During the period January to July 2026, of the 26 recorded instances of court time lost at Bristol Crown Court owing to the late delivery of a prisoner, one was attributable to Serco. The remaining 25 instances were attributable to a range of factors elsewhere in the criminal justice system, including issues arising within prisons, HM Courts and Tribunals Service and prisoner refusals.

HM Prison and Probation Service continually monitors Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) contractors through assured performance information and formal contract management arrangements, with service credits, fixed-cost remedies and improvement actions available where failures are attributable to the contractor. In addition, the ministerially-chaired Prisoner Delivery Oversight Board is co-ordinating work across criminal justice system partners to address the end-to-end causes of delay.

In the year ending 30 June 2026, contractors escorted approximately 343,000 prisoners to court. Of around 6,600 reported delays involving prisoners transported by PECS, 504 were attributable to contractor performance, with the majority arising from wider criminal justice system factors. Overall contractor performance remains strong and, where standards are not met, financial deductions, improvement plans and other contractual remedies are applied.

The Department holds monthly performance information for Prisoner Escort and Custody Services contractors covering the period since the current contracts commenced in September 2020. This includes data on prisoner movements between police stations, courts and prisons to monitor and measure overall PECS supplier service delivery and performance against Contract Delivery Indicators. The information is used to monitor contractual compliance and inform the application of improvement plans, financial deductions and other contractual remedies where required.

Previously published data show that PECS supplier-attributable delays reduced from 0.16% of court productions in 2023 to 0.08% in both 2024 and 2025. In 2025, PECS suppliers delivered prisoners to court on time in 99.91% of cases, compared with an overall criminal justice system timely delivery to court rate of 98.19%.

Secondments into and out of the Civil Service are a valuable means of sharing expertise and building capability to support delivery of government priorities. Recent secondments with Serco have supported building procurement, commercial and service delivery experience amongst other areas.

The information requested is considered commercially sensitive and disclosure could prejudice the commercial interests of the supplier and its business operations.

Costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system, and details are considered to be commercially confidential.

The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts.

We have increased the recruitment and training of additional healthcare professionals across all suppliers, alongside improvements to workforce planning to better match resources to demand. Assessments are delivered through a multi-channel approach ensuring that individuals are assessed in the most appropriate way based on their circumstances.

The department continues to monitor volumes closely and works with suppliers to ensure sufficient capacity is in place to reduce waiting times and support timely reassessment activity. In addition, improvements to digital systems and scheduling processes are helping to increase productivity and make more efficient use of available assessor time.

The department also works closely with its suppliers, including Serco, under robust contractual arrangements. Details of these contracts are publicly available here. Service level agreements (SLAs) are set out within the contracts and performance against these are monitored on a continuous basis through regular management information, formal performance reviews and governance meetings. Where performance falls below expected standards, the department can apply contractual remedies, including improvement plans and, where appropriate, financial remedies.

For security reasons, the Ministry of Defence does not comment on specific contracts, staffing levels or detailed security arrangements at any defence establishment.

HM Naval Bases operate on a continuous 24‑hour basis. Appropriate Duty Staff are in place at all times to maintain the safety, security and operational availability of the site.

Yes. Information regarding the contract for the Defence Maritime Services Next Generation Vessel Replacement Programme can be found through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

The performance of the criminal justice system as a whole against the requirement for timely delivery of prisoners to court is 98.31%. The latest available annual figure (1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025) for Prisoner Escort and Custody Service contractors’ performance against the indicators on timely delivery is 99.92%. We keep the contractors’ performance under constant review.

Penalties, known as service credits, are incurred for delays attributable to failure on the part of the contractor. They are calculated from the point 15 minutes after court proceedings are ready to commence – provided it is within the agreed court start times. A service credit is incurred for every subsequent 15 minutes of delay, or part thereof (in which case the supplier is penalised for a full fifteen minutes).

During the 12 months from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, out of 343,638 journeys to court undertaken by the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service, there were 273 instances of failure that resulted in service credits being paid by suppliers for late delivery of a prisoner to either the Crown Court or a magistrates’ court.

