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Written question asked by Shivani Raja (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Jake Richards (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Reoffenders: Parenting Orders

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department provides to courts regarding the issuance of Parenting Orders for parents of repeat youth offenders.

Answer

The Ministry of Justice does not issue specific guidance for the courts regarding the use of parenting orders. Courts can issue a parenting order in a number of circumstances, including where a child has been convicted of an offence or has engaged in anti-social behaviour. The decision to impose a parenting order is a matter for the independent judiciary.

The Government is clear that more effective use could be made of parenting orders to help prevent youth offending, as outlined in the recently published Youth Justice White Paper, Cutting Youth Crime. Changing Young Lives (Cutting youth crime, changing young lives - GOV.UK). The Government will take action to encourage and strengthen the use of parenting orders ensuring that parents and carers face more meaningful consequences when they wilfully do not comply with an order that the court considers key for their child’s rehabilitation.

We will set out these plans in more detail in due course.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
22411
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Reoffenders Parenting orders
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk