theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_55
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_55

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the total cost to the public purse for the provision of diversity, equality and inclusion courses for staff in his Department in 2024. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence remains committed to making the step changes required to create a more inclusive environment, enabling everyone, irrespective of background, to deliver our Defence outputs, enhance our operational effectiveness, and better defend and represent the nation we serve. The requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of his Department's expenditure was with SMEs in (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years. \p Maria Eagle: The proportion of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) procurement expenditure that goes to Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises is published annually as part of the MOD Regional Expenditure Statistics MOD regional expenditure with industry: index - GOV.UK For Financial Year (FY) 2022-23 5% (£1.4 billion) of the Department’s procurement spend went to SMEs. The figure for FY 2023-24 was 4% (£1.3 billion). Figures for FY 2024-25 are expected to be published in November 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to introduce new performance standards for senior officials serving in his Department. \p Maria Eagle: Through the Defence Reform Programme we will improve procurement efficiency and secure better value for taxpayers, creating a simpler Defence focused on warfighting and deterrence.

A key facet of this programme is ongoing work to create a stronger Defence centre with clearer accountabilities through the Permanent Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff, National Armaments Director and Chief of Defence Nuclear.

Our work on reforming Defence also includes implementation of the renewed Senior Civil Service performance management framework which sets clear expectations of senior officials.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Luke Akehurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Type 83 destroyer programme on (a) sovereign capabilities, (b) supply chain involvement and (c) social value. \p Maria Eagle: This Government is committed to delivering a thriving shipbuilding sector across the UK, supporting the whole supply chain, from design to repair, systems and integration. The Type 83 Destroyer is one element of the Future Air Dominance System (FADS) programme, which has commenced its concept phase. FADS will replace the UK’s present Maritime Air Defence Capability vested in the Type 45 Destroyer Programme.

It is not yet possible to confirm where these ships will be built as it is subject to due commercial process, but the build of the Type 83 will secure work until at least the mid-2040s, depending on the number of platforms built. Analysis of supply chain involvement and social value will be conducted during this phase. Social value and sovereign considerations will inform any subsequent investment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Luke Akehurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on procuring UK-made vehicles for his Department’s White Fleet. \p Maria Eagle: The Department does not have a mechanism in the current lease vehicle procurement contract (Phoenix II) which would allow us to specify the country of manufacturer of our vehicles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what efficiency savings targets does his Department have for financial year (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence does not have a set efficiency target for 2024-25. However, the Department is forecasting £3,376 million of efficiency savings this financial year, of which £171 million are new efficiencies and £3,205 million are in delivery. His Majesty's Treasury have set all Departments a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target for RDEL spending in 2025-26.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with the Cabinet Office on potential efficiency savings in his Department since 30 October 2024. \p Maria Eagle: There have been no discussions with Cabinet Office of potential efficiency savings since that date. However, this is an area that the Department takes extremely seriously. The Department is forecasting £3,376 million of efficiency savings this financial year, of which £171 million are new efficiencies and £3,205 million are in delivery.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what factors contributed to the Protector drone system's downgrade to a red rating in the IPA Annual Report 2023-24; what steps are being taken to mitigate significant cost increases and delays; and what the revised timeline is for the system's full operational capability. \p Maria Eagle: The downgrade of Protector to a red rating was primarily driven by a delay to the approval of the Review Note, which is being considered as part of the ongoing Strategic Defence Review. There are no anticipated cost increases, and all costs captured within the Review Note remain extant. The Full Operational Capability timelines have not yet been agreed and will be detailed in a future Review Note.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing levels of defence expenditure above 2.5% of GDP. \p Maria Eagle: The Government is committed to setting a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence in Spring. The Ministry of Defence remains closely engaged with His Majesty's Treasury on this matter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Chris Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help reduce late payment to SMEs (a) directly contracted by the Ministry of Defence and b) in the supply chain of firms contracted by the Ministry of Defence. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) aims to pay 90% of undisputed and valid invoices from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within five days. In the last quarter of this financial year, over 95% of invoices have been paid within this timescale. Additionally, 100% of all undisputed and valid invoices should be paid within 30 days. Information relating to the Department's supplier payment performance can be found at the gov.uk website.

