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Nicholas Dakin
LAB✓ Current MP
🏛️ Scunthorpe
📅 2010–2025
1,359 speeches on Hansard record
✅ Votes attended: 79.66% (#162 of 650 MPs)
🟢 Rebelled against party: 0.71%
📝 Topics: Teachers: Training, Apprentices: Taxation, Cancer
🤝 Member of 3 All-Party Parliamentary Groups
Written Answers
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Ministry of Justice
Too many prisoners enter into custody with significant gaps in their education and low levels of literacy and numeracy. Improving prisoners' functional skills is a key priority for both HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice as strong foundational skills are vital for rehabilitation.HMPPS has introduced…
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The Ministry of Justice recognises the vital role prison education plays in reducing reoffending. Evidence shows that prisoners who engage in any form of education while in custody are up to nine percentage points less likely to reoffend. To strengthen outcomes, His Majesty’s Prison and…
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The Ministry of Justice prioritises maintenance funding for both the HMCTS and HMPPS estates to make sure buildings are safe, secure, meet statutory requirements and protect continuity of service.The condition of HMCTS and HMPPS properties is routinely monitored and any faults or safety concerns…
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Effective resettlement of prison leavers is crucial to reduce reoffending. This includes making sure someone has a home, family links where appropriate, access to healthcare, a job or education, and timely access to benefits where needed. Community probation practitioners coordinate each…
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There is evidence that community orders and suspended sentence orders are more effective at reducing reoffending than sentences of immediate custody in certain circumstances.Robust analysis (using a matched comparison group to account for cohort differences such as drug use and unemployment), found…
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The previous Labour Government added nearly 28,000 places to the prison estate between 1997 and 2010. However, available records do not provide a breakdown for these figures of these places by category. It is therefore not possible to provide the number of places created through crowding. Prison…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of those remanded in custody and bailed together with details of the final sentence at criminal courts in England and Wales in the remands data tool. This can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice…
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In line with the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendation on reducing the use of short custodial sentences, the Sentencing Bill 2025 introduces a presumption to suspend short custodial sentences of 12 months or less, including for non-violent offences. We are not abolishing short…
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The question has been interpreted to mean ineffective trials that do not start on their intended start date and need rescheduling. Trials can become ineffective for many reasons, owing to the action or inaction of the parties, or of the courts. Delays or failures to bring prisoners to court are one…
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The information requested is provided in the tables attached. Safety on our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out the next steps on this…
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Financial penalties, known as “service credits,” are applied to Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) suppliers on any occasion where a courtroom delay has occurred because of failure by the contractor.Some individual journeys where the straight-line distance is more than 100 miles…
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We know continued engagement with treatment and recovery throughout an offender’s journey is vital to reduce drug misuse, drug-related crime, and reoffending. Responsibility for funding and commissioning of substance misuse treatment lies with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS…
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Safety on our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out next steps on this in due course.Provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and…
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In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, we are unable to provide the requested information at this time, as doing so would disclose a subset of data which is currently intended for future publication by the Ministry of Justice.Data on the number of Foreign National Offenders in prison by…
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Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, has met regularly with senior representatives from Serco. The most recent of these meetings took place on Tuesday 22 July 2025. At that meeting, the Minister welcomed the improvements observed in Serco’s recent…
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Between July 2021 and December 2024, a total of 1,272,250 hours of unpaid work were worked in the West Midlands.YearUnpaid work hours workedJuly to December 2021143,360January to December 2022352,660January to December 2023371,915January to December 2024404,315Data from April 2022 to December 2024…
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The correspondence of 11 June will be responded to in due course.
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Increasing the numbers of foreign national offender returns from our prisons is a priority for this Government.We are working with international partners wherever possible to help achieve this.
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Elevated radon readings were first found at Dartmoor in 2020. HMPPS have been monitoring radon levels to manage exposure to prisoners and staff.Dartmoor has been temporarily closed since August 2024 after monitoring results were higher than expected. We are working with specialist radon experts to…
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In the latest published figures as of 31 March 2025, there were 89 FTE fewer staff in post compared to the target staffing level. This relates to the full-time equivalent, adjusted for different contracted hours, for Band 3 to 5 Prison Officers working in public sector prisons in the West Midlands.…
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Electronic Monitoring can be one part of robust licence conditions to support the management of offenders in the community. It is a mandatory requirement for those released under the Home Detention Curfew scheme and for those released onto the Acquisitive Crime programme. Electronic Monitoring can…
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The contracts for supply of services to the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS), which is part of HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), are overseen by a specialist team, which monitors supplier performance against contractual obligations, works closely with suppliers to address any…
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The Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS), which is part of HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS), provides Ministers with regular updates on performance of prisoner escort contractors against delivery targets.It is recognised that there are many factors that can lead to trials being cancelled…
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His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to tackling the threat to prison security posed by illicit mobile telephones. We have a wide-ranging programme in place to prevent them from entering prisons; to detect and disrupt their use by prisoners if they are smuggled in;…
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Information relating to the time spent on custodial remand is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice. To obtain the data to answer this question would involve a manual interrogation of court records which would result in a disproportionate cost to the Department.
