Ministry of Justice follow-up: Autumn 2025

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 10 Jul 2025 Parliament page
The Public Accounts Committee will be following up recent scrutiny with the Ministry of Justice in autumn 2025, on various topics. The PAC’s 2024 report into legal aid expressed deep concerns about MoJ’s and the Legal Aid Agency’s lack of curiosity on the impact of decreasing numbers of providers on … Read more
16 Recommendations
11 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
6 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 10 events
1 Apr
2026
Report published
12 Mar
2026
Correspondence
8 Jan
2026
Correspondence
7 Jan
2026
Report published
17 Nov
2025
Correspondence
17 Nov
2025
Correspondence
28 Oct
2025
Correspondence
23 Oct
2025
Oral evidence
23 Oct
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
17 Jul
2025
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
23 Oct 2025
View on parliament.uk
Adrian Hannell · Ministry of Justice Dr Jo Farrar CB OBE · Ministry of Justice Gemma Hewison · Ministry of Justice Jane Harbottle · Legal Aid Agency Jim Barton · HM Prisons and Probation Service
Title HC No. Published Items Response
59th Report - Ministry of Justice follow-up: Autumn 2025 HC 1240 7 Jan 2026 27 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
27 results
2 Recommendation Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Require MoJ and HMPPS to set out detailed Dartmoor remediation plans and costs.
Despite closing the prison in August 2024, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS still do not have clear plans for the future of Dartmoor. MoJ previously assured us that its aim was to remediate HMP Dartmoor and bring it … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that a decision on remediating Dartmoor has been made. However, the response is truncated and does not explicitly commit to providing the detailed assessment, cost estimates, or value-for-money analysis to the Committee as requested.
HM Treasury
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3 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Require MoJ and LAA to set out plans for digitally excluded legal aid access and provision.
We are not satisfied that MoJ and the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) are doing enough to ensure that people eligible for legal aid can access it, particularly those who are digitally excluded. This Committee previously raised concerns that LAA’s reliance … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, detailing a civil demand feasibility study with Ipsos (reporting March 2026) to monitor access for digitally excluded individuals and a programme to transform legal aid services. To close provision gaps, they are injecting £20m into the sector and have secured outreach in 8 of 21 areas, with further market engagement and a report back by Autumn 2026.
HM Treasury
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4 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Require MoJ to detail legal aid reform cost impact on local authorities and courts.
More than ten years since the legal aid reforms, MoJ has still not demonstrated a sufficient understanding of the additional costs of legal aid reforms, particularly the impact of litigants in person. A decade ago our predecessors urged MoJ to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and states it has already written to the Committee, alongside the Treasury Minute, providing the results of its local authority survey and planned investigations. It also committed to writing to the Committee in October 2026 to detail how it will improve data and analysis on the impact of litigants in person.
HM Treasury
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5 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Require MoJ to routinely review profitability and sustainability for all types of legal aid.
We remain unconvinced that MoJ has put in place sufficient measures to ensure the future sustainability of the legal aid market. In its 2024 report, this Committee raised concerns that while MoJ was undertaking large scale reviews of both criminal … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation and is undertaking a feasibility study with Ipsos to establish a repeatable methodology for monitoring legal aid demand and market sustainability. They will also explore options to routinely monitor the profitability of legal aid firms and will provide an update to the Committee in October 2026.
HM Treasury
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6 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Require MoJ and LAA to detail cyberattack lessons and funding for system vulnerabilities.
Despite lessons learned from the cyberattack on the LAA, funding to address weaknesses across MoJ systems is uncertain. Vulnerabilities in LAA’s systems had been on MoJ’s risk register since 2021. However, MoJ’s investment of over £50 million to transform and … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation, detailing numerous ways lessons learned from the cyberattack have been shared across government. It also confirms that funding has been allocated for the transformation of LAA systems for 2026-2029, alongside continuous security reviews.
HM Treasury
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1 Conclusion Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Committee reviewed HMP Dartmoor lease, legal aid provision, and LAA cyberattack management.
