theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the provision of cricket clubs across local communities. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to supporting grassroots cricket through its recent announcement of funding for the England and Wales Cricket Board to build two new indoor cricket domes in Farington and Luton.

This funding for cricket domes is in addition to the £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation which was announced following the spending review. As part of this funding, 40% of projects across the UK will be required to benefit a sport other than football, including cricket, basketball and rugby league. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to the ECB, which receives up to £11.6 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support has government provided to grass roots rugby in encouraging the participation of young people. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including rugby, providing more opportunities for young people to be active.

Sport England provides long term investment to the Rugby Football Union (£13.9 million from 2022-27) and Rugby Football League (£11.9 million from 2022-25), the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since last summer, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for the appointment of board members of the independent football regulator. \p Stephanie Peacock: Three board members are already in place at the IFR. A robust, transparent process to recruit a further four appointees, to complement the existing talent, opened on 12 November. Applications are due on 10 December and the full details are on the public appointments pages of Gov.uk:

https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8938?titleSearch=football&body=&regulated=&bodyJustice=&remunerated=&status=open&sort=openingAt%3Adesc
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate has been made of the number of (1) grass and (2) artificial football pitches in (a) England (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham for each year since 2015. \p Stephanie Peacock: According to Sport England’s Active Places database, as of December 2025 there are 59,794 grass football pitches and 6,634 artificial grass pitches in England. In Greater Manchester, there are 1,796 grass football pitches and 380 artificial grass pitches. In Oldham, there are 113 grass football pitches and 30 artificial grass pitches.

The Government is investing £98m in grassroots facilities across the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2025/26, funding projects such as new artificial grass pitches, grass pitch improvements and pitch maintenance equipment.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Chinese nationals have gained a visa through the Graduate Route in each year since 2021, broken down by (a) undergraduates, and (b) postgraduates. \p Mike Tapp: The information requested is not available from published statistics; nor do we break down the data as requested and we are unable to answer without disproportionate cost.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the total capital cost to the government of customs check posts since the UK EU withdrawal. \p Mike Tapp: The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential security risks associated with rapid increases in temporary recruitment in the delivery sector during peak shopping periods. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office has not made such an assessment. It is for companies in the delivery sector to act to ensure their employees are of good standing, and that appropriate and proportionate background checks are undertaken where this is deemed to be necessary.

In relation to Royal Mail, Ofcom’s regulatory framework places obligations on them, as the universal service provider, in relation to recruitment, training of employees (including temporary workers) and on security of the mail processes for employees. This does not apply to other delivery operators.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing additional driving test centres in (a) rural and (b) semi-rural constituencies. \p Simon Lightwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) fully acknowledges car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this continues to have on learner drivers, particularly those living in rural and semi-rural communities.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

· Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

· Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

· Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will issue guidelines to airlines on the treatment of passengers with neurological disabilities, including standardised procedures for fitness-to-fly assessments. \p Keir Mather: Aviation must be accessible to all, and everyone has the right to travel with dignity and ease. UK law prohibits refusal of carriage by air based on any disability, impairment, or condition, except where restrictions are required due to safety reasons.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published guidance on airline accessibility including on assisting people with hidden disabilities. In addition, it issued its Airline Accessibility Guidance in 2024, which will be used to assess airline performance against accessibility requirements. This states that decisions on requiring medical clearance must be made on a case-by-case basis, and only where there is a valid reason for doing so.
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Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department made of the potential impacts of removing the ability for driving instructors to book driving tests on behalf of learners on test availability. \p Simon Lightwood: To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that sought views from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties. In reaching this decision, impacts were fully considered. Further detail on the rationale, which will set out the detailed analysis, will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to conduct an impact assessment of the DVSA’s policy to restrict driving instructors from booking test appointments. \p Simon Lightwood: To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that sought views from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties. In reaching this decision, impacts were fully considered. Further detail on the rationale, which will set out the detailed analysis, will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the DVSA’s internal systems for addressing delays in practical driving test appointments. \p Simon Lightwood: Learning to drive is a major milestone in life for many, and no one should be held back by long and uncertain waits. That is why this government has launched a robust plan to bring waiting times down and restore confidence in the broken system we inherited from the previous government.

