[Withdrawn] Ministry of Justice single departmental plan 2019 - 2022
Updated 27 June 2019
© Crown copyright 2019
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-single-departmental-plan/ministry-of-justice-single-departmental-plan--3
This publication was withdrawn on 15 July 2021
It has been replaced by the Ministry of Justice Outcome Delivery Plan: 2021-22
Our single departmental plan sets out our objectives and how we will achieve them.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP
Permanent Secretary
The Ministry of Justice and its agencies deliver: prison, probation and youth custody services; administer criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals; and support victims, children, families and vulnerable adults.
Working in partnership with our world-class judiciary and 27 arm’s length bodies, and supported by our excellent corporate functions, we deliver these services, protect the justice system and uphold the rule of law.
Our objectives
- Ensure access to justice in a way that best meets people’s needs.
- Support a flourishing legal services sector.
- Provide a transparent and efficient court system.
- Ensure that prisons are decent, safe and productive places to live and work.
- Protect the public from harm caused by offenders.
- Reduce rates of reoffending and improve life chances for offenders.
- Provide excellent functional services.
- Support delivery of Brexit
1. Ensure access to justice in a way that best meets people’s needs
Lead ministers
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Edward Argar MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
Wendy Morton 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, Policy, Communications and Analysis Group
Mike Driver, Chief Financial Officer
1.1 Improve the way that people are supported in their interactions with the justice system
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Increase the effectiveness of broader legal support available in line with the Legal Support Action Plan |
| Set out our long-term vision for the future of legal aid, review the legal aid means test and undertake a review of criminal legal aid |
| Introduce legislation to remove fault from the divorce process |
| Introduce legislation to protect domestic abuse victims, including prohibiting direct cross-examination of victims by their abuser (contributes to SDG 5 and 16) |
| Publish our response to the Independent Public Advocate consultation |
1.2 Build strong future relationships with Europe and the rest of the world to support access to justice
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Negotiate future arrangements with the EU on civil and criminal judicial cooperation |
| Strengthen international arrangements on civil judicial cooperation (contributes to SDG 17) |
1.3 Protect and uphold the rule of law
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Protect the rule of law by upholding protections of equality under the law and of access to justice (contributes to SDG 16) |
| Uphold the rule of law by defending judicial independence and supporting the judiciary to exercise its functions (contributes to SDG 16) |
| Defend the judiciary from unwarranted criticism and prevent judgments being undermined outside the court |
Our performance
Family court timeliness
| Quarter | Average disposal duration of care proceedings |
|---|---|
| October to December 2018 | 31.0 weeks |
| July to September 2018 | 30.5 weeks |
| April to June 2018 | 30.4 weeks |
| January to March 2018 | 29.7 weeks |
Source: Family court statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) timeliness
| Year | Mean average age of case at clearance |
|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 50 weeks |
| 2016/17 | 46 weeks |
| 2015/16 | 34 weeks |
Source: Tribunals statistics / Release schedule: annual
Social Security and Child Support timeliness
| Year | Mean average age of case at clearance |
|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 23 weeks |
| 2016/17 | 16 weeks |
| 2015/16 | 18 weeks |
Source: Tribunals statistics / Release schedule: annual
Employment Tribunal timeliness (single cases)
| Year | Mean average age of case at clearance |
|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 27 weeks |
| 2016/17 | 28 weeks |
| 2015/16 | 29 weeks |
Source: Tribunals statistics / Release schedule: annual
2. Support a flourishing legal services sector
Lead ministers
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Edward Argar 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, Policy, Communications and Analysis Group
2.1 Build strong future relationships with Europe and the rest of the world, secure legal services market access overseas and create the conditions for the UK’s domestic legal services market to flourish
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Negotiate future relationships with the EU on legal services |
| Negotiate future trade deals for UK legal service providers and work to liberalise markets overseas |
| Ensure the UK remains a highly attractive place to conduct legal business, focussing on developing the UK as a key LawTech market, and ensuring the law remains fit for the future and is ready to address legal issues arising from new technologies and changing societal trends (contributes to SDG 16) |
| Promote the rule of law and the independence of our legal services to provide a solid foundation for our status as a financial and legal global centre (contributes to SDG 16) |
3. Provide a transparent and efficient court system
Lead ministers
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Edward Argar MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
Wendy Morton 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, Policy, Communications and Analysis Group
Mike Driver, Chief Financial Officer