Along with all major suppliers to Government, direct suppliers to the MOD are required to comply with the Government’s prompt payment policy (PPN 10/23), and can be excluded from MOD procurements if they do not meet the standards of fair payment laid out in the policy. Suppliers must ensure that 95% of invoices in their supply chain are paid within 60 days and that they pay their invoices within an average of at least 55 days.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what outreach programmes are being conducted by (a) Defence Nuclear Enterprise, (b) Defence Equipment and Support and (c) other bodies responsible to his Department to engage with diverse and underrepresented groups to promote defence (i) apprenticeship and (ii) graduate schemes in London; and how many such programmes were undertaken in the last 12 months. \p Al Carns: Defence is dedicated to recruiting and retaining the best talent, drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills, and background, to reflect the society we serve and ensure we maintain an advantage in a competitive age. It is mission critical to our operational effectiveness and to ensuring we continue to meet the threats we face and safeguard the security, stability, and prosperity of our nation. We will only meet these threats if all our people, regardless of background, are confident that their efforts and skills are properly recognised, their individuality and experience respected and are able to achieve their full potential.

Defence is involved in a number of relationships that directly link to both apprenticeships and graduate opportunities, including national and multicultural apprenticeship awards; National Apprenticeship Week; Apprenticeship Ambassador Network; Universities and Colleges Admission Service; university careers fairs; the 5% Club and the Youth Futures Foundation. In the time available to answer this question it has not been possible to identify the number or location of all such interactions over the last 12 months, but given that most of these relationships operate nationwide, London is undoubtedly included.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Damien Egan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to tackle challenges in meeting military recruitment targets. \p Luke Pollard: The new Government is focused upon improving Armed Forces recruitment, modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract the best possible talent.

Recent policies have included a 35% pay increase for new recruits; one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel; scrapping over 100 outdated medical policies; a commitment to create a new military direct-entry cyber pathway; and setting an ambition to make a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days, and a provisional training start date within 30 days.

These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel live in service accommodation. \p Al Carns: As of 6 February 2025, there was a total of 113,461 Armed Forces personnel living in Service accommodation. This figure includes both Single Living Accommodation occupancy and Service Family Accommodation occupancy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) relocation assistance and (b) other support for travel costs are provided by his Department for (i) prospective students and apprentices considering (A) defence apprenticeships, (B) university graduate schemes and (C) further education programmes and (ii) people accepted onto such schemes. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence offers no specific entitlements to claim travel or subsistence costs for those attending interviews or events relating to a prospective apprenticeship or graduate scheme. However, business units have discretion to stipulate in recruitment adverts that receipted and necessary expenses may be claimed.

Civilian apprentices who necessarily live away from home are entitled to financial support with accommodation and the costs of a return journey home three times per year.

In some circumstances First Appointment Expenses (FAE) may be offered through an external recruitment advert. FAE is based upon a tax exemption which allows an employer to pay up to £8,000 towards the cost of certain expenses incurred when an individual moves home to take up a new job.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Rebecca Long Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 May 2024 entitled Nuclear Test Veterans: Atomic Weapons Establishment Records, HCWS45, when he plans to publish the results of the review into the historic files in the ES and AB series relating to the UK’s nuclear weapons programme. \p Al Carns: Since the security review commenced in 2018, almost 70,000 of around 74,000 records withdrawn from public access have been released back to the National Archives. Updates on the progress of the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-nuclear-archive-records
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had discussions with the TV Licensing Agency on (a) discounts and (b) exemptions from the TV licence for armed forces personnel in service accommodation. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence has neither held discussions, nor has any current plan to hold discussions, with the TV Licencing Agency regarding an Armed Forces discount to the TV Licence or an exemption for personnel living in Service accommodation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military pensions are unclaimed; and what steps his Department is taking to increase the claimant rate of those pensions. \p Al Carns: The estimated number of unclaimed pensions as of March 2024, the end of the last financial year, was 14,797.

Tables on membership can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66977e29a3c2a28abb50d0d1/Armed_Forces_Pension_Scheme_annual_accounts_2023_to_2024.pdf

Once a pension reaches 60 working days past the point of being due for payment, proactive attempts are made to trace the member and, on receiving a current address, an explanatory letter and application form is sent advising that a pension may be due. If returned, the deferred pension is put into payment.

Where there is information advising that the individual is deceased, the MOD engages to confirm whether there are any dependants and then process as normal.

In addition, in an aim to increase the claimant rate of those pensions, on receipt of their HM Armed Forces Veteran Card, individuals are advised to review the Deferred Pension Booklet on the gov.uk website to check their possible entitlement and submit a claim if appropriate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Damien Egan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of Capita’s performance in armed forces recruitment since March 2022. \p Luke Pollard: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 December 2024 to Question 19640 to the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois).