On 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times. In the coming months, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will:

Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

These changes will be introduced in spring 2026. DVSA will publish the full outcome of its consultation with details on how the changes will be implemented and when, as soon as possible.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has chosen to investigate and report on the causes of car driving test delays, and update on DVSA’s plan and progress in tackling these issues, the scale and nature of the waiting times for booking practical car driving tests. This includes examining the root cause of the delays and how DVSA has responded to the delays. DVSA has worked with DfT and the NAO team to provide the information needed for its investigation. The NAO intends to publish its report in winter 2025/26.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on prioritising access to the national grid for port electrification to support ports who wish to offer onshore power supply connection to cruise line customers. \p Keir Mather: Reforming the connections process and investing in the grid is a key Government priority. This includes reforms that are expected to deprioritise over half of the existing queue based on readiness and strategic alignment with our strategy as set out in Clean Power 2030.

Department for Transport ministers and officials meet regularly with their counterparts in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. These include discussions on the significance of getting sufficient grid capacity to electrify ports, for cruise and ferries to use shore power and policy options to accelerate connection dates for strategic demand customers, such as critical port sites. This is informed by the Department for Transport call for evidence on Net Zero Ports, published in March 2025, which posed questions on managing future energy demand at ports.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve road safety outside schools. \p Lilian Greenwood: The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government.

Local authorities have a range of traffic management measures available to them to help improve safety outside schools including reducing speed limits, traffic calming, and introduction of a School Street where appropriate. On 19 November 2024 Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published joint School Streets Guidance. The guidance is available at School Streets: how to set up and manage a scheme - GOV.UK
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 92100 on Great British Railways: Environment Protection, if she will take legislative steps to require Great British Railways to publish an annual environmental performance report. \p Keir Mather: There are no plans to legislate for a specific annual report on environmental performance. Reporting requirements for GBR will be set as part of GBR design, ensuring transparency in GBR’s delivery. We expect that GBR will include detail in its Integrated Business Plan and its annual report and accounts.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions have taken place with highway authorities in England on the potential impact of yellow box enforcement on congestion and pollution on the road network. \p Lilian Greenwood: No such discussions have been held with highway authorities. Primary legislation requires local authorities with designated powers to have regard to the Secretary of State's statutory guidance on moving traffic enforcement, which includes box junction markings. This guidance includes measures to reduce congestion, enabling walking and cycling, reduce rat-running, create more pleasant places to live and work in and improve road safety.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the transport adaptation strategy will be published. \p Simon Lightwood: In 2024, DfT consulted on a draft transport adaptation strategy and published a summary of responses in March 2025. We will shortly publish the transport adaptation strategy.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many sustainable aviation fuel plants she expects to be under construction in (a) 2026, (b) 2027, (c) 2028, (d) 2029 and (e) 2030. \p Keir Mather: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the Rt Hon Member for Basildon and Billericay on 7 November 2025, to Question UIN 86750.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Motability Foundation on an accessible transition to EVs. \p Keir Mather: The Department works with Motability on an accessible transition to EVs. This includes initiatives to ensure public charging infrastructure is accessible for drivers with disabilities, such as the joint sponsorship of the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 1899:2022 for chargepoint accessibility.
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Grand Central Rail services have been cancelled due to train faults in 2025 to date. \p Keir Mather: The most recent data available from the regulator shows that out of 3365 planned Grand Central services between January and June 2025, 58 services were cancelled due to faults attributed to the operator.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90803 on Transport: Apprentices and Training, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the impact of the removal of Level 7 apprenticeship funding for those over 22 on workforce availability in the transport sector. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department for Transport has been in regular contact with the Department for Work and Pensions regarding Level 7 apprenticeships, including most recently as part of preparations for a Transport Select Committee session discussing skills for transport manufacturing.

Analysis done by Skills England on Level 7 apprenticeship funding has shown that in the majority of areas, including transport, there are appropriate substitutes or alternatives to progress at Level 7 for those over 22, which will support workforce availability. This was factored into the decision that was taken on Level 7 apprenticeships.

We know there has been a large decline in young people starting apprenticeships – around 40% over the last ten years. We currently have around 800,000 young people who are not in education, employment or training. Therefore, we are looking to reverse this trend and our focus is on making sure Government funding supports young people starting out in their careers, rather than those already in work with higher prior qualifications. We also know that Level 7 apprenticeships can be valuable for young people, so the Government will continue funding them for learners under 22 as part of our reforms.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the pull and push factors driving taxi license holders from obtaining licenses out of their area of residence and operation, such as to Wolverhampton Council. \p Lilian Greenwood: Ministers and officials regularly engage with the taxi and private hire vehicle sector. Differing licensing requirements, processing times and costs are often cited as reasons why licences are sought from authorities other than that in which the applicants intend to work.

