[Withdrawn] Ministry of Justice single departmental plan - December 2017
Updated 27 June 2019
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This publication was withdrawn on 23 May 2018
It has been replaced by a new version
Our single departmental plan sets out our objectives and how we will achieve them.
Our justice system is admired across the world. The principles and values that run through our justice system are a mark of the kind of country we are.
Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in our society.
We do this by protecting the public and keeping our communities safe, by reforming offenders, by providing open and accessible justice, by standing up for victims and protecting the vulnerable, and by upholding the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
Our objectives
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A prison and probation service that reforms offenders
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A modern courts and justice system
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A Global Britain that promotes the rule of law
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A transformed department
1. A prison and probation service that reforms offenders
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon David Gauke MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Rory Stewart OBE MP, Minister of State
Dr Phillip Lee MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
Lead officials:
Michael Spurr, Chief Executive, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service
Justin Russell, Director General - Prisons, Offender and Youth Justice Policy
1.1 Keep prisons safe and secure and maintain the highest level of public protection
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Operate safe, secure prisons that protect the public |
| Recruit an extra 2,500 prison officers |
| Using the Urgent Notification process respond promptly and publicly, within 28 days, when problems are identified by the prisons inspectorate |
1.2 Reform offenders
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Develop and implement a cross-government approach to reducing reoffending |
| Provide a continuous path to reform by integrating the prison system more closely with services in the community and making better use of early intervention |
| Deliver more effective and tailored interventions for offenders who are vulnerable or have distinct needs – such as women and young offenders |
Our performance
Reoffending rate
| Period | Adult proven reoffending rate |
|---|---|
| October to December 2015 | 28.7% |
| July to September 2015 | 28.2% |
| April to June 2015 | 28.5% |
| January to March 2015 | 28.2% |
The data source used to compile the proven reoffending statistics changed in October 2015. Because of this, users should be cautious when comparing the latest quarter with data from previous quarters.
Source: Proven reoffending statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
Assaults on prisoners
| Year to date | Prisoner-on-prisoner assaults (per 1,000 prisoners) |
|---|---|
| June 2017 | 231 |
| June 2016 | 209 |
| June 2015 | 158 |
Source: Safety in custody / Release schedule: annual
Assaults on prison staff
| Year to date | Assaults on prison staff (rate per 1,000 prisoners) |
|---|---|
| June 2017 | 87 |
| June 2016 | 70 |
| June 2015 | 49 |
Source: Safety in custody / Release schedule: annual
Self-harm in prisons
| Year to date | Incidents of self-harm (rate per 1,000 prisoners) |
|---|---|
| June 2017 | 482 |
| June 2016 | 430 |
| June 2015 | 338 |
Source: Safety in custody / Release schedule: annual
Prison officer numbers
| Year to date | Prison officer numbers (band 3-5 prison officers) |
|---|---|
| September 2017 | 19,996 |
| August 2017 | 20,003 |
| July 2017 | 19,731 |
| June 2017 | 19,543 |
| May 2017 | 19,445 |
| April 2017 | 19,281 |
| March 2017 | 19,174 |
| February 2017 | 18,981 |
| January 2017 | 18,999 |
| December 2016 | 18,644 |
| November 2016 | 18,748 |
| October 2016 | 18,713 |
Source: Prison officer recruitment / Release schedule: monthly
2. A modern courts and justice system
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon David Gauke MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
Dr Phillip Lee MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
The Rt Hon Lord Keen of Elie QC, Ministry of Justice Spokesperson in the Lords
Lead officials:
Susan Acland-Hood, Chief Executive, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service
Mark Sweeney, Director General, Justice and Courts Policy Group
Matthew Coats, Chief Operating Officer
2.1 Improving access to justice
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Deliver an accessible, speedy and effective online court where people will be able to resolve civil claims under £10,000 quickly and easily, track benefits appeals through our systems, and enter pleas for low level offences |
| Provide easy-to-use digital ways to resolve matters like probate and uncontested divorce entirely online |
| Deliver world class digital systems to manage cases seamlessly from police and Crown Prosecution Service through the criminal courts |
| Introduce legislation to modernise the courts system |
| Use fewer, better, more flexible court buildings more effectively for the benefit of citizens |
| Provide simple, timely and reliable access to legal aid |
2.2 Protect vulnerable victims, witnesses and children
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to roll out the use of pre-recorded cross examination in criminal courts so that, wherever possible, vulnerable victims and witnesses can be spared the ordeal of being cross-examined in open court |
| Publish an overarching strategy for victims of crime to ensure victims are properly supported by the justice system |
| Develop legislative proposals to tackle domestic violence and abuse (with Home Office) |
| Publish a response to David Lammy’s independent review of outcomes for BAME individuals in the criminal justice system, setting out how we will take forward his recommendations to address disparities in the system |
| Work with the judiciary and others to reduce the stress, complexity and cost of family disputes |
| Administer the scheme for compensation to victims of violent crime fairly, efficiently and sensitively |
| Register lasting and enduring powers of attorney so that people can choose who they want to make certain decisions on their behalf, should they lose capacity to make those decisions themselves |
2.3 Support the independent judiciary and their ability to attract the best and widest range of talent
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Make sure judicial recruitment meets the needs of today’s justice system and draws on the best talent from every part of society |
| Conduct a major review of judicial pay through the Senior Salaries Review Body |
Our performance
Court timeliness
| Quarter | Average number of days taken from offence to completion for criminal cases in England and Wales |
|---|---|
| 2017 Q2 (p) | 180 |
| 2017 Q1 | 187 |
| 2016 Q4 | 184 |
| 2016 Q3 | 183 |
| 2016 Q2 | 186 |
| 2016 Q1 | 184 |
| 2015 Q4 | 180 |
| 2015 Q3 | 180 |
| 2015 Q2 | 180 |
| 2015 Q1 | 179 |
Source: Criminal court statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
Magistrates’ courts outstanding caseload
| Quarter | Outstanding criminal cases in the magistrates’ courts in England and Wales |
|---|---|
| 2017 Q2 (p) | 283,766 |
| 2017 Q1 | 288,735 |
| 2016 Q4 | 291,422 |
| 2016 Q3 | 283,308 |
| 2016 Q2 | 292,310 |
| 2016 Q1 | 304,262 |
| 2015 Q4 | 327,228 |
| 2015 Q3 | 314,979 |
| 2015 Q2 | 323,090 |
| 2015 Q1 | 328,291 |
Source: Criminal court statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
Crown court outstanding caseload
| Quarter | Outstanding cases in the Crown Court in England and Wales |
|---|---|
| 2017 Q2 (p) | 39,615 |
| 2017 Q1 | 40,827 |
| 2016 Q4 | 42,149 |
| 2016 Q3 | 42,820 |
| 2016 Q2 | 44,460 |
| 2016 Q1 | 47,972 |
| 2015 Q4 | 50,876 |
| 2015 Q3 | 52,235 |
| 2015 Q2 | 53,098 |
| 2015 Q1 | 54,719 |
Source: Criminal court statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
Family court timeliness
| Quarter | Average disposal duration (weeks) |
|---|---|
| 2017 Q2 (p) | 28.3 |
| 2017 Q1 | 28.0 |
| 2016 Q4 | 26.8 |
| 2016 Q3 | 26.7 |
| 2016 Q2 | 26.9 |
| 2016 Q1 | 27.5 |
| 2015 Q4 | 27.5 |
| 2015 Q3 | 27.8 |
| 2015 Q2 | 29.0 |
| 2015 Q1 | 29.1 |
Source: Family court statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
3. A Global Britain that promotes the rule of law
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon David Gauke MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
The Rt Hon Lord Keen of Elie QC, Ministry of Justice Spokesperson in the Lords
Lead officials:
Mark Sweeney, Director General, Justice and Courts Policy Group
3.1 Promote our world-class legal sector and judiciary and make the most of opportunities presented by exiting the EU to expand the reach of our legal services
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Launch and use the Legal Services are GREAT campaign to promote the UK legal services sector around the world |
| Work to secure an effective post-exit framework with the EU for resolving cross-border commercial, civil and family disputes |
| Work with the legal services sector to maintain its world-leading status |
4. A transformed department
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon David Gauke MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Rory Stewart OBE MP, Minister of State
Lead officials:
Matthew Coats, Chief Operating Officer
Mike Driver, Chief Financial Officer
4.1 Be a unified and responsive department
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Develop our people so that they have the skills and capability to deliver excellent services |
| Foster an inclusive culture to build a more diverse workforce |
4.2 Use data, information, technology and innovation to improve our services, deliver value and drive efficiency in all we do
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Put evidence at the heart of the justice system, opening up our data, analysis and research, and improving our information management |
| Reduce our reliance on expensive properties in Whitehall by being a smarter, decentralised national organisation |
| Become a more effective organisation by simplifying internal processes, and build on the organisation’s new functional structure (based on eight core functions) to maximise the benefits that arise from these changes |
Our performance
Staff engagement
| Year | Ministry of Justice people survey engagement index score (%) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 63 |
| 2016 | 61 |
| 2015 | 59 |
Source: Civil service people survey / Release schedule: annual
Greenhouse gas emissions
| Year | Total emissions - Scope 1, 2 & 3 (non-financial indicators tCO2e) |
|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 405,139 |
| 2015/2016 | 459,494 |
| 2014/2015 | 482,725 |
Source: Ministry of Justice, Annual Report and Accounts / Release schedule: annual
Our finances
Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL): £7.9 billion
Resource DEL (including depreciation): £7.2 billion
Capital DEL: £0.7 billion
Annually Managed Expenditure: £0.5 billion
Control totals included in this document are in line with the latest voted by Parliament in the Main Supply Estimates 2017-18
Source: Main Supply Estimates 2017-2018