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The requested information for the average length of time spent on recall for indeterminate prisoners can be found in Table 5_Q_11 of the Department’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication:…
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It is recognised that there are many factors that can lead to trials being delayed, and that the efficient running of the criminal justice system requires a whole-system approach.Over the three months March to May 2025, GEOAmey, the PECS supplier in the north, escorted 45,632 prisoners to court.…
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. On 10 September 2024, the Government therefore took the unavoidable step to move the release point for certain standard determinate sentences…
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. SDS40 was a necessary measure introduced to relieve pressure on the prison estate. This involved changes to some offender’s…
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The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is an important priority of this Government. We refer all FNOs in receipt of custodial sentences to the Home Office to consider deportation and we are taking decisive steps to increase removals.In the past year, 5,179 FNOs have been deported. This is…
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The application process is managed by the supplier and so no such assurance can be provided by the Department. As the scheme employer, the Department works proactively with suppliers supporting early applications being made to obtain admitted body status and to provide a scheme guarantee from the…
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The Department works with the supplier to ensure migration plans and post migration plans have a confirmed process for maintaining the pension status until the supplier is fully admitted.
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The application process is managed by the supplier and so no such assurance can be provided by the Department. As the scheme employer, the Department works proactively with suppliers supporting early applications being made to obtain admitted body status and to provide a scheme guarantee from the…
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The Department has not made any such assurances to private-sector providers of prison education. Instead, as the scheme employer, the Department works collaboratively with suppliers to assist in the completion of their Admissions Agreement(s) to the appropriate pension fund. Furthermore, the…
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It is the expectation that private-sector providers of prison education will apply directly to relevant public-sector pension schemes to seek admitted body status. The Department will collaborate with suppliers to achieve admittance to relevant pension schemes.
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The Department followed guidance from His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT), at the time of tender publication, and included all the relevant details to bidders on the application of the New Fair Deal (NFD) in the Invitation to Tender documentation.Further information can be found using the following…
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I can confirm that staff transferring from further education colleges to the private sector will have access to (a) the Local Government Pension Scheme and (b) the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
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I can confirm that the New Fair Deal will apply. The Department will honour the Government pension policy set by His Majesty’s Treasury.
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Between 17 July and 31 December 2024 (the latest period for which validated figures are available), four Albanian national offenders were transferred to Albania under the bi-lateral Prison Transfer Agreement. Prisoner transfer is just one scheme where foreign national offenders can be removed early…
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If a foreign national accused of a crime is held on remand, they are detained in custody ahead of trial and sentencing and will not be in the community. We are therefore not able to provide a response to this question as currently worded.The Ministry of Justice does publish information on the…
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Following the Lord Chancellor’s announcement on 3 June that we will be mandating Protective Body Armour (PBA – commonly referred to as "stab vests") for use in Separation Centres, Close Supervision Centres and Segregation Units in the Long-term High Secure Estate, we are working to…
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Assaults on staff by month can be found on the bottom row on table 8e in the Safety in Custody Summary Tables, available at the following link: Safety-in-custody-summary-q4-2024_final_table.xlsx.The Safety in Custody statistics are updated quarterly, and the next update will be published on 31 July.
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Safety in Custody statistics are published quarterly, with the next publication due on 31 July 2025. This will cover deaths in prison custody to June 2025, and self-harm and assaults in prison custody to March 2025.The statistics will be available at the following link: Safety in custody statistics…
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Lancashire is part of the North West region of the Probation Service. The North West region has developed a Quality Improvement Plan that prioritises and focuses improvement activity. It includes actions derived from internal audits and reports by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.…
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The number of those released on home detention curfew (HDC) within 30 days of their HDC Eligibility Date in the latest published data period (between 01 October and 31 December 2024) in England and Wales was 2,827.The number of those released on HDC each year is published in the Department’s…
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Obtaining this information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
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Data on the number of babies accommodated in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) in England is published at Table 10.1 of the HMPPS Annual Digest…
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HMPPS publishes data on dismissals related to conduct and disciplinary matters as part of its annual Staff Equalities Report. The collection page can be found here: HMPPS annual staff equalities report - GOV.UK.The 2024/2025 edition of the report is scheduled for publication on 27 November 2025. It…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a range of offences including immigration offences and those under the Nationality and Borders Act in the Outcomes by Offences data tool up to the end of 2024. The tool can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics…
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.The Ministry of Justice does not hold this data and to provide it would result in a disproportionate cost.We have published SDS40 release…
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The Parole Board has worked hard to reduce its growing caseload and manage the time it takes from referral to completion of prisoner reviews at both paper and oral hearings.Timeliness of Parole Board hearings is not routinely published, however, in its annual report for 2023/24, the Board states…
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In December, we published the 10-year capacity strategy outlining our commitment to build 14,000 prison places. We have already delivered c.2,500 places in the prison estate since coming into office, including a new c.1,500 place Category C prison HMP Millsike.To deliver the 14,000 places, we are…
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Information about individuals convicted or in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences, by ideology, is published by the Home Office as part of the ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ statistics series. The series can be accessed via the following…
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The Prison Services Long Service & Good Conduct Medal is awarded to operational staff in the UK Prison Services on completion of 20 years’ continuous meritorious service, and aligns operational public sector prison staff with comparable organisations such as the Police, Fire and Ambulance…
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on arrests and to provide it would result in a disproportionate cost.We have published SDS40…
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As at May 2025, 56.1% of food products sourced via the prisoner food contract and served in prisons is of British origin, however we do not hold a figure for farms specifically.The sourcing of products is managed through commercial food contracts which are based upon value for money and the…
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As noted in the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62457, prisoners on E Wing are located separately from all other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview. Supervised access to activities in the main prison’s regime, including work, is provided only where a local risk assessment has determined this to…
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The Probation Service in the North West has developed a Quality Improvement Plan which prioritises and focuses improvement activity across Probation Delivery Units in the region, and at regional level, and includes actions derived from internal audits and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of…
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The requested information for indeterminate prisoners re-released following recall can be found in Table 5_Q_11 of the Department’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication: licence-recalls-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods.The corresponding information for determinate sentenced prisoners is…
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Information on the number of people in prison on custodial sentences is published as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly.Data from 2002-2015 can be found in Table 1.Leg.1 at the following link: Prison-population-2002-to-2015.ods.Data from 2015-2024 can be found in Table 1.A.1 at…
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Information relating to the time spent on custodial remand is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice. To obtain the data to answer this question would involve a manual interrogation of court records which would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department.
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On 11 December 2024, we published the first annual statement on prison capacity, fulfilling our commitment to increased transparency, holding this government and future governments to account.The demand projections used in the annual statement are based on population projection Accredited Official…
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Deaths in Approved Premises are rare, accounting for less than 1% of deaths of offenders in the community during 2023/24, and the number of deaths annually has been decreasing. Some of the deaths, while resident in Approved Premises, occurred away from the premises.Five individuals serving an…
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An Extended Sentence for Public Protection (EPP) was a determinate sentence in use from 2005 until its abolition in 2012.The sentence was handed down to individuals convicted of specified offences where Section 227 or Section 228 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 applied, and where the courts…
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We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the provisions in the Data Protection Act 2018 in respect of people acquitted of crimes. The ‘right to be forgotten’ is not an absolute right and whether there is a need for an organisation to retain data about a person’s…
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Data about the number of Foreign National Offenders (FNO) on post-release supervision is published regularly as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly bulletin, with figures included under table 6.9 of the Probation chapter. The series, which includes data from the 31 March 2024, can…
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The latest data available (April 2023-March 2024) shows that 13.0% of females and 21.8% of males in the West Midlands region were employed six months after release from custody, a gap of 8.8 percentage points. This represents 30 females and 715 males from sample sizes of 230 and 3,280 respectively.…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for manslaughter by Police Force Area in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool. The latest data is available up to December 2024. This can be downloaded at the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: Criminal justice…
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Enhanced Combination Orders are a disposal available in Northern Ireland. They are not available in England and Wales. Justice is devolved to Northern Ireland. In England and Wales, as part of a community order, the Sentencing Framework gives courts the flexibility to choose and balance a range of…
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The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold information on the numbers of people who abscond abroad before trial and sentencing or absconding abroad by dual/foreign nationals. To obtain the data to answer this question would involve a manual interrogation of court records which would result in…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes data on trials, convictions and sentencing outcomes at criminal courts in England and Wales (latest data to December 2024), available from the Criminal Justice Statistics page. However, it is not possible to provide the number of people sentenced in their absence,…
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This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has specialist contractors to tackle any rodent activity, when it occurs.