We took evidence from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) to follow up on our recent scrutiny of several topics. This included HMPPS’s management of the lease renewal at … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's work and outlines lessons learned from the Dartmoor lease negotiations, including improved radon policies and embedding learning into future decision-making for estates projects.
HM Treasury
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7 Conclusion Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
HMPPS signed Dartmoor lease without full radon data due to prison capacity crisis.
HMPPS acknowledged that it would have been helpful to have more information on the density of radon at the Dartmoor site prior to the lease negotiations.11 However, it bizarrely maintained that signing the lease without undertaking a recent survey was … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges it would have been beneficial to have a comprehensive understanding of radon presence before making a decision on the lease. HMPPS has improved radon policies, procedures, and training and are embedding learning from Dartmoor into future decision-making.
HM Treasury
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8 Conclusion Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Empty HMP Dartmoor incurs £4 million annual fixed costs and £68 million fabric improvements.
Under the terms agreed HMPPS cannot terminate the new lease until after December 2033. The cost of the lease is £1.5 million a year, a slight increase on the £1.44 million it was paying when the lease expired in December … Read more
Government Response
HMPPS has significantly improved and implemented updated radon policies and procedures, and training for employees, to ensure the effective management of radon and is embedding learning from Dartmoor into future decision-making, to ensure that any future contracts deliver value for money.
HM Treasury
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9 Conclusion Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
MoJ failed to negotiate stronger HMP Dartmoor lease exit clauses despite radon knowledge.
Given their knowledge that radon had previously been detected at the site, we asked MoJ and HMPPS why they had not negotiated an earlier exit term, or provisions to change the terms if radon levels were to increase so that … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges it would have been beneficial to have a comprehensive understanding of radon presence before making a decision on the lease. HMPPS has improved radon policies, procedures, and training and are embedding learning from Dartmoor into future decision-making.
HM Treasury
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10 Conclusion Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
MoJ remains committed to remediating and reoccupying HMP Dartmoor despite radon challenges.
In our January 2025 session on prison estate capacity, MoJ stressed that it aimed to remediate HMP Dartmoor and bring it back into use if it could find a technical solution to radon issues at the site.19 MoJ reiterated that … Read more
Government Response
The MoJ and HMPPS will write to the Committee once the proposed approach to remediating Dartmoor has been decided.
HM Treasury
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11 Recommendation Deferred
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Make timely decision on HMP Dartmoor reoccupation, considering asbestos and negotiating earlier lease.
We asked MoJ at what point it would make a judgement on whether continuing the works represented the best value for money. MoJ told us that to date it has spent £1.2 million on radon mitigation works, but that it … Read more
Government Response
The MoJ and HMPPS will write to the Committee once the proposed approach to remediating Dartmoor has been decided, which will be in June 2026.
HM Treasury
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12 Recommendation Deferred
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Legal aid deserts' and remote advice disproportionately exclude vulnerable groups from justice.
Our predecessor Committee’s May 2024 report on legal aid in England and Wales raised concerns around access to legal aid advice in areas of the country lacking face-to-face provision of legal aid. Where there are gaps in provision MoJ and … Read more
Government Response
The MoJ commenced a civil demand feasibility study with Ipsos to identify options for the routine monitoring of demand for civil legal aid and will report by the end of March 2026 and the department will report back to the Committee on progress against that plan in October 2026.
HM Treasury
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13 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
MoJ failed to detail alternative legal aid routes for those unable to use remote advice.
In its Treasury Minute response to our predecessor’s 2024 report, MoJ acknowledged that while remote advice can be effective, some people will always require face-to-face advice. It said that it had worked with stakeholders to identify safeguards and better understand … Read more
Government Response
The MoJ will explore removing barriers to providers meeting clients face-to-face, increase understanding of demand from digitally excluded individuals, and report back to the Committee in October 2026.
HM Treasury
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14 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
LAA explores contract barriers and funds travel to improve legal aid access for vulnerable.
