Written questions by Davies.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a separate criminal offence of desecration of a corpse.

The Government understands the concerns of bereaved families who are pressing for a review of the legislative framework around the desecration of corpses. While there is no specific offence of desecrating a corpse in England and Wales, other related offences can apply, such as preventing the lawful burial of a body. When the concealment or desecration of a body is linked to a homicide (to avoid detection, for example), the current sentencing framework treats this as an aggravating factor, ensuring robust sentences. The Government recognises that desecration could include a range of behaviours and is keeping the law under review.The Government is also taking action to expand the offence of sexual penetration of a corpse under section 70 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The Crime and Policing Bill will replace this offence with a broader offence of sexual activity with a corpse. This will ensure that all intentional sexual touching of a corpse is criminal, not just penetration as is currently the case. Non-penetrative sexual touching will attract a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. The Bill will increase the maximum penalty for sexual penetration from 2 years’ imprisonment to 7 years.

Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the sizing of electronic monitoring equipment.

The Ministry of Justice set out its requirements relating to Electronic Monitoring devices as part of a procurement process that saw contracts awarded in October 2023 for the provision of Electronic Monitoring services. The Secretary of State is satisfied that the devices in use meet the standards required whilst acknowledging there will be circumstances when Electronic Monitoring is not a viable option. To maintain the integrity of the equipment, including anti-tamper measures, and taking account of the necessarily robust nature of the equipment, there is a minimum strap size for the secure and safe fitting of monitoring devices. Field staff carry a range of strap sizes with them when conducting installation visits. Ministry of Justice staff continue to work with suppliers to develop innovations and solutions in both technology and processes to expand the use of Electronic Monitoring.