Though there is a high degree of consistency in requirements relating to safety, for example all licensing authorities in England require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service and barred lists check for drivers, the Government is taking action to ensure even greater consistency in licensing.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks to introduce powers to set national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. If passed, national minimum standards would enable government to set robust standards for licensing across England, to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel. It would also help reduce the variability of licensing standards across the country, which is a significant factor in inducing out-of-area working.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Network Rail’s progress in (a) undertaking risk assessments for assets that do not comply with its internal standards and (b) evidencing its (i) identification and (ii) management of associated safety risks. \p Keir Mather: This is a matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), as the independent rail safety regulator and enforcement body for Britain’s railways.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 92061 on Great British Railways, when the Department expects to publish the rollout plan for Great British Railways branding; and whether that plan will include a timetable, cost breakdown and value-for-money assessment of the transition process. \p Keir Mather: Ministers will empower rail industry leaders to deliver an efficient and cost effective rollout of the Great British Railways brand, maximising value for money and growing revenue. The Department is working to finalise more detail on the rollout plan and will announce next steps in due course.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of average speed cameras on the number of accidents and casualties. \p Lilian Greenwood: A 2016 study conducted by the RAC Foundation in partnership with Road Safety Analysis examined 50 Average Speed Camera (ASC) sites across Great Britain.

After adjusting for factors such as regression to the mean and national casualty trends, the analysis found:

The full report is available at

Average_speed_camera_effectiveness_Owen_Ursachi_Allsop_September_2016.pdf
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Greg Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the eCall system on the number of casualties or fatalities on the roads. \p Lilian Greenwood: A 2013 pre-legislation appraisal concluded that following full adoption of eCall in the UK (in 2018), casualty reduction was likely to be at most 13 fatalities a year and 100 serious injuries involving car and van occupants only. No post-implementation review has been conducted.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of setting the period of the Warm Homes Plan for at least 10 years to enable housing providers more certainty to (a) invest and (b) plan to reduce their residents’ energy bills. \p Martin McCluskey: We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan for households to cut energy bills for good. We are investing over £15 billion in the Warm Homes Plan up to 2030. The Plan will include targeted support for the most vulnerable to help reduce fuel poverty.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to promote limestone insulation as an energy efficiency measure. \p Martin McCluskey: The government does not promote one measure over another, instead energy efficiency measures installed under current Government energy efficiency schemes must be compliant with PAS 2035/2030 to ensure installations are done to the highest quality and the risk of unintended consequences, such as condensation or damp, are minimised.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to support people suffering with a terminal illness with their energy bills. \p Martin McCluskey: The affordability crisis is the biggest issue facing this country. That is why I am proud that the recent Autumn Budget acts to take an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills.

This support comes on top of the £150 off energy bills that we are providing for around 6 million families under the Warm Home Discount this winter, cutting fuel poverty.

The Government has been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills. I would urge any consumers who are struggling to pay their bills to speak to their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice who may be able to provide help and support. They can also visit the GOV.UK website, where extra cost-of-living support can be found - www.gov.uk/cost-of-living.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what replacement scheme will support energy efficiency for low-income households after ECO4 ends on 31 March 2026. \p Martin McCluskey: The government has committed to additional grant funding of £1.5bn which will be directed to upgrading low-income households, benefitting those in fuel poverty. This will take total Warm Homes Plan funding to around £15 billion; more details will be set out soon. The government continues to improve home energy efficiency through Warm Homes: Social Housing Decarbonisation, Warm Homes: Local Government and the ongoing Boiler Upgrade Scheme supporting thousands of households to upgrade their heating systems.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a timeline for the transfer of the £2.3bn investment reserve to BCSSS members. \p Chris McDonald: The Chancellor announced in the budget the transfer of the full reserve of £2.3bn which will increase member incomes by 41%. The transfer has been completed and the required amendments to the scheme rules agreed and signed.

Implementation is a matter for the Trustees but we understand they have put processes in place so that the first payments will be made on 23 December.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support people with oil heated homes in Devon. \p Martin McCluskey: For most oil-heated homes transitioning to clean heat will include installing a heat pump. Grants of £7,500 are available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). As hydronic heat pumps may not be suitable for every property, BUS supports biomass boilers in rural homes with a £5,000 grants and we will offer £2,500 grants to support air-to-air heat pumps from 2026.

Government has recently published a consultation exploring the role of alternative clean heating solutions. The consultation opened on 18 November and will run for 12 weeks.