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This Government was left an unconscionable inheritance with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we had no choice but to take decisive actions to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. We changed the release point…
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The Probation Service will receive up to £700 million more by 2028/29, a 45 percent increase on current spending. It will see tens of thousands more offenders tagged, monitored and rehabilitated. We are currently in the process of re-procuring our commissioned rehabilitative services…
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Reducing the levels of violence in prisons is a key priority and we are working hard to make prisons as safe as possible.In response to recent serious assaults on our brave and hardworking prison officers, we are mandating the use of Protective Body Armour in the highest risk units and this summer…
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In line with HM Treasury’s guidance Managing Public Money, HMPPS does not buy general commercial insurance to protect against risk.In line with HM Treasury guidance, HMP/YOI Downview has not taken out commercial insurance on the basis that it is better value for money for the taxpayer to…
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We recognise the unique and challenging role that prison officers play in protecting the public and reducing reoffending. The Lord Chancellor has requested advice from officials on the pension age of prison officers, and we will continue to engage with trade unions as this is considered.
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We recognise that the serious problem of over-occupancy which we inherited has meant that conditions for those living and working in prisons are not those we would expect. We are determined to rectify this. The steps we are taking include action in response to the independent Sentencing Review and…
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This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, but we are gripping the situation and have taken immediate action. Both staffing levels and caseload are regularly monitored and analysed, and we remain committed to providing manageable workloads for staff. Recruitment and retention, along with…
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As of 1 July, seven prisoners were being held on E Wing, the separate unit for transgender women at HMP/YOI Downview. There were no transgender women being held in other parts of the prison.We are reviewing allocation policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes in our…
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The latest data on assaults on staff, broken down by prison, covers the year up to December 2024. It is published in table 8e of the Safety in Custody summary tables to December 2024, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-december-2024.
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Elevated radon readings were first found at Dartmoor in 2020. HMPPS has been monitoring radon levels to manage exposure to prisoners and staff. Dartmoor has been temporarily closed since August 2024 after monitoring results were higher than expected. We are working with specialist radon experts to…
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The information requested is not held centrally.
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Prison officers are members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS), for which the policy is owned by HM Treasury and applied to the scheme by Cabinet Office. Like all public sector pension schemes, a member of the CSPS can consider taking retirement at any time after reaching the age of 55…
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The proven reoffending rate and methodology is calculated using a one-year follow up period. Providing this information for a new two-year reoffending measure would be of disproportionate cost.The proven reoffending rate for adult offenders released from custody was 37.5% for the 2022/23 offender…
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We are tackling the root causes of reoffending by investing in a range of interventions which address offenders’ underlying criminogenic needs and support their rehabilitation journey. This includes education, employment, accommodation and substance misuse treatment services.We continue to…
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In deciding where to permit a convicted child sex offender who is subject to licensed supervision to live or reside even for one night, the Probation Service works closely with the Police and other agencies under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements).Additionally, offenders subject to…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for various offences by month at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool (latest data to December 2024), that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for possession of cannabis 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.
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As part of our landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, we are committed to strengthening the justice system’s response to domestic violence.Most domestic abuse cases are heard in magistrates’ courts where cases move more swiftly than the Crown Court.…
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The value of the main works for the new prison next to HMP Gartree is planned to be published later this year.
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Ministry of Justice officials received research findings from Ipsos MORI in November last year (2024) and are currently considering the implications of the work.Research findings are published in accordance with Government Social Research guidelines, following a peer review process to ensure the…
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The general female estate comprises the establishments in which female prisoners are accommodated. E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview is a special unit: it is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are located separately from all other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview. They may receive…
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The Government has no current plans to ask the Council to consider reviewing the guidelines in relation to this cohort.The law is clear that those who commit murder as children must receive a life sentence. There is no mandatory sentence for a child convicted of manslaughter, but the court may…
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Official Statistics on the scale of parental imprisonment were published in July 2024 and can be found at: Official Statistics in Development: Estimates of children with a parent in prison - GOV.UK.Further work is ongoing to refine these estimates. Additionally, analysis has started with the aim of…
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Having a parent in prison is considered an adverse childhood experience and can have a significant impact on a child’s life chances. This Government has committed to ensuring these children are identified and offered the support they need to thrive.We are working closely with the Department…
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Prisons in England and Wales have a range of specialist staff and equipment to tackle the smuggling of drugs, mobile phones, weapons and other contraband into prisons. This includes X-ray body scanners, airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, X-ray baggage scanners, detection dogs, and other…
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The Ministry of Justice is aware of research that is in progress in relation to regular chess sessions across the prison estate. To date, no formal assessment has been made of any effect on re-offending.As chess is not a structured physical activity, it is not included in the management information…
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Non-discretionary spending on education in the adult prison estate and part of the private prison estate is funded from the Prison Education Framework budget. Governors are able to supplement this with provision from the Dynamic Purchasing System budget (£12.6 million in 2024-25).Funding for…
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We know that finding employment after release reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why the Government’s manifesto commits to break the cycle of reoffending by better supporting prisons to link up with employers to get more people with…
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The maximum sentences available for criminal offences are set by Parliament and the maximum penalty for the offence of criminal damage is ten years’ imprisonment.The independent judiciary will determine the appropriate sentence in individual cases within the maximums set by Parliament, and in…
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Prisons collect a wide range of information. The main categories are: personal and demographic; legal and custodial; health and wellbeing; risk and behavioural assessments; education and employment; rehabilitation and progress monitoring; and daily activities and privileges.
