisis of opportunity with new energy and determination.

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee. Our Youth Guarantee will ensure eligible 18-to-21-year-olds have access to education, training, an apprenticeship - or ultimately guaranteed paid work if they cannot find a job.

In addition, an independent investigation has been launched to identify how we can go further to tackle the root causes of youth activity. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, the report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun, with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability. The Terms of Reference can be found here.
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Catherine West:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposals to remove entitlement to the Universal Credit Health element for those aged under 22 on levels of food bank need. \p Sir Stephen Timms: No such assessment has been made.

An Impact Assessment was published alongside the Pathways to Work Green Paper, which can be found here.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of changes to Access to Work funding on job coaching and support service providers. \p Sir Stephen Timms: No changes have been made to Access to Work policy, and we will announce any changes prior to them being implemented.

The Department faces significant challenges assessing the effectiveness of Access to Work due to the difficulty in establishing a counterfactual.

We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation has closed. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives, on all aspects of our proposals.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what action he is taking to ensure that the voices of people with learning disabilities are heard directly during the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment, including (a) digitally excluded people with learning disabilities, (b) people with learning disabilities who are non-verbal, and (c) people with learning disabilities who need written information provided in an accessible format. \p Sir Stephen Timms: For the Review to be a success, lived experience must be at the heart of its work. The Timms Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, to ensure that expertise from a wide range of perspectives is drawn upon.

On 30 October, I published the revised Terms of Reference on GOV.UK which set out further details about its scope. I also announced that the Review will be co-chaired by myself alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group responsible for leading the co-production process, setting the Review's strategic direction, priorities and workplan.

The group will be made up of a majority of disabled people or representatives of disabled people's organisations and will be recruited through an open and transparent Expression of Interest (EOI) process, which is now live. We have worked closely with experts to ensure the EOI is accessible, inclusive and has a broad reach. The steering group will not work alone, it will oversee a programme of participation that brings together the full range of views and voices.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether staff in her Department have been instructed to apply Access to Work guidance more strictly since July 2024. \p Sir Stephen Timms: For the last year, we have worked to improve decision-making throughout the Access to Work Scheme by ensuring that guidance is applied with greater consistency, helping to provide a fairer process. This may mean that some awards change at the point of renewal, but this does not reflect a change in policy of the Scheme.
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Lee Pitcher:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Disability Confident Scheme was last evaluated, what metrics were used, and whether the Department plans to review employer compliance with the guaranteed interview commitment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: In 2022, the department ran a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the Disability Confident scheme has had on their organisations. Metrics in the survey included members’ recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people, awareness of the benefits of Disability Confident membership, plans for membership renewal, and perceived impact of Disability Confident on the organisation. The findings of the survey can be accessed from: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK.

DWP is working with stakeholders, including disabled people, the Devolved Governments, local authorities, disability organisations, employers and sector experts to strengthen the scheme. This includes reviewing the current offer of an interview commitment and exploring how we can work with employers to improve transparency and accountability against scheme criteria.
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to support charities to increase availability of guide dogs in Nottinghamshire. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The UK government recognises the invaluable role guide dogs play in enhancing the independence and quality of life for individuals with visual impairments and hearing loss.

Assistance dogs are not funded or provided by the government. Direct provision of guide dogs is primarily handled by charitable organisations. Organisations like Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK), an umbrella coalition for well-established dog training organisations, offer information and advice on how to apply for an assistance dog.

As assistance dogs are provided by independent charities and organisations, the Government is not responsible or accountable for supply issues. We are aware of concerns around shortages of assistance dogs since the pandemic and there has been dialogue with assistance dogs charities. Guide Dogs UK have assured us that they are on course to return to pre-pandemic supply levels soon, and are working hard to reduce waiting times with record levels of investment.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps is he taking to simplify the pension credit application process. \p Torsten Bell: The Department is committed to modernising the Pension Credit service and regularly reviews the user experience to balance simplification with ensuring accurate awards.

A key objective of DWP’s Service Modernisation Programme is to make services more user-friendly and accessible. We are streamlining application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions customers need to answer.

Claims can be made online, by telephone, or by post. The most popular method is online, where claims can be made 24/7 with help from a family member, friend, or third party. The online form now requires a maximum of 48 questions, and for some customers as few as 35. On average, it takes just 16 minutes to complete, with around 90% of new customers applying online or by phone.

For telephone claims, callers are guided through the process by an agent. We will continue to keep the Pension Credit application process under review to ensure it remains simple and accessible.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help increase the uptake of Pension Credit among eligible pensioners. \p Torsten Bell: The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners receive the support to which they are entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit taken-up campaign, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends through adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press. The latest burst of the campaign began in September, and further promotional activity is planned until the end of the financial year.

We are making better use of data to directly target potentially eligible households. Since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit. In September, the Department conducted a trial in partnership with Age UK and Independent Age targeting 2,000 households in England identified using HMRC and DWP data.

We are also undertaking research specifically looking into the factors that motivate people to make a claim as well as why some older people do not claim benefits to which they could be entitled, in order to build the evidence of what works to increase take-up.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_378
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_378

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the number of prison officers who do not have English as a first language. \p Jake Richards: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_379
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_379

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the total cost of (a) translation and (b) interpretation services in the prison system for each of the last five years. \p Jake Richards: The requested information has been provided in the tables below.

Translation:

FY

Translation

FY21-22

£ 83,462.46

FY22-23

£ 137,213.31

FY23-24

£ 280,071.34

FY24-25

£ 328,526.54

FY25-26

£ 142,303.32

Total

£ 971,576.97

Interpreting:

FY

Interpreting

FY21/22

£ 133,776.35

FY22/23

£ 125,495.41

FY23/24

£ 163,546.08

FY24/25

£ 161,212.42

FY25/26

£ 105,987.79

Total

£ 690,018.05

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers whilst maintaining high standards of service delivery.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_380
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_380

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the total cost of (a) translation and (b) interpretation services in the court system for each of the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: The information requested can be found in the tables below.