Finally, we are undertaking research to collect data on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes and expect to receive results early next year.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in the next two years, how many new oil and gas licences his Department will examine and what proportion he estimates will be approved; and what assessment he has made of the impact of licensing policy on the future viability of existing North Sea infrastructure. \p Michael Shanks: The Government will legislate to meet its landmark manifesto commitment to end new licences to explore new oil and gas fields.

To support existing fields and infrastructure, the Government will introduce new Transitional Energy Certificates for a managed, prosperous and orderly transition.

The evidence suggests that even if new licenses were issued it would have only a marginal impact on overall production in the North Sea given it is a super mature basin which has been in decline for more than two decades.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of of green levies on utility bills. \p Martin McCluskey: The key to bringing down energy bills in the long term is clean power. With gas prices still significantly higher than historic levels, our exposure to international fossil fuel markets is still the main driver of high energy bills.

Taken together, the actions announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Chancellor at the Budget take an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills and deliver on funding more of the investment we need in our energy system through public expenditure rather than levies. £7 billion worth of the historic Renewables Obligation levy has been moved into public expenditure and the ECO scheme has been scrapped. The government is delivering the biggest public investment in home energy efficiency ever, increasing the settlement we received at the Spending Review.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what was the budget for a) security and b) cyber security in the National Gas business plan each year for the past five years. \p Michael Shanks: Funding for National Gas Transmission is set by Ofgem’s RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs) framework for each five-year regulatory period.

For security reasons, Ofgem does not publish the specific allowances awarded for physical or cyber security. These investments are designed to strengthen resilience, often for Critical National Infrastructure, and disclosure could increase risks to individual companies and the wider energy sector.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of linking eligibility for (a) boiler replacement and (b) heating repairs to the completion of insulation measures in cases where properties are unsuitable for insulation on vulnerable households; and whether he plans to review that requirement. \p Martin McCluskey: Eligibility for government home improvement schemes is based on factors such as the household income, vulnerability and the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of the property. Information on government support including eligibility criteria can be found at www.gov.uk/government/collections/find-energy-grants-for-you-home-help-to-heat.

Consumers can also visit the government’s home retrofit tool on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency to get tailored recommendations for home improvements and upgrades. There is a phoneline service available on xx-xxxx-xxxx.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to review access to energy efficiency schemes for households in (a) properties over 100 years old and (b) otherwise classified as difficult to insulate. \p Martin McCluskey: The government is committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind in the transition to Net Zero, supplying solutions that work for all buildings. The Warm Homes Plan will transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes fit for the future.

Research was commissioned by the Department to develop a definition for housing stock where the presence, and combination, of attributes and contextual factors, including age, can add complexity to improving energy efficiency.

The government is currently carefully considering the findings, which can be found at: (www.gov.uk/government/publications/defining-and-identifying-complex-to-decarbonise-homes.) These will inform any future decisions.

For tailored recommendations on home upgrades consumers should visit the government’s home retrofit tool: https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-05 conversation_201

Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of international progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. \p Katie White: Before the Paris Agreement policies put the world on track for up to 4°C of warming by 2100. The latest Emissions Gap Report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), published in October 2025, estimates that current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) put the world on course for 2.3°C to 2.5°C, or 1.9°C if all countries meet their NDC and net zero commitments in full.

Following COP30, the UK will continue to push for greater ambition globally to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-05 conversation_202

Oliver Ryan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the safeguarding implications for children who have a parent in prison; and whether he plans to introduce a national statutory mechanism to identify those children, including a requirement for prisons and probation services to notify local authorities and schools when a parent is incarcerated. \p Jake Richards: We recognise that more can be done to ensure children with a parent in prison are identified so that they get the support they need. This is why the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education are working together to determine the best mechanism to identify these children.

We will continue to engage with those with those who have direct experience of having a parent in prison and with the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector to inform our approach. For example, 25 November marked the first-ever National Day to recognise children with a parent in prison. This provided a powerful opportunity for Ministers and officials from both Departments to attend a conference hosted by the charity Children Heard and Seen to hear directly from children and young people with lived experience of parental imprisonment. This demonstrates our commitment to putting children’s voices at the heart of our policymaking.