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We are committed to addressing the disproportionate number of care-experienced prisoners in England and Wales, both by improving support for people with care experience while in the criminal justice system, and by working with colleagues across government to reduce the number of people with care…
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The Lord Chancellor regularly engages with the Home Secretary on a range of criminal justice matters and recognises the serious impact that tool theft has on tradespeople and small businesses. The Ministry of Justice and Home Office are working closely through the National Vehicle Crime Group,…
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The cost per prisoner in establishments in the adult estate is 50 pence per week if the prisoner is sharing a cell, and £1 per week for prisoners in a single cell.Children and young people in the youth secure estate are not charged for use of televisions.
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I refer the hon. Member to my answer on 31 March 2025 to Question 42652.
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All interventions that aim to change attitudes, thinking, emotions or behaviour are governed by the National Framework for Interventions Policy Framework issued by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS): National Framework for Interventions Policy Framework - GOV.UK.The minimum standards set out…
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As part of the Safer Streets Mission, the Government is committed to improving confidence in policing and the local response to crime, including anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour can be characterised by a range of different offence types, and we are responding in ways that are tough on…
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We know that finding employment after release reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why the Government’s manifesto commits to break the cycle of reoffending by better supporting prisons to link up with employers and the voluntary sector to…
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The requested information is shown in the attached table.Table (xlsx, 23.7KB)
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The Lord Chancellor is currently undertaking a review of the Sentencing Council’s role and powers and has indicated that she will introduce reforms in future legislation, if considered necessary
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Sentencing guidelines are developed and reviewed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so.In July 2023, the Council issued guidelines on animal cruelty, which provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of people sentenced for failing to surrender to bail under section 6 of the Bail Act 1976 at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing…
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Prisoners currently can access community service work through Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) during the custodial element within their sentence.The Prison Rules in England and Wales provide that a prisoner may be granted leave from prison for short periods on temporary licence. ROTL is an…
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This Government is committed to tackling knife crime as a priority. We are clear that those who carry knives unlawfully must face serious consequences, and that sentencing must reflect the harm these offences cause to victims and communities.In recognition of the seriousness of offences related to…
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Statistics of this nature do not currently form part of our published statistics. Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government. However, we are monitoring the data that we collect and publish on the prison population…
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Pay for Prison Officers is informed by independent recommendations made by the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) through the annual pay review process.On 22 May, the Government accepted all 13 of the independent recommendations put forward by the PSPRB for 2025/26. This year’s award…
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Prison officers are members of the Civil Service Pension scheme (CSPS), and the normal pension age (at which unreduced benefits can be taken) is linked to their state pension age. We recognise the unique and challenging role that prison officers play in protecting the public and reducing…
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The overall budget for the Prisoner Education Service is subject to the Ministry of Justice’s internal annual budget allocations process to set internal budgets following the Spending Review period, so it is not possible to comment on budgets at prison level for future years at present.The…
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Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government and does not include a breakdown of offences by nationality of prisoners. However, we are monitoring the data that we collect and publish on the prison population and will…
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Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government. However, we continue to monitor the data that we collect and publish and will keep this under review.