The new Government inherited a crisis in retention and recruitment. We have made it a priority to address this with a series of work streams designed to increase recruitment and renew the contract between the nation and those who serve to improve retention. Recruiting and retention remain one of our highest priorities - the Army/Capita Recruiting Partnering Project is completely focusedon delivering a significant increase in recruitment in 2024-25.

Working in a collaborative partnership, the Army and Capita have robust contract management measures, including Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and penalty deductions where KPIs are not met, to monitor performance against contractual requirements. However, as I am sure the right hon. Member will understand, detailed contractual arrangements, including performance measures, are not routinely disclosed by the Department in order to protect the commercial interests of all parties.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the new US Administration on NATO defence spending levels. \p Luke Pollard: The Defence Secretary held an introductory call with the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on 31 January 2025. The Defence Secretary welcomed that 23 Allies are now hitting the 2% target but both discussed the need for all Allies to do more – to support Ukraine, tackle shared threats and safeguard the Alliance’s future. The Defence Secretary looked forward to meeting Secretary Hegseth at NATO Defence Ministers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the relationship between the Kingdom of Brunei and China. \p Luke Pollard: The Secretary of State for Defence has not had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on this matter. The Ministry of Defence has discussed matters relating to the Kingdom of Brunei and the People's Republic of China with other Government Departments including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on maintaining a military presence in the Kingdom of Brunei. \p Luke Pollard: This Government is committed to maintaining our unique defence relationship with Brunei. His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei, and the Prime Minister signed the five-yearly renewal of the Garrison Agreement in December 2024, which signals His Majesty the Sultan's wish to maintain British military presence in Brunei.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent reports of missile tests in North Korea. \p Luke Pollard: The UK is monitoring the continued testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including the short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launches on 14 January 2025 - all of which violate UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCR). The UK remains committed to calling out all violations of UNSCRs and will continue to work with partners to enforce existing UN approved sanctions on DPRK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many homes his Department owns in Edinburgh South West constituency; and how many of those (a) have Ministry of Defence tenants, (b) have private tenants and (c) are vacant. \p Al Carns: As of 5 January 2025, there are 418 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties owned by the Ministry of Defence in the Edinburgh South West Constituency.

254 SFA properties are occupied by Serving Personnel (SP) and their families. 72 SFA properties are rented by private tenants and 92 are currently vacant.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who will use a digital veteran card. \p Al Carns: Based on census data and other sources, there are currently around two million Veterans, all of whom will be able to apply for a Virtual Veterans Card.

The Veterans Data Dashboard is publicly available at the following link:

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/office.for.veterans.affairs/viz/2024-07-29VeteransDataDashboardv2final/Story1
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential strategic value of OneWeb for supporting Ukraine. \p Luke Pollard: The UK has provided a significant number of communication systems to Ukraine, including satellite-based systems, many of which have been integrated into a range of military capabilities. We have considered OneWeb as part of our support package, but, to date, we have not provided OneWeb systems to Ukraine.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are specific on the communications systems they require, and their requests have focussed on different satellite systems. Our support remains agile, and we could switch towards more Satellite communications systems, including OneWeb, if that was deemed a higher priority.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 23387 on the Strategic Defence Review, tabled on 13 January 2025 by the hon. Member for South Suffolk. \p Luke Pollard: I responded to the hon. Member on 7 February 2025.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to secure a UK-EU defence and security agreement. \p Luke Pollard: European security is this Government’s foreign and defence policy priority, and whilst NATO remains the cornerstone of Europe’s collective defence, we recognise the important role the EU plays in the security and prosperity of Europe.

At the informal European Council retreat on 3 February 2025, the Prime Minister reiterated our ambition to seek an ambitious UK-EU Security and Defence relationship, enhancing our collaboration in support of Ukraine and seeking opportunities for improved defence cooperation.

The Ministry of Defence will continue to work with the Cabinet Office and across Whitehall to progress this work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department has taken to stop vetting processes barring those with criminal records being offered peer support roles in the justice sector. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Ministry of Justice supports employment for people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, and we are committed to giving them the support they need to thrive.

The Department is responsible for the care, supervision and rehabilitation of thousands of people. As well as reducing re-offending, there is a duty to protect the public, and victims of crime. Security vetting is vital to ensure that we can deliver these objectives effectively.

For people with lived experience who are unable to attain security clearance, including for peer support roles, we have introduced two alternative entry schemes: Going Forward into Employment and Standard Plus. Applicants with recent offending history or who have recently left prison are risk-assessed for suitable roles within the organisation.