HMPPS has a statutory duty under section 11 of the Children Act (2004) to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. HMPPS staff are required to check if prisoners received into custody have caring responsibilities for any children, to make enquiries with children’s services and record known safeguarding concerns. HMPPS works in partnership with police forces, children’s services and other relevant agencies to fulfil its safeguarding responsibilities. Where HMPPS professionals are concerned about the welfare of a child of a prisoner, they must consider whether a referral to local authority children’s social care is required and should always refer immediately if there is a concern that the child is suffering, or likely to, suffer significant harm. Additionally, HMPPS provides a comprehensive range of staff training and learning opportunities for staff, including an annual “Think Child” campaign, aimed at promoting children’s safety.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-05 conversation_203

Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the Chief Medical Officer’s report, Health of People in Prison, on Probation and in the Secure NHS Estate in England, published on 6 November 2025, and how his department will be working with the Department of Health and Social Care to implement its recommendations. \p Jake Richards: The Government welcomes the Chief Medical Officer’s review of the health of people in prison, on probation and in the secure NHS estate in England. This is an important area of focus and the report makes a range of recommendations to improve health outcomes for those in contact with the criminal justice system.

Improving health outcomes for people in prison and on probation is a shared challenge across the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, and we will continue to work in close partnership, as reflected by our National Partnership Agreement, as we carefully consider how to address the recommendations highlighted in the report.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-05 conversation_204

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an estimate of the costs incurred by police forces and courts as a result of the recent mistaken release of three prisoners. \p Jake Richards: Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address the issue.

Locating and re-apprehending suspects relate to policing and are a matter for the Home Office. There is no inherent court cost involved in the release in error cases.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-05 conversation_205

Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that increased workloads among HMPPS Probation staff are matched by appropriate pay and support. \p Jake Richards: We have taken immediate steps to reduce probation workload where possible. “Probation Reset” was fully implemented on 1 July 2024, followed by the introduction of “Impact” on 28 April 2025. These initiatives are among several designed to alleviate workload pressures by refocusing resources to manage those on probation more efficiently.

Further to these immediate steps, the Our Future Probation Service Programme has been established which aims to ensure that workloads for probation staff are sustainable by deploying new technologies, reforming processes, and ensuring prioritisation of probation staff time. We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of staff by ensuring workloads are sustainable.

I recognise the ongoing workload pressures on the Probation Service and supporting staff wellbeing and safety is critical for us. To address this, a new wellbeing support model has been established across HMPPS, with staff support and well-being leads for both prison and probation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-05 conversation_206

Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delayed pay awards on staff morale, workload and retention in the Probation Service. \p Jake Richards: We recognise that fair and competitive pay is a key part of supporting and retaining our valued probation workforce.

Staff retention and morale is vitally important to us, and we continuously monitor staff workload and retention. The first Recruitment and Retention Strategy was published in 2021. Since its launch, the Strategy has delivered a range of initiatives aimed at increasing recruitment and improving retention across the Probation Service. A full evaluation of the strategy was undertaken to measure progress and identify further areas for future improvement in the recruitment and retention space.

The latest retention data can be found in the HMPPS Official Workforce Statistics which were published on 19 November 2025: HM Prison & Probation Service workforce quarterly: September 2025 - GOV.UK. As these statistics show, the leaving rate for staff in the Probation Service has decreased.

We have taken steps to acknowledge the continued dedication of staff during this challenging period. As part of this, we secured agreement to pay the Competency-Based Framework progression payments, as an interim award, to eligible staff in June 2025. This recognises their vital contribution to delivering on our operational priorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-05 conversation_207

Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when staff working in HMPPS Probation Services will receive their pay award for 2025–26; and for what reason it has not been implemented. \p Jake Richards: We recognise that fair and competitive pay is a key part of supporting and retaining our valued probation workforce. We continue to work to deliver on the 2025-26 pay awards for Probation Staff who are members of the Civil Service. We could not start the process until the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance was published on 22 May 2025, and since then we have worked hard to develop options and are now seeking the necessary approvals to move to the next part of the process which is to start formal negotiations with the trade unions and work towards making a final offer.

In the meantime, we have taken steps to acknowledge the continued dedication of staff during this challenging period. As part of this, we secured agreement to pay the Competency-Based Framework (CBF) progression payments, as an interim award, to eligible staff in June 2025. This recognises their vital contribution to delivering on our operational priorities.

Once the pay award has been determined it will be back dated to April 2025 for eligible staff.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-05 conversation_208

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that its legal obligations under the Human Rights Act in relation to the detention of defendants are met. \p Jake Richards: The Department ensures compliance with its obligations under the Human Rights Act, and other legal requirements, through operational policies communicated to prisons and probation, and oversight by bodies such as HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Independent Monitoring Boards.

The Department works hard to ensure we maintain safe, lawful conditions and uphold prisoners’ rights.