Translation:

FY

Translation

FY21-22

£ 51,231.54

FY22-23

£ 113,487.07

FY23-24

£ 140,829.23

FY24-25

£ 126,433.75

FY25-26

£ 78,995.19

Total

£ 510,976.78

Interpreting:

FY

Interpreting

FY21/22

£ 22,225,742.45

FY22/23

£ 27,362,968.49

FY23/24

£ 31,022,423.14

FY24/25

£ 32,390,150.55

FY25/26

£ 20,517,115.66

Total

£ 133,518,400.29

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers whilst maintaining high standards of service delivery.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_381
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_381

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals in prison. \p Jake Richards: The number of foreign national offenders in prison is published as part of the Offender Management Quarterly statistics series. The series can be accessed with the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_382
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_382

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the prison population do not have (a) English and (b) another native UK languages as a first language in each of the last five years; and what languages such prisoners did speak as a first language. \p Jake Richards: The information requested is not centrally recorded.

Collecting it would involve a search of the records of each prisoner in England and Wales over the last five years. It could not, therefore, be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_383
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_383

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department currently has an English proficiency requirement for prison officers. \p Jake Richards: The prison officer recruitment process assesses English language proficiency at multiple stages, without requiring a separate English test or formal qualifications such as GCSEs at the point of application. The process for recruiting prison officers across all Public Sector Prisons is the same for all applicants, both UK and non-UK nationals, with candidates appointed based on merit, in line with the fair and open Civil Service recruitment principles.

Once candidates have passed the application and online test stages, they are assessed via His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s centralised Online Assessment Centre (OAC), which is conducted by trained human assessors who evaluate candidates in real time. Candidates undertake a written assessment, role-play exercises and a structured interview, all designed to assess whether they possess the written and spoken communication skills required for the prison officer role.

The centralised OAC process upholds consistent standards across all applicants and cannot be bypassed through automated or multiple-choice responses alone. This approach ensures that any difficulties in understanding instructions or in expressing responses clearly are identified and reflected in the assessment outcome. The assessment process also includes fitness and medical checks, which are applied to the same standard for all candidates, regardless of nationality.

We continuously evaluate our assessment process for all stages of prison officer recruitment to ensure best practice and integrate improvements appropriately as new tools and methodologies become available. Future changes to the assessment process will continue to assess a candidate’s English proficiency against the communication skills required for the prison officer role and will remain aligned with professional attainment levels used across comparable professions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_384

Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason HMP Dartmoor remains closed in the context of the shortage of prison spaces. \p Jake Richards: Following the temporary closure of HMP Dartmoor in August 2024, after detection of elevated levels of radon gas, we have been working with specialist radon experts to investigate and assess options to allow us to reopen the prison safely.

The decision on reopening will be made based on the viability of the site, the effectiveness of works to reduce levels of radon, and value for money. We need to be satisfied that reopening the prison is justified in the light of a range of considerations, including compliance with legislative requirements, operational viability, and the cost of mitigation measures.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_385
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_385

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Statement in the House on 11 November 2025, how many personnel from his Department will form the digital rapid response unit. \p Jake Richards: We plan to allocate up to 15 members of staff to the digital rapid response unit. We will keep this resource allocation under review.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_386
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_386

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of violence in women's prisons. \p Jake Richards: Violence in prisons may be caused, or triggered, by a range of factors, including personal characteristics such as existing patterns of behaviour, substance misuse or traumatic life experiences. Factors particularly relevant to the women’s estate include trauma, relational complexities and separation from children.

Information on the rate of assaults in female establishments in the 12 months to June 2025 can be found at the following link: Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to September 2025 Assaults and Self-harm to June 2025 - GOV.UK.

The Managing Women in Crisis Working Group in His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) was established to increase understanding of complex behaviour in this group of prisoners, and to consider how best to support them. This includes developing guidance and training for staff. In addition, HMPPS’s Women’s Estate Case Advice and Support Panel supports establishments in the management of women with complex needs. It aims to help reduce risk and to enable women to progress in their sentences.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_387
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_387

Jen Craft:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies are taking to (i) develop and (ii) use artificial intelligence approaches to British Sign Language. \p Jake Richards: Providing British Sign Language (BSL) translations of pre-recorded audio and video content on public services is a legislative Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AAA criterion. As outlined in the Government Service Standard, all digital government services must as a minimum meet Level AA. AAA is best practice.

Through the Service Standard and Service Assessments, the Government Digital Service encourages Departments to incorporate BSL into service design. In May this year, DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) launched the UK Government’s first British Sign Language (BSL) online translation service for candidates booking their theory test online. DVSA held a series of user research session with BSL users, with one participant calling the service ‘life-changing’.

There are opportunities to use AI to accelerate the creation of accessible content across public services. If public bodies trial the use of AI in approaches to BSL, they would be required to conform with both WCAG and the Service Standard, and must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.

Regardless of if AI generated, services must also make sure any BSL video is culturally appropriate by working with the BSL community, testing it, or getting feedback.
wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_388
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-21 conversation_388

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been imprisoned for supplying cocaine in every year since 2010. \p Jake Richards: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

The offences should be selected by using the HO offence code filter and selecting:

09221 - Production of or being concerned in production of a controlled drug - class B (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives)

09226 - Production or being concerned in production of a controlled drug - class C (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives) (historic)

09241 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class B (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives)

09246 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class C (cannabis, including cannabis resin, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives) (historic)

09230 - Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug - class A (cocaine)