The performance of the criminal justice system as a whole against the requirement for timely delivery of prisoners to court is 98.31%. The latest available annual figure (1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025) for Prisoner Escort and Custody Service contractors’ performance against the indicators on timely delivery is 99.92%. We keep the contractors’ performance under constant review.

Penalties, known as service credits, are incurred for delays attributable to failure on the part of the contractor. They are calculated from the point 15 minutes after court proceedings are ready to commence – provided it is within the agreed court start times. A service credit is incurred for every subsequent 15 minutes of delay, or part thereof (in which case the supplier is penalised for a full fifteen minutes).

During the 12 months from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, out of 343,638 journeys to court undertaken by the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service, there were 273 instances of failure that resulted in service credits being paid by suppliers for late delivery of a prisoner to either the Crown Court or a magistrates’ court.

Vessels being procured as part of the Defence Marine Services-Next Generation In-Port Services will not be built in China and future maintenance of the vessels will take place in the UK.

This Government is stepping up our support for UK shipbuilders. We are looking closely at the subcontracting supply chain as part of our Shipbuilding and Maritime Technology Action Plan, which will set out our plans to ensure that we are maximising our use of UK industry as an engine for growth.

The HM Prison and Probation Service prisoner escort and custody services team ensures that Serco meets its contract obligations and takes action when it falls short. Delays at Bournemouth courts are often caused by issues across the wider criminal justice system. The contract management team continue to work closely with partners to resolve problems and improve service delivery.

What steps he is taking to ensure Serco delivers prisoners on time at Bournemouth Crown and County Court.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise the shocking situation in our Crown courts and civil courts that the Government inherited from the Conservative party. We must take action. That is why my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Courts and Legal Services will be setting out a wide-ranging package that will get a grip of the backlog and ensure that our criminal justice system is fit for the future.

We must ensure that courts like Bournemouth are not being kept idle at a cost of thousands of taxpayers’ pounds every day. After all, we have a backlog that we have got to clear thanks to the Conservative party. Bournemouth piloted the pathfinder model, and it wants to do more, but it is being held back by private contractors such as Serco. Will the Government reconsider their approach and consider alternative ways to deliver prisoners to court on time, thereby saving the taxpayer valuable money?

The Department confirms that details of contracts exceeding £500 million for the listed suppliers are provided below.

The Department is withholding some of this information for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

1. Serco - Support to In-port Marine Services & Vessel Replacement Programme. Delivery of Marine services to the Dockyard Ports, including core services such as towage - including nuclear safety - movements, pilot transfer & passenger transportation, fuels, liquids and stores transfer.

ii. The second contract with Serco is for Armed Forces Recruiting Service - Transition period.

1. Rolls Royce - Typhoon Engine Support Solution (TESS) The contract is for Repair services & maintenance of the EJ200 Typhoon engines.

1. Rolls Royce Submarines Limited - Nuclear Propulsion (NP) Unity. To support Royal Navy submarine fleet and bolster national security. Please note this information is in the public domain following this link: Landmark £9 billion contract for British business to boost jobs, growth and nuclear deterrent - GOV.UK

1. Foreland Shipping - Provision of Interim Strategic Sealift. Strategic Sealift provides UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) with a capability to deploy cargo overseas from the UK in support of the UK's standing commitments and contingent operations.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the importance of supporting UK shipbuilding and undertook market engagement to encourage bids from UK shipyards for the Defence Marine Services Next Generation (DMS-NG) contracts. Despite these efforts, only one compliant bid was received, and Serco, as the prime contractor, was free to select its subcontractors.

The Government remains committed to supporting UK shipbuilding, and recent reforms to public procurement, including the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force in February 2025, provide greater flexibility to prioritise British companies in strategically important sectors. The MOD continues to work with the National Shipbuilding Office to maximise opportunities for UK suppliers in future procurements.

The operational necessity of the DMS-NG contracts and the need to maintain critical maritime capabilities were key considerations in the procurement process, as was programme affordability at the time. However, some £200 million will still be spent through DMS-NG at British boatyards for the maintenance of the new vessels, which will bring benefits to the UK ship repair sector.