We inherited a criminal courts system in crisis. There are over 80,000 criminal cases currently waiting to be heard in the Crown Court, which means that some victims – and those seeking to clear their name – are waiting years for justice. Only by pulling every lever we have – investment, efficiency and structural reform – can we turn the tide on the backlog and begin to deliver swifter justice for all.

The Deputy Prime Minister has announced several measures we are taking forward to drive efficiency, including enabling the Crown Court judiciary - through the allocation of unlimited sitting days - to undertake targeted approaches to listing to enable cases can be resolved more quickly and efficiently.

Judges based at the Old Bailey, but hearing cases from across London, are using targeted listing to help reduce further court delays that have left some emergency workers waiting years for justice after being attacked while protecting the public.

Between 6 April and 29 June 2026, 107 cases involving offences under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 were listed for hearing. Of these, 64 have been dealt with already.

It should be noted that the decision to list a case is taken by the independent judiciary. This data has been manually collated from locally held operational records and is unpublished management information. It is not subject to the same level of quality assurance as official published statistics. Figures may be subject to change as case records are updated or amended.

Significant work is underway to strengthen the quality and consistency of training across the system.

On 4 April, NHS England published Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management to support the Government’s work to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide and improve mental health services. The guidance requires all mental health practitioners to align their practice to the latest evidence in suicide prevention, and it is available at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicide

The NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework states that in 2026/27, all integrated care boards must ensure mental health practitioners across all providers undertake training and deliver care in line with the Staying safe from suicide guidance.

Every suicide is a tragedy that has devastating and enduring impacts on families, friends and communities. The Government recognises the demanding nature of working in emergency settings, and that staff may require more complex mental wellbeing support due to the traumatic nature of their jobs. National Health Service staff are able to access mental health support through their general practice, as well as support provided by their employer through employee assistance programmes or occupational health. NHS England also offers a range of health and wellbeing resources including the Practitioner Health service that provides specialist mental health support.

The Department does not hold this data. Data relating to numbers of suicides in England and Wales are published regularly by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). ONS occasionally also publishes ad hoc analysis of suicide numbers by standard occupational classifications. Whilst this data does not allow identification of the employer, such as the NHS, it does present suicide numbers by broad occupation categories. The latest ad hoc publication is available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/adhocs/2726suicidebyoccupationinenglandandwales2023and2024provisional

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, which includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters to support deaf patients.

To facilitate clear and effective communication in emergency situations, individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired can utilise tools such as the 999BSL video relay platform, both app and web-based, to contact 999 via a BSL interpreter as well as access via emergency SMS messaging.

Video relay apps can also be used to support communication and face-to-face assessment by crews on scene at incidents, where, via on-board iPads, paramedics can connect patients with a remote BSL video interpreter. These resources, which are free to use and operate 24 hours, seven days a week, ensure that real-time communication is possible for BSL users when emergency and urgent assistance is required.

The BSL Advisory Board was established in 2023, to advise the Government on key issues impacting the Deaf community in their everyday life. On 27 November 2025, the BSL Advisory Board published a report titled Locked out: Exclusion of deaf and deafblind BSL users from health and social care in the UK, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bsl-user-experience-of-health-and-social-care-in-uk/locked-out-exclusion-of-deaf-and-deafblind-bsl-users-from-health-and-social-care-in-the-uk-full-report-bsl-and-english-versions

The Government welcomed the report, and thanked the BSL Advisory Board for their work to improve the accessibility, inclusion, and the experiences of Deaf and Deafblind BSL users within the health and social care system. The board’s recommendations are informing work to implement the 10-Year Health Plan and to reform adult social care so we can deliver improvements to the health, care, and the experience of Deaf people.

There are currently no plans to erect a National Emergency Services Memorial.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of compensation orders and average amount of compensation at criminal courts in England and Wales for a wide range of offences including assault on an emergency worker in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics

However, the type of emergency worker assaulted under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of compensation orders and average amount of compensation at criminal courts in England and Wales for a wide range of offences including assault on an emergency worker in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics

However, the type of emergency worker assaulted under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

Through the measures set out in the Government’s Police Reform White Paper, “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” we are taking steps to strengthen wellbeing provision for the policing workforce, including enhanced trauma support and occupational health improvements, and strengthening early intervention and prevention. Alongside wider reforms, we are strengthening the delivery of the Police Covenant to ensure consistent and effective support for officers and staff whose mental and physical health is affected by their service.