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The PECS (Prisoner Escort and Custody Services) contract management team scrutinises supplier performance, ensures adherence to all applicable HMPPS policies, and assures that the care, welfare, and decency of prisoners in PECS custody is at the very core of service delivery. This commitment is…
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We publish performance ratings regularly of the prison and probation service Leicestershire, which can be found at the following links: Prison Performance Ratings: 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK and Community Performance Annual, update to March 2024 - GOV.UK.This Government inherited prisons on the point of…
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I recognise the valuable role of the thousands of voluntary organisations that work in partnership with probation to provide vital support to people serving their sentence in prison, in the community and people returning to the community after prison.The Government has welcomed the findings and…
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Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners.HMP Wandsworth entered the HMPPS cluster death support process in 2023, and a task force chaired by the Prison Group Director for London has been overseeing the implementation of an action plan…
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The Prisoner Education Service comprises of six different nationally contracted services, including Core Education and Careers Information and Guidance as the two most significant ones by total contract value. To provide some context, there are circa 70 contracts within the Prisoner Education…
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The overall proven reoffending rate for Preston was 34.5% for the July 22 - June 23 cohort (the latest reoffending data available by geography). By comparison, for the same cohort, the overall proven reoffending rate for England and Wales was 26.7%.The Government is committed to tackling the causes…
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Tackling knife crime is a priority and this Government is determined to do all it can to break the deadly cycle of violence that devastates the lives of individuals, families, and communities. It is important that those who commit violent crimes receive appropriate, proportionate and robust…
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This Government will get the prison places built that the previous Government failed to deliver or fund. We are delivering 14,000 additional prison places and aim to do so by 2031, as set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy. This consists of the construction of four new prisons, including…
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This Government was left an unconscionable inheritance with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.The previous Government…
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This Government is aware of the importance of allowing prisoners to maintain contact with family and other positive relationships, and the positive influence this can have on their wellbeing and rehabilitation. Provision of in-cell telephony is one of several ways that we enable that contact to…
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The latest published data on the nationality of offenders supervised by the Probation Service as at 31st December 2024 can be found at Table 6_9_Caseload_Nationality in the attached link: probation-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods.Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be…
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Many offenders who commit these types of offences are subject to two-thirds release provisions, and others are subject to 50% depending on their specific circumstances and sentencing outcomes. Establishing who is released at exactly 50% would require examination of individual records and therefore…
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We are committed to exploring all options for prison build and the expansion and maintenance of the prison estate. Where facilities are not currently suitable or in use as part of the prison estate, we aim to work collaboratively with other Departments to establish a viable next step for the…
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This Government recognises that having a parent in prison is considered an adverse childhood experience and can have a significant impact on a child’s life chances. We have therefore committed to ensuring that children impacted by parental imprisonment are identified and offered the support…
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Children returning to the community after serving time in custody receive personal and structural support from youth custody establishments and Youth Offending Teams to help them reintegrate, including assistance with housing and education, training, or employment.Where appropriate, Release on…
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We have no current plans to introduce military service as an alternative to custody. Therefore, no comparative cost analysis has been undertaken.Research indicates that sentences with a military focus do not reduce re-offending. The evidence shows that it is the intervention to address offending…
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The separate unit for transgender prisoners, E Wing at HMP Downview, has 16 cells. There are currently seven prisoners being held in the unit.
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The latest published data (a snapshot from 31 March 2024) shows that there were 10 prisoners known to have a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). The full data report can be viewed here: HMPPS Offender Equalities Report 2023/24 - GOV.UK.Because the number of prisoners who hold a GRC is so low, we…
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HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) maintains a zero-tolerance approach to smuggling contraband into prisons, including weapons, drugs and mobile phones, which can fuel violence and create instability.Airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, comprising of metal detectors and X-ray baggage…
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The previous Government left the criminal justice system in an unconscionable state, with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.…
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The Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS) is not a new scheme; it was first introduced in March 2023 under the previous Government. On 9 June 2025, the scheme was extended to allow eligible prisoners to transfer to the open estate 36 months prior to release. Due to being in the early…
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We cannot disclose personal information about an individual prisoner.
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As set out by the Lord Chancellor’s oral statement on 22 May 2025, it is vital that people convicted of sexual offences are robustly managed to ensure the public are protected to the fullest degree.We are committed to increasing the use of medication to manage problematic sexual arousal for…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions across 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 - GOV.UK.The offences that constitute unlawful abortion…
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The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out next steps on this in due course.While independent judges decide sentences, we…
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H M Prison and Probation Service recognises the importance physical activity plays in the overall well-being of prisoners and the effect sport, exercise and movement can have on supporting other programmes designed to reduce offending behaviour.Data on the amount spent in providing the activities…
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme is a service for the victims of offenders who are convicted of specified violent, sexual or terrorism offences…
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The Independent Sentencing Review considered issues relating to older cohorts including older prisoners as part of its remit. We have accepted in principle the vast majority of the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendations and we will work with partners and the sector as we develop our…
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The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost due to data quality issues.