These schemes allow a more holistic approach to risk assessment, taking into account evidence of personal growth and rehabilitation, with a greater focus on how we can mitigate any risks, so that HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) can make use of the skills and qualities that people with lived experience may be able to offer the organisation.

There are, however, certain offences that we consider to pose an unmanageable risk to the safety and security of HMPPS, those working in any capacity, for or on behalf of HMPPS, prisoners, people on probation, visitors, and the public. This may mean that individuals who have committed these offences may never be granted security clearance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases relating to breaches of covid-19 laws are (a) awaiting and (b) ongoing in (i) Crown and (ii) magistrates courts. \p Sarah Sackman: According to the best available data from our live management information systems, there are 114 outstanding cases in the magistrates court under Coronavirus Offences as at 30 September 2024. There are no cases awaiting trial or sentencing at the Crown Court (although there are 3 appeals against magistrate court decisions there).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support probation officers working in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: West Midlands Probation region is committed to supporting probation officers across Staffordshire, including those working in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area. The challenges faced by probation staff are recognised and the region continues to take steps to ensure their wellbeing and professional development.

The Lord Chancellor has committed to bringing in at least 1,000 new probation officer trainees by March 2025 to bolster probation capacity. Across the West Midlands region, there are currently 186 trainee officers. In North Staffordshire, caseloads are carefully managed to make sure staff have the capacity to deliver effective supervision.

The Probation Service Learning and Development Model sets out the mandatory, required, and desirable learning for Probation Officer (PO) and Probation Services Officers (PSO). Support includes digital (e.g. videos, podcasts, interactive experiences and virtually delivered learning), as well as face to face delivery and a suite of resources. Alongside this, HMPPS launched a new learning programme in 2024 for all new Senior Probation Officers focused on developing their skills to support Probation Officers to deliver high quality probation practice.

Regional staff support and wellbeing leads cover both prison and probation. Their role includes coordinating wellbeing services, peer services and liaison with human resources (HR) and other stakeholders. An updated HMPPS Staff Support Directory was published in May 2024. A range of well-being and support initiatives are in place across North Staffordshire.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 23432 on Prisons: Fires, how many cell fire alarms in the identified prisons were found to be (i) working and (ii) not working. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: We undertake regular maintenance and inspection of cell fire detection devices to ensure that any potential issues are identified and addressed promptly. This is crucial to maintaining a safe environment within prisons.

To obtain the information requested, it would be necessary to examine individually each of 2,931 fire investigations, to determine whether failure of a cell fire detection device had been reported. That could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Fred Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of probation officers had a caseload of (a) above 30, (b) above 40, (c) above 50 and (d) above 60 in (i) 2010, (ii) 2014, (iii) 2019 and (iv) 2023. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Caseload data for Probation Officers is unavailable pre-unification of the Probation Service (June 2021). Caseload data for the service as a whole is published for earlier periods (Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK) but is not broken down by which Probation Service grade delivers it.

As of 30 June 2023, the proportion of Probation Officers with a caseload above 30, 40, 50 and 60 is:

Percentage of total POs

a. caseload above 30

52.7%

b. caseload above 40

14.9%

c. caseload above 50

2.3%

d. caseload above 60

0.5%

i) Dataset as of 30 June 2023 from the Workload Measurement Tool (WMT). Data has been taken as of a single day in 2023 and caseload per officer is likely to fluctuate across the year.

ii) For caseloads of less than 30, the percentage of total Probation Officers is 47.3%
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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people took their own life in prison while serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence in 2024. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: There were four self-inflicted deaths of those serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection in 2024. This information can be found in Table 1.7 of the 'Safety in custody: quarterly update to September 2024.

Self-inflicted deaths are any deaths of a person who has apparently taken his or her own life irrespective of intent. This not only includes suicides but also accidental deaths as a result of the person’s own actions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the longest period is that a person is in prison over their minimum tariff; and what the original tariff length was for that person. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: We believe that disclosing the exact tariff information for a single person would be likely to lead to the individual concerned being identified. For this reason, we have chosen to provide figures for the ten prisoners who have served the longest period over their minimum tariff.

The table below shows ten unreleased prisoners that have served the longest period over their tariff, broken down by their tariff length, as of 31 December 2024. All ten prisoners have served 35 years or more over their minimum tariff.

Minimum tariff length

Number of prisoners

Less than or equal to 10 years

6

Greater than 10 years to less than or equal to 20 years

4

Notes:

1. Tariff length is the time between date of sentencing and tariff expiry date and does not take into account any time served on remand.