The Home Office continues to provide funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service which has developed evidence-based guidance, advice, tools, and resources to support the mental and physical wellbeing of officers and staff. The Service is also working with forces to identify where the greatest risks to mental health lie to ensure support is available to those with the greatest need including those affected by traumatic incidents.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold centrally retrievable data on the reasons for discontinuation at an offence level within its Case Management System (CMS) and associated Management Information System (MIS).

While the CPS applies the Code for Crown Prosecutors, including both the evidential and public interest tests, the specific reasons for decisions are recorded within individual case records rather than in a structured, searchable format.

Accordingly, the CPS is unable to provide the number of cases where the public interest test was cited as the reason for discontinuation in Assault on Emergency Worker cases. To obtain this information would require a manual review of individual case files.

However, to provide context on the volume of cases involved, the table below shows the number of offences for Assault on an Emergency Worker which were charged and reached a first hearing at the magistrates’ court over the last five calendar years under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018:

The Crown Prosecution Service updated its guidance for prosecuting offences relating to the Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 in June 2025. Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 | The Crown Prosecution Service.

The update ensures prosecutors consider the full range of available offences and adopt a more flexible, case by case approach to selecting the most appropriate charge.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on offences derived from its Case Management System (CMS) and associated Management Information System (MIS).

CPS offence-level data can be used to report on the number of offences charged and reaching a first hearing at the magistrates’ court. However, this data does not include outcome information for specific offences.

Accordingly, the CPS does not hold centrally retrievable data to identify how many charges for Assault on an Emergency Worker were not proceeded with. To obtain this information would require a manual review of individual case files.

However, to provide context on the volume of cases involved, the table below shows the number of offences for Assault on an Emergency Worker which were charged and reached a first hearing at the magistrates’ court over the last five calendar years under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018:

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on offences derived from its Case Management System (CMS) and associated Management Information System (MIS).

CPS offence-level data can be used to report on the number of offences charged and reaching a first hearing at the magistrates’ court. However, this data does not include outcome information for specific offences.

Accordingly, the CPS does not hold centrally retrievable data to identify how many charges for Assault on an Emergency Worker were not proceeded with. To obtain this information would require a manual review of individual case files.

However, to provide context on the volume of cases involved, the table below shows the number of offences for Assault on an Emergency Worker which were charged and reached a first hearing at the magistrates’ court over the last five calendar years under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018:

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of compensation orders at criminal courts in England and Wales for a wide range of offences including assault on an emergency worker in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics

Assaults on emergency workers are a serious matter. Prosecution decisions are for the independent Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider, and it would be inappropriate for a Minister to discuss this with the CPS. The evidential and public interest tests (termed the ‘two-stage’ test) are set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, and consideration of how they are applied is a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Where a jury has been unable to reach a verdict or has been discharged, the prosecution will apply the two-stage test set out in the Code when deciding whether or not to proceed to a retrial. Prosecutors are expected to be fair and objective when making decisions and should only proceed with a prosecution if the two-stage test has been met.

All children are entitled to a full-time education.

The national framework for penalty notices is designed to ensure fairness and consistency by applying expectations equally to all. While schools must apply the attendance framework fairly and consistently, headteachers retain the discretion to grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. This allows them to consider the specific circumstances faced by individual families, including those in emergency services roles. However, a family holiday would not normally constitute an exceptional circumstance, and the school year is structured to provide significant opportunities for holidays outside of term time.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and continues to fulfil the responsibilities under the Act.

While the MCA is a Category 1 responder, its response capabilities such as the Coastguard Rescue Service (which is voluntary service) is not a Categorised responder under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004). The MCA has contingency plans and measures in place and will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system.

Changing the Coastguard Rescue Service operating model was not something which we wanted to do but is a mandated consequence of the Court of Appeal ruling.

Careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, the wider organisational impact and the effect on individuals have all been considered, as well as the feedback Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO) have given us through recent surveys and engagement.

The Government recognises the contribution of the longstanding and successful independent air ambulance charities model, which enables close partnership working with local National Health Service trusts to provide medical guidance, supplies, and training.

The Government continues to take action to support the charitable sector, which includes the increase in the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This reduces the impact on the sector from the increase in employer National Insurance contributions.

There are no current plans to provide further funding to the sector which operates through a successful charitable model.