3.1 Modernise the procedures and infrastructure of our courts and tribunals
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Complete the Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service Reform Programme to increase access to justice through making our system simpler and easier to understand and use, and increase the transparency of the justice system (by 2023) (contributes to SDG 16) |
| Continue to transform the digital civil money claims service which allows users to claim in a simple, accessible and proportionate way |
| Deliver a fully transformed end to end probate service |
| Deliver a fully transformed end to end divorce service |
| Deliver digital transformation of the immigration and asylum service, adoption service, public family law service, civil enforcement service and employment tribunals service |
| Improve the use of the court and tribunal estate to become more efficient, flexible and focused on the needs of everyone (contributes to SDG 16) |
| Fully operationalise three Courts and Tribunal Service Centres in Birmingham, Stoke and Loughborough delivering a set of reformed services |
| Introduce measures to simplify the process for private rental landlords to repossess their property and reduce the time taken in court |
3.2 Lead an effective and coordinated Criminal Justice System
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Improve forecasting and management of demand in the Criminal Justice System |
| Drive joined-up improvement of the Criminal Justice System, including through more proactive use of the Criminal Justice Board |
| Work with other criminal justice agencies to implement the recommendations made in the Attorney General’s Review of Disclosure |
3.3 Improve the way that victims and witnesses are supported in their interactions with the justice system
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Review the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to ensure it reflects changing crime trends and can better support victims (contributes to SDG 16) |
| Consult on a revised version of the Victims’ Code that is less complex and more accessible, and consult on the detail of a Victims’ Law, as part of the continued implementation of the Victims’ Strategy |
Our performance
Work in hand in the Criminal Courts
| Quarter | Magistrates’ Court cases outstanding | Crown Court trial cases outstanding |
| October to December 2018 (provisional) | 291,905 | 24,645 |
| July to September 2018 | 287,451 | 26,358 |
| April to June 2018 | 288,134 | 27,305 |
| January to March 2018 | 291,664 | 28,632 |
Source: Criminal court statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
4. Ensure that prisons are decent, safe and productive places to live and work
Lead ministers
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Lucy Frazer QC MP, Minister of State
Edward Argar MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
Lead officials
Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service
Phil Copple, Director General, Prisons
Amy Rees, Director General, Probation
Mark Sweeney, Director General, Policy, Communications and Analysis Group
4.1 Provide decent, secure accommodation for offenders and reduce levels of violence and self-harm
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Ensure we have enough decent prison places through a balance of building, a sustainable approach to maintenance, and closures |
| Build two new prisons (at former sites HMP Wellingborough and HMP Glen Parva) |
| Open a new houseblock at HMP Stocken |
| Reconfigure the estate into three functions (reception, training, resettlement) so that prisoners are held in establishments appropriate to their needs |
| Implement the lessons learnt from the 10 prisons project where needed most across the estate |
| Complete the rollout of the Offender Management in Custody model across the estate, delivering key worker training for all prison officers and helping individuals to rehabilitate |
| Improve security across the estate to reduce the supply of drugs, weapons and mobile phones |
| Establish and implement a new leadership and learning and development strategy, including a senior command course for governors |
| Build the skills and strengthen the leadership of the prison workforce, giving them the training and tools to increase productivity and improve outcomes |
Our performance
Assaults on prisoners by prisoners
| 12 months ending | Assaults on prisoners per 1,000 prisoners |
|---|---|
| September 2018 (provisional) | 287 |
| September 2017 | 239 |
| September 2016 | 218 |
Source: Safety in custody statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
Assaults on staff by prisoners
| 12 months ending | Assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners |
|---|---|
| September 2018 (provisional) | 120 |
| September 2017 | 92 |
| September 2016 | 75 |
Source: Safety in custody statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
Self-inflicted deaths in prison custody
| 12 months ending | Self-inflicted deaths in prison custody |
|---|---|
| December 2018 (provisional) | 92 |
| December 2017 | 70 |
| December 2016 | 123 |
Source: Safety in custody statistics Release schedule: quarterly
5. Protect the public from harm caused by offenders
Lead ministers
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Lucy Frazer QC MP, Minister of State
Lead officials
Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service
Phil Copple, Director General, Prisons
Amy Rees, Director General, Probation
Mark Sweeney, Director General, Policy, Communications and Analysis Group
5.1 Build confidence and trust in an effective probation system
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Deliver our current improvements to the probation system including the replacement of Community Rehabilitation Company contracts with new arrangements |