We asked MoJ and LAA for an update on what they are doing to ensure that different groups can access legal aid, particularly those for whom remote advice may not be suitable. LAA explained that since the previous Committee’s evidence … Read more
Government Response
The MoJ will explore removing barriers to providers meeting clients face-to-face, increase understanding of demand from digitally excluded individuals, and report back to the Committee in October 2026.
HM Treasury
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15 Conclusion Accepted in Part
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
LAA acknowledges persistent legal aid gaps in housing and debt, with flawed capacity assessments.
LAA did, however, acknowledge that there are still gaps in securing sufficient provision of legal aid across the country, particularly for housing and debt advice.30 MoJ explained that LAA is currently meeting its standard of ensuring there is at least … Read more
Government Response
The Government is taking steps to support these sectors with uplifts for controlled immigration & asylum and housing and debt legal aid work and secured outreach provision in eight of the 21 areas with a further six outreach offers currently being assessed and will report back to the Committee in Autumn 2026 on insight-led action to take forward.
HM Treasury
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16 Recommendation Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
MoJ's understanding of wider legal aid reform costs remains disappointingly insufficient after a decade.
For a decade, this Committee and its predecessors have urged MoJ to get a better understanding of the wider costs of its legal aid reforms. A 2015 report noted the lack of analysis MoJ had undertaken of the wider impacts … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and states the department has written to the Committee, alongside the Treasury Minute response, setting out the results of its survey of local authorities and any further investigations planned.
HM Treasury
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17 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
MoJ lacks understanding of early legal advice removal and litigant-in-person impacts.
MoJ’s Treasury Minute response indicated that it had begun discussions with the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG, or the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, as it was then called) to understand whether local authorities were … Read more
Government Response
The department has written to the Committee, alongside the Treasury Minute response, setting out the results of its survey of local authorities and any further investigations planned.
HM Treasury
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18 Recommendation Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Ministry of Justice lacks comprehensive understanding of legal aid reforms' impact on local authorities
We asked MoJ what work it had done to better understand the effects of its legal aid reforms on local authorities and their legal advice services. MoJ said that it has surveyed local authorities to understand where they were providing … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and states the department has written to the Committee, alongside the Treasury Minute response, setting out the results of its survey of local authorities and any further investigations planned.
HM Treasury
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19 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Ministry of Justice still lacks sufficient data on litigants in person's impact on courts
On litigants in person, MoJ acknowledged that its data have not been good enough to understand the impact of LIPs on courts. However, it said that its court reform programme, which included the introduction of a common platform in criminal … Read more
Government Response
The department will improve data and analysis regarding litigants in person, and will write to the Committee in October 2026 setting out the current position on data collection for litigants in person, and the department’s intention to write to the Committee in October 2026 setting out how the department will improve data and analysis.
HM Treasury
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20 Recommendation Deferred
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Previous committee highlighted MoJ's slow progress reviewing legal aid system sustainability
Our predecessor Committee’s 2024 report on legal aid stated that MoJ had been slow to initiate and complete its large-scale reviews of the sustainability of both the criminal and civil legal aid systems. It raised particular concerns around the civil … Read more
Government Response
The department will explore options to routinely monitor the profitability of legal aid firms, improve management information collected on demand, streamline processes and reduce administrative burdens, and will provide an update to the Committee on this work in October 2026.
HM Treasury
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21 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Ministry of Justice lacks concrete plans for routine civil legal aid profitability monitoring
In its Treasury Minute response MoJ stated that it was considering how to monitor profitability more regularly. It said that the Independent Criminal Legal Aid Board (CLAAB), established following the review of criminal legal aid, had included discussion of the … Read more
Government Response
The department will explore options to routinely monitor the profitability of legal aid firms, improve the management information collected on demand with the support of Ipsos, and provide an update in October 2026.