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The Independent Sentencing Review recommends a reduction in short prison sentences.There is a compelling case for doing so: in the most recent data, nearly 60% of those receiving a 12-month sentence reoffended within a year. It is important, however, to note that the review recommends a reduction…
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A full evaluation has been undertaken of the £100 million Security Investment Programme (SIP), whose aim was to help strengthen security and reduce crime in prisons. The findings of the evaluation have been published and can be found at the following: Security Investment Programme Evaluation -…
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Releasing information on financial penalties would prejudice, or would likely prejudice, Serco Group Limited’s commercial interests.To provide the number of outstanding monitoring visits in need of completion by Serco in each of the past 12 months would be of disproportionate cost.While the…
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The 10,438 offenders reported as untagged is misleading. It includes duplicates and errors that have not been corrected through our audit and quality assurance processes which are currently underway.The information requested through the PQ could only be obtained at disproportionate cost due to data…
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Prior to any placement, a risk assessment would be carried out by a multidisciplinary panel chaired by a specially trained senior prison manager, with senior staff from the HMPPS Womens Group including a psychologist. Assessments take account of all known risks posed by an individual, based on a…
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No such estimates have been produced. Any financial consequences from implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s revised code of practice in prisons will be considered as part of HM Prison and Probation Service’s annual budgeting cycle.
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On 22 May, the Lord Chancellor set out the Government’s in-principle response to the Independent Sentencing Review’s findings and recommendations, which will help to ensure that prisons never run out of space again and dangerous offenders can be kept off the streets. This includes a…
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.Reoffending rates are published regularly on an annual and quarterly basis. The most recent rates are available at the link below: Proven…
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There are currently seven biological male prisoners at HMP Downview and all of them are on E Wing, which is a transgender only facility.No transgender women who retain their birth genitalia, and/or have any history of sexual or violent offences, can be held in the general women’s estate…
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Ministry of Justice officials received research findings from Ipsos MORI in November last year (2024) and are currently considering the implications of the work.Research findings are published in accordance with Government Social Research guidelines, following a peer review process to ensure the…
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No prisoners are eligible for automatic release at the 75% point.
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The Government is committed to ensuring professional Facility Management services across its prison and probation estate. A 2023 assessment conducted in partnership with the Cabinet Office determined that an insourced solution was not the preferred option for future prison and probation maintenance…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of offenders in England and Wales found guilty and given an extended determinate sentence, up to December 2024.This data is available by offence from the Outcomes by Offence Data tool accessed from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing…
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Safety on our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out next steps on this in due course.Provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and…
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The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) in prison and the number of Foreign National Offenders supervised by the Probation Service as part of its Offender Management Statistics Quarterly. For the purposes of these statistics offenders…
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No transgender women who retain their birth genitalia, or have any history of sexual or violent offences, can be held in the general women’s estate unless an exemption is granted by a Minister.The number of transgender women prisoners in the general women's estate is in the low single…
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The Government inherited a justice system in crisis. If our prisons run out of space, we would risk the safety of thousands of victims and the wider public. The measure being introduced excludes anyone sentenced to more than 4 years, anyone who has committed a serious further offence and anyone…
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We do not disaggregate prison running costs by nationality and the cost to hold individuals depends on the category of prison. Our unit costs for holding prisoners are published on GOV.UK alongside the HM Prison and Probation Service Annual Report and Accounts. Data on the number of Foreign…
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We know that finding employment after release reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why the Government’s manifesto commits to break the cycle of reoffending by better supporting prisons to link up with employers and the voluntary…
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There are 9 specialist category C prisons that hold only prisoners convicted of sexual offences. These are listed below, alongside their published operational capacity on 28 April 2025.PrisonOperational Capacity (28 April 2025)Ashfield416Bure643Littlehey1241Risley1034Rye Hill1008Stafford761The…
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The prison population has nearly doubled in the past three decades, with just 500 extra prison places added in the last 14 years. To put an end to this crisis, the Government confirmed plans to invest £4.7 billion more in prison building, putting the Government on track to open 14,000 places…
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We do not provide information that includes the personal details of individuals.
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The current contracts for the delivery of the electronic monitoring service have the capacity to manage the proposed increase in demand.The Procurement of Electronic Monitoring was conducted by the previous Government in 2023. It was conducted in line with Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the…
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Charging decisions are a matter for the independent Crown Prosecution Service and sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary, based on the circumstances of individual cases.Equality before the law is a fundamental principle of our justice system. This Government will protect and defend…
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Tackling knife crime is a priority and this Government is determined to do all it can to break the deadly cycle of violence that devastates the lives of individuals, families and communities.The maximums available for existing knife offences include up to 4 years’ imprisonment for carrying a…
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Sentencing decisions in individual cases are entirely a matter for the independent judiciary, based on the facts of the case before them. It would not be appropriate for Government Ministers to comment on individual cases.