2. Figures only include those with recorded tariff information.

Where a request is made for information and the total figure amounts to five or fewer, we must consider whether this would be likely to lead to the identification of individuals and whether disclosure of this information would be in breach of our statutory obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and/or the Data Protection Act 2018.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding her Department is providing to promote peer support schemes in (a) custody and (b) community settings in the criminal justice system. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Peer mentoring already plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation within prison and probation services. It is currently used in various ways, including providing lived experience insights of probation community requirements, and direct one-to-one mentoring. Some peer-led services are also delivered by external organisations, further supporting rehabilitation efforts. Overall, there is national variation in delivery of peer led services.

The Ministry of Justice has not specifically assessed the contribution of peer mentoring schemes in relation to reducing offending.

The Ministry of Justice intends that any expansion of peer-led initiatives is informed by evidence, ensuring that growth supports safe and effective rehabilitation. Additionally, every prison has been encouraged to deliver peer mentoring as part of the prison regime. This will help to embed peer support across the custodial estate, promoting rehabilitative engagement and enhancing prisoners’ access to mentoring opportunities.

There are several routes currently available for training and accreditation with most prisons offering a peer mentoring training and some offering higher learning with City and Guilds and other advice and guidance qualifications. In probation there has also been localised training created to deliver to peer mentors.

The funds for peer support schemes in both custody and community settings are delivered through various routes within prison and probation budgets. Funding is allocated regionally and locally by leadership teams, often through commissions and direct awards. As this funding is embedded within broader rehabilitation and resettlement budgets, it is not possible to publish a single figure for departmental spending on these initiatives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_90

Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help tackle delays in the granting of probate. \p Sarah Sackman: HM Courts & Tribunals Service has invested in additional staff and made system and process improvements to reduce waiting times. Management Information published by HMCTS shows, despite continued high levels of receipts, average waiting times are improving and currently stand at 5 weeks, from receipt of the documentation needed, for November 2024.

Average waiting times for probate grants are routinely published on gov.uk via the Family Court Statistics (Family Court Statistics Quarterly - GOV.UK.) and HMCTS Management Information (HMCTS management information - GOV.UK)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_91

Fred Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many probation officers retired from the service in (a) 2010, (b) 2014, (c) 2019 and (d) 2023. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the leaving reasons of probation officers in Table 14b of the quarterly “HM Prison and Probation Service workforce statistics” publication. The latest publication and tables, which covers the year to September 2024, are available here:

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-september-2024

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673de4672ff787d4e01b0886/hmpps-workforce-statistics-tables-sep-2024.ods

Data is only available since the National Probation Service was formed in June 2014, as a result of which the number who retired in 2010 is unavailable. The number of probation officers who retired in 2019 and 2023 is included in the above publication.

The number who retired in 2014 is available in the December 2015 publication available here: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics-december-2015

This only includes data for those who retired after the formation of the National Probation Service in 2014.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_92

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation in courts in 2024. \p Sarah Sackman: This question has been interpreted to mean spend for all language services, both translation and interpretation provided in a court setting, and for printed materials available in HMCTS buildings.

Information is not held disaggregated as (a) translation and (b) interpretation but has been provided in total.

In 2024/25 financial year, total spend to date (Apr-24 to Dec-24) by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service on translation and interpretation is:

Financial Year to Date (Apr-24 to Dec-24)

2024-25

Total Cost

£10,049,422

These year to date figures for the current financial year are provisional and remain subject to change until the 2024-25 financial year concludes and the annual report and accounts have been audited.

It is vital that victims, witnesses and defendants understand what is happening in court to ensure justice is done, and we will always take steps to ensure a qualified interpreter is provided when needed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_93

Fred Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of probation officers had (a) less than one years’ experience (b) less than three years' experience and (c) three or more years’ service at (i) 30 June 2010, (ii) 30 June 2014 and (iii) 30 June 2024. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the length of service of Probation Officers in Table 4 of the quarterly “HM Prison and Probation Service workforce statistics” publication. The latest publication and associated tables, which cover the year to September 2024, are available here:

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-september-2024.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673de4672ff787d4e01b0886/hmpps-workforce-statistics-tables-sep-2024.ods

Data is only available since the National Probation Service was formed in June 2014, as a result of which length of service data for 30 June 2010 is unavailable. Length of service data for Probation Officers in post on 30 June 2024 is included in the above publication.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_94

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 902578 on Marriage: Relatives, what her Department's timetable is for the consideration of the Law Commission’s 2022 wedding report. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Law Commission set out that its recommendations would provide greater choice for couples in deciding how and where they get married. Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions and we must consider any recommendations to change weddings law carefully, including in relation to cousin marriage.