HM Treasury
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22 Recommendation Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Legal aid sustainability remains a concern with fee increases pending ministerial decision
We asked MoJ and LAA for an update on how they were monitoring the sustainability and profitability of legal aid work. MoJ said that it had recently surveyed both criminal and civil legal aid providers and that it was currently … Read more
Government Response
The department will explore options to routinely monitor the profitability of legal aid firms, improve the management information collected on demand with the support of Ipsos, and provide an update in October 2026.
HM Treasury
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23 Conclusion Deferred
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Stakeholders warn MoJ's actions on legal aid sustainability are insufficient and too slow
Written evidence we received from organisations including the Law Society, Public Law Project and Law Centres Network all raised concerns about whether the actions MoJ has taken to date were sufficient or fast enough to tackle long-term sustainability issues.44 For … Read more
Government Response
The department will explore options to routinely monitor the profitability of legal aid firms, improve management information collected on demand, streamline processes and reduce administrative burdens, and will provide an update to the Committee on this work in October 2026.
HM Treasury
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24 Conclusion Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Legal Aid Agency cyberattack went undetected for four months before system shutdown
MoJ and LAA acknowledged that the cyberattack on LAA’s online digital services began in December 2024, four months before the LAA detected the attack on 23 April 2025.46 LAA explained that in April, it took action to boost the security … Read more
Government Response
The MoJ and LAA have already identified and shared lessons from the attack through several routes including internally across MoJ, with Permanent Secretaries, to the cross-government data practitioners’ network and the Government Cyber Coordination Centre (GC3) Impact Coordination Group, as well as writing to the HMG Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) network.
HM Treasury
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25 Conclusion Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Legal Aid Agency experienced significant delays in detecting and responding to cyberattack risks
We asked LAA why it had taken so long to detect the attack and to then take systems offline.48 LAA explained that the risk of a cyberattack on its systems had been rated as extremely high on MoJ’s risk registers … Read more
Government Response
The Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) set out the initial lessons learned at the Committee evidence session in October 2025, including the need for senior leaders to ensure that cyber-vulnerabilities are fully understood and business continuity plans cover a long period.
HM Treasury
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26 Conclusion Acknowledged
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
Legal Aid Agency acknowledges critical lessons learned from cyberattack response and provider burden
LAA acknowledged that contingency measures it put in place to keep the legal aid system going placed additional burdens on providers, and that there are several lessons to be learned from the attack. This included, ensuring senior leaders understand risks … Read more
Government Response
The Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) set out the initial lessons learned at the Committee evidence session in October 2025, including the need for senior leaders to ensure that cyber-vulnerabilities are fully understood and business continuity plans cover a long period.
HM Treasury
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27 Conclusion Accepted
59th Report - Ministry of Justice …
MoJ acknowledges system vulnerabilities, but acceleration depends on Spending Review funding
We asked MoJ whether the public could have confidence that data stored across MoJ’s systems is safe, following the attack. MoJ stated that it has comprehensively reviewed all of its systems to understand where vulnerabilities lie. It stated that its … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's recommendation and states the MoJ and LAA have already identified and shared lessons from the cyberattack through various routes, including internal committees, cross-government meetings, and the National Cyber Security Centre.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 16 classified
Accepted 12
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 10
Deferred 4
Total 16 recs + 11 conclusions
Correspondence 6 letters
12 Mar 2026 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice relating to recommendation 4 of the Committee’s Report on Ministry of Justice follow-up: Autumn 2025, 27 February 2026
Parliament page
8 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice relating to Ministry of Justice follow-up: Autumn 2025, 11 December 2025
Parliament page
17 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice relating to the transcript of the Committee’s evidence session on 23 October 2025 (Follow-Up: Autumn 2025), 06 November 2025
Parliament page
17 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice relating to the transcript of the Committee’s evidence session on 23 October 2025 (Follow-Up: Autumn 2025), 06 November 2025
Parliament page
28 Oct 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and associated papers relating to HMP Dartmoor, 21 October 2025
Parliament page
17 Jul 2025 From committee Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice relating to the follow up on PAC reports and implementation actions, 15 July 2025
Parliament page