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. On 10 September 2024, the Government therefore took the unavoidable step to move the release point for certain standard determinate sentences…
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HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold information on how many convictions under the Equal Pay Act there have been; or what the scale of the fines issued is.
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The information requested can be found via the following link: 08_Finds_drug_type_data_tool.ods.In the pivot table, “Prison Name” should be entered in the rows and “Month” in columns to find the number of incidents by prison.
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This Government inherited a prison system in crisis due to the previous government only adding 500 places to the estate in 14 years. If our prisons collapse, courts are forced to suspend trials. The police must halt their arrests, crime goes unpunished, and we face the breakdown of law and order in…
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.Eligibility under SDS40 is determined by law and we exempted a number of offences from the measure. Unlike the previous Government’s ECSL…
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This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We were forced to take decisive action to prevent overcrowding and protect the public. Certain offences have been excluded from the SDS change including sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of…
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The interim Permanent Secretary attended the televised press conference on 14 May to provide a factual update on prison capacity.
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Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts, and the courts have a range of sentencing powers to deal with each offender effectively and appropriately, including discharges, fines, community sentences, suspended sentences and imprisonment.The maximum penalty for an offence is set by…
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In the case of a driver who breaks the speed limit, they may be given a fixed penalty notice with a £100 fine and three penalty points on their licence, or they may be summoned to Court.If the person wants to plead not guilty, they will have to go to court to contest the charge, at which point…
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HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) has a variety of methods to keep those who live and work in our prisons safe.We are reviewing how the attack happened, and the guidance shows we have suspended use of kitchens in separation centres and close supervision centres.It is not appropriate to comment…
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The number of prisoners known to have a Gender Recognition Certificate is published in the annual HM Prison & Probation Service Offender Equalities Report.In 2023/24, there were 10 prisoners known to have a Gender Recognition Certificate. The full report can be viewed here: HMPPS Offender…
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We will not tolerate violence against our hardworking prison staff and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Prisoners who are violent towards staff will face the full consequences of their actions.To protect staff from serious assaults, Body Worn Video Cameras, and rigid-bar handcuffs are…
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The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by manually going through each individual’s record on the Electronic Monitoring (EM) supplier’s and probation service’s systems where this detail is recorded.
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The operational capacity of each prison is published monthly at Prison population: monthly prison figures 2025 - GOV.UK. The current operational capacity of Littlehey is 1241, and there are currently no plans to change this.
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This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous government and have not moved any transgender women into the women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set…
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The Lord Chancellor set out the Government’s plans for reforms to sentencing of domestic homicides in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 6 December 2024 (HCWS286). The Law Commission has accepted our request to undertake a review of the law of homicide and the sentencing…
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The Government takes the issue of child sexual exploitation extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring that all perpetrators are brought to justice, regardless of their background.It is not possible to identify an offender’s place of birth, or whether their offending was part of a…
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The Ministry of Justice does not hold records of children with a parent in prison. Where professionals are concerned about a child’s welfare, they consider whether a referral to local authority children’s social care is required and should always refer immediately if there is a concern…
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The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (the ROA) sets out when an offender is considered to be ‘rehabilitated’ for the purposes of the Act and sets out the relevant rehabilitation periods for cautions and convictions, i.e. when a caution or conviction becomes ‘spent’.…
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HM Prison & Probation Service’s Annual Prison Performance Ratings are based on a range of indicators. The latest ratings cover the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. As a newly opened prison (June 2023), HMP Fosse Way did not form part of the latest ratings but will be included in future…
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I have the deepest sympathy for victims and survivors of abuse suffered at Medomsley Detention Centre. The previous Government, after years of campaigning by victims and survivors, commissioned the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) in October 2023 to undertake a thorough review of the abuse at…
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Extremist gang activity is not tolerated in prisons. Staff act swiftly to clamp down on intimidating or threatening behaviour regardless of cultural or religious sensitivities. Anyone who threatens assaults or attempts to control others faces tough sanctions, including time added on to their…
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On Thursday 15 May, we announced the appointment of Jonathan Hall KC as the reviewer of the HMP Frankland Independent Review. The Lord Chancellor has asked for the review to report back promptly, and to leave no stone unturned so we can prevent such an incident ever happening again.
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HM Prison & Probation Service has commissioned an internal review to establish whether it is necessary for our brave and hard-working prison officers to wear Protective Body Armour either routinely or when working in high-risk environments within the prison estate which will report in early June.…
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