| Invest an additional £22m, supporting 500 additional staff in Community Rehabilitation Companies, to improve ‘Through the Gate’ services for offenders leaving prison |
| Introduce reforms to the probation service to place a stronger emphasis on the quality of relationships between offenders and probation officers and to ensure offenders get access to services that support their rehabilitation |
| Work with other government departments to support offenders into accommodation, employment and appropriate healthcare (contributes to SDG 1, SDG 3 and SDG 11) |
| Recognise the skills and professionalism of the probation workforce through registration and training |
| Continue to build a robust, scalable and flexible electronic monitoring service rolling out satellite enabled location monitoring capability |
5.2 Reduce the use of prison and increase the use of community and alternative sentences
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Develop options for restricting the use of short custodial sentences |
| Implement a new Release on Temporary Licence policy framework |
| Consider ways to increase the use of non-custodial sanctions |
Our performance
Escapes from prison and prison escorts
| 12 months ending | Escapes from prison and HMPPS escorts |
|---|---|
| March 2018 | 4 |
| March 2017 | 7 |
| March 2016 | 5 |
Source: HM Prison and Probation Service Annual Digest / Release schedule: annual
Serious further offences
| Date | Notifications received under the Serious Further Offences Review Process resulting in a conviction for a serious further offence |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 (provisional) | 312 |
| 2015/16 (provisional) | 265 |
| 2014/15 | 253 |
Source: Serious Further Offences / Release schedule: annual
Note: The number of annual serious further offence convictions is typically less than 0.5% of the probation caseload.
6. Reduce rates of reoffending and improve life chances for offenders
Lead ministers
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Lucy Frazer QC MP, Minister of State
Edward Argar MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
Lead officials
Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service
Phil Copple, Director General, Prisons
Amy Rees, Director General, Probation
Mark Sweeney, Director General, Policy, Communications and Analysis Group
6.1 Work with our partners across government to address the causes of reoffending while offenders are in custody and in the community
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Work with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England to ensure all offenders get the mental health and drug and alcohol abuse treatment they need (contributes to SDG 3) |
| Work with the Department of Work and Pensions to ensure offenders have stable employment and/or access to Universal Credit or other benefits for which they may be eligible on release from prison (contributes to SDG 1) |
| Work with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government to increase the number of offenders who enter stable accommodation on release from prison (contributes to SDG 11) |
| Make effective use of the new prison education reforms and complete the rollout of the New Futures Network, to increase the number of prisoners in education or employment during their sentences which improves employment opportunities on release (contributes to SDG 4 and SDG 8) |
| Work with partners across government to deliver the Female Offender Strategy (contributes to SDG 5) |
| Open the first secure school |
| Tackle racial disparity in the Criminal Justice System and implement the Lammy Review’s recommendations (contributes to SDG 10) |
Our performance
Adult reoffending
| 3-monthly cohorts | Proven reoffending rate for adults discharged from prison or commencing a court order within the period shown |
|---|---|
| April to June 2017 | 37.8% |
| January to March 2017 | 37.6% |
| October to December 2016 | 38.2% |
| July to September 2016 | 37.8% |
Source: Proven reoffending statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
Youth reoffending
| 3-monthly cohorts | Proven reoffending rate for children and young people leaving custody within the period shown |
|---|---|
| April to June 2017 | 70.5% |
| January to March 2017 | 68.2% |
| October to December 2016 | 64.9% |
| July to September 2016 | 65.9% |
Source: Proven reoffending statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
Prison population
| Date | Prison population |
|---|---|
| 31 December 2018 | 82,236 |
| 30 September 2018 | 83,005 |
| 30 June 2018 | 82,773 |
| 31 March 2018 | 83,263 |
Source: Prison population statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
7. Provide excellent functional services
Lead ministers
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
Edward Argar MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
Lead officials
Mike Driver, Chief Financial Officer
Mark Sweeney, Director General, Policy, Communications and Analysis Group
Neil Wooding, Chief People Officer
7.1 Provide functional support to delivery
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Deliver our financial strategy, allocate our money and manage our expenditure |
| Ensure we have the staff to deliver our front-line services and the leadership capability of a high performing department, whilst building an inclusive and diverse workforce (contributes to SDG 16) |
| Provide expert commercial support and advice, set the overarching commercial strategy, implement commercial standards and manage supplier relationships |
| Manage the second largest estate in government to keep it compliant, functional, efficient and environmentally sensitive, and provide solutions aligned to business objectives that are responsive to users’ needs and support new ways of working |