We will take the time to properly consider their report before setting out our position in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_95

Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of numbers of magistrates. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government is committed to increasing the number of magistrates and we aim to recruit up to 2,000 magistrates per year. We are investing in recruitment to ensure that we build a larger and more diverse group of magistrates to meet the needs of our courts. We are also continuously improving our recruitment process collaborating with the magistracy and Advisory Committees.

As of 01 April 2024, there were 14,576 active magistrates in England and Wales, an increase of 2,907 since the start of the Magistrate Attraction and Recruitment Campaign in January 2022. The next set of statistics for the period April 2024 to March 2025 will be published in July 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_96

Bradley Thomas:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants funded by central government work in Bromsgrove constituency. \p Georgia Gould: The location of civil servants is mapped and published at International Territorial Levels (ITLs) and Local Administrative Units (LAUs) only, and not by parliamentary constituency. However, the boundary for the parliamentary constituency of Bromsgrove aligns with the LAU of Bromsgrove. As of 31 March 2024 there were approximately 590 civil servants (headcount) employed and based in Bromsgrove. This information has been sourced from Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) 2024, Cabinet Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_97

Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the performance of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority in dealing with cases which involve the Scottish legal system. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: I understand that the first group of claims included victims from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Claimants who live in Scotland can receive legal support from firms with particular expertise in Scots law, if they wish, and I have been assured that as the scheme expands, the Authority will increase legal capability across all the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_98

Alex Easton:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to address additional (a) costs and (b) administration faced by small businesses in Northern Ireland as a result of the Irish Sea border; and whether he plans to support local businesses to access supplies from the rest of the UK. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the Government will ensure the interests of small businesses are embedded into our Industrial and Trade Strategies, as part of a comprehensive approach to delivering on our economic growth mission. The Windsor Framework established a broad set of arrangements to support Great Britain-based businesses to move goods to Northern Ireland, including to small businesses based in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme reduces checks and administrative burdens on retail agrifood movements. The Northern Ireland Plant Health Label scheme removes unnecessary costs and enables previously prohibited goods to enter Northern Ireland. The first stage of the UK internal market scheme was implemented in 2023, and ensures thousands of businesses can move goods without being subject to customs duties. The Government works closely with industry stakeholders and trade associations on the implementation of these arrangements and will continue to do so.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_99

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 176 of the National Risk Register 2025 and page 180 of the National Risk Register 2023, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016 and (b) Employment Rights Bill on the risk metrics for the National Risk Register 2025 edition. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: All risks in the National Risk Register, which is the public-facing version of the internal, classified National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) are kept under review to ensure that they are the most appropriate scenarios to inform emergency preparedness and resilience activity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_100

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many government cyber security roles were vacant on 4 February 2025; and what steps he is taking to recruit more people into cyber security roles. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Government Security Group gathers data from cyber security teams across government through planned bi-annual commissions, providing updates on vacant roles in our workforce. In 2023, 251 cyber roles were reported vacant.

The 2025 Government Security Workforce Commission, being undertaken currently, will provide updated data on current vacancy levels.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_101

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve the cyber security of government digital infrastructure. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: We are committed to strengthening security across all aspects of the Government digital estate.

The Government Cyber Security Strategy sets a clear target for all government organisations to be resilient to known vulnerabilities and common attack methods by 2030.

The recent report from the National Audit Office into Government Cyber Resilience showed that the response needs to be accelerated given the changing threat picture. Its recommendations include development of a whole of government approach, addressing the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, strengthening accountability for cyber risk, and better managing the risks posed by legacy IT. We welcome this report and are taking immediate steps to address its recommendations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-11 conversation_102

Alicia Kearns:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning the use of the DeepSeek artificial intelligence model (a) on government devices, (b) in government buildings and (c) by government employees. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: Everyone who works with government has a duty of confidentiality and a responsibility to safeguard any government information or data that they process, access or share, and all government departments are required to meet a range of mandatory security standards.

Government has a robust set of security policies in place to oversee how information is handled, within our buildings, on our IT and by our staff. We keep these policies under constant review to ensure they are applicable to new technologies.

In conjunction, the Government's Generative AI framework outlines that only corporately assured Generative AI tools should be used to process HMG information.