| Lead the digital transformation of services for over one million users, providing great technology to over 66,000 staff, and supporting the delivery of a joined up digital justice system (contributes to SDG 16) |
| Use effective, insight-driven communications to protect and promote the reputation of the department, increase unity and engagement and deliver successful policy outcomes aligned to our priorities |
| Provide high quality data and analytical services, helping to ensure strategic, policy, financial, corporate and operational decisions are based on robust evidence |
| Professionalise project delivery; raise standards; give staff the right tools, training, support and opportunities; and develop the next generation of project delivery professionals |
| Provide expert legal advisory, drafting and litigation services to support departmental operations and policy, conduct litigation on behalf of the department and manage legal risk |
Our performance
People survey engagement score
| Year | Employee engagement index (MoJ including agencies) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 57% |
| 2017 | 56% |
| 2016 | 54% |
Source: Civil Service People Survey / Release schedule: annually
Representation of female, ethnic minority and disabled staff
| Year | Percentage of staff who are female | Percentage of staff who are black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) | Percentage of staff who are declared disabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 53% | 12% | 9% |
| 2017 | 53% | 12% | 7% |
| 2016 | 54% | 12% | 7% |
Source: Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Dashboard / Release schedule: annually
Greenhouse gas emissions
| Year | % Reduction |
|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 34% |
| 2016/17 | 28% |
% reduction versus 2009/2010 baseline
Source: Greening Government Commitments Annual Report / Release schedule: annually
% of spend that is allocated to SME
| Year | Percentage of total expenditure |
|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 31.1% |
| 2016/17 | 36.6% |
| 2015/16 | 34.2% |
Source: Central Government Spend with SMEs data / Release schedule: annually
Property space per FTE
| Year | m² per FTE |
|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 7.8 |
| 2016/17 | 8.6 |
| 2015/16 | 9.0 |
Source: State of the Estate 2017/18 / Release schedule: annually
8. Support delivery of Brexit
Lead ministers
The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
The Rt Hon Lord Keen of Elie QC, Ministry of Justice Spokesperson in the Lords
Lead official
Mark Sweeney, Director General, Policy, Communications and Analysis Group
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| We will support the government to deliver on the referendum vote to get control of our money, borders and laws, while building a strong new relationship with Europe |
Public value framework
To support the delivery of our objectives, we will be improving our performance against the Public Value Framework in the following areas:
- Implementing planning and monitoring progress
- User and client experience and participation
- Capacity to evaluate impact
Our equality objectives
We have objectives to help us advance equality:
-
Inclusive Workplace: A workplace that is inclusive and flexible, and where everyone is treated fairly and with respect
-
Diverse Workforce: A workforce that is reflective of our diverse society at all grades
-
Fair and Accessible Services: Fair treatment, fair outcomes and equal access for all our service users
For full details on our equality, diversity and inclusion objectives, please see MOJ’s Equality Objectives 2017-2020. Elsewhere in this document are these specific commitments that support our equality objectives:
- Tackle racial disparity in the Criminal Justice System and implement the Lammy Review’s recommendations
- Work with partners across government to deliver the Female Offender Strategy
- Introduce legislation to protect domestic abuse victims, including prohibiting direct cross-examination of victims by their abuser
We will also work to ensure that public appointments made by the Ministry of Justice contribute to realising the ambition that by 2022, 50% of all public appointees are female and 14% of all public appointments made are from ethnic minorities.
Our values
We promote these values that embody our work to protect and advance the principles of justice:
- Purpose: Justice matters. We are proud to make a difference for the public we serve.
- Humanity: We treat others as we would like to be treated. We value everyone, supporting and encouraging them to be the best they can be.
- Openness: We innovate, share, and learn. We are courageous and curious, relentlessly pursuing ideas to improve the services we deliver.
- Together: We listen, collaborate and contribute, acting together for our common purpose.
Our finances
Net funding
Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL): £8.5 billion
Resource DEL (including depreciation): £8.1 billion
Capital DEL: £0.4 billion
Annually Managed Expenditure (AME): £0.5 billion
Control totals included in this document are in line with those presented in the Main Supply Estimates 2019/20 and are currently subject to Parliamentary approval. Any changes arising from the Parliamentary approval process will be reflected in due course.
Source: Main Supply Estimates 2019/20
Gross funding (including income)
Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL): £10.5 billion
Resource DEL (including depreciation): £10.0 billion
Capital DEL: £0.5 billion
Annually Managed Expenditure (AME): £0.5 billion
Our people
As at 31 December 2018, the Ministry of Justice had 69,290 full-time equivalent employees.
Source: ONS public sector employment data / Release schedule: quarterly