Written questions by Fox.

What steps her Department is taking to support victims of serious and deliberate breaches of sexual harm prevention orders.

All individuals subject to sexual harm prevention orders (SHPOs) are managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA). This is a process through which the police, probation and prison services work together and with other agencies to assess and manage the risks posed by individuals convicted of serious violent, sexual and terrorism offences living in the community to protect the public. MAPPA risk management plans must address risks to specific and potential victims. Breach of a requirement or restriction in an SHPO is a criminal offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment.The Ministry of Justice’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund provides funding to over 60 specialist support services supporting victims and survivors of all ages to help them cope with their experiences and move forward with their lives.

What steps her Department is taking to promote safe use of motorways.

This Government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.The Government’s THINK! Campaign addresses priority road safety issues driving the highest fatalities, including speeding, drink driving, wearing seatbelts and using mobile phones.Turning to our motorways, safety is a key consideration for National Highways across all its activity, with a target in the second Road Investment Strategy of reducing those killed or seriously injured on the Strategic Road Network by 50% compared to the 2005-2009 baseline average. The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road, in its capacity of Highways Monitor, hold National Highways to account for delivery against this performance indicator and work collectively to ensure appropriate action plans are in place to maximise safety on the network.

How much and what proportion of victim support funding from the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner is spent on support for victims of sexual offences; and on what services this funding is spent.

The 42 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice’s victim and witness budget to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types.My Department has committed £154 million per annum on a multi-year basis across this spending review period, up to the end of March 2025. For 2024/25 we provided £41 million of ringfenced funding for the recruitment of Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors, and £21 million of ringfenced funding for community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services.These funding commitments have enabled us to provide tailored support to enable victims of sexual violence to cope and recover from the devastating effect of their crimes. Funding amounts for individual PCC areas are not routinely published.The PCC for Avon and Somerset publishes details on services commissioned in their annual reports available at: https://www.avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk/reports-publications/annual-reports/.

How much money has been allocated to be spent on motorway upgrades in the South West for financial year (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26; and if she will publish a list of all scheduled motorway upgrades for this period.

The Department does not routinely publish a schedule of works to the level of granularity requested. However, National Highways do publish on an annual basis a breakdown of delivery and investment in its Delivery Plan Update and Annual Report and Accounts.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2024 to Question 9826 on Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Buildings, how many individual desks were occupied in her Department’s HQ office in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff assigned to that workplace attended the HQ office in person on average in the same period.

Heads of Department have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Office occupancy data for the period July - September has been published, with further publications on a quarterly basis. The data is published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2024 to Question 9603 on Attorney General: Buildings, how many individual desks were occupied in her Department’s HQ office in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff assigned to that HQ workplace attended the office in person on average in the same period.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is based in one location in London, at 102 Petty France. For the period 28 October to 22 November 2024, an average of 27 desks were occupied. For the same period, 57 civil servants were assigned to work at the AGO and on average 27 members of staff attended the office in person at any one time (this figure does not take account of annual leave, sickness, attending training or other government buildings).

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2024 to Question 9286 on Department for Work and Pensions: Civil Servants, how many individual desks were occupied in her Department’s HQ office in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff assigned to that HQ workplace attended the office in person on average in the same period.

Office occupancy data for the period July - September has been published, with further publications on a quarterly basis. The data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data

How many civil servants are assigned to work in the Parole Board headquarter office; and how many individual desks are available in that office.

Parole Board staff are public servants, not civil servants. The Parole Board has 54 desks allocated to it at 10 South Colonnade, London, part of the core Ministry of Justice estate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2024 to Question 9280 on Department for Transport: Buildings, how many desks were occupied in her Department’s headquarter office in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff assigned to that workplace attended the office in person on average in the same period.

For the 4-week period from 7 October 2024 to 1 November 2024 a total of 21,710 desks were occupied in our London office against a maximum available desk capacity of 25,220. In that same 4-week period 3,201 different Department for Transport staff attended our London office. It is not possible to determine how many staff assigned to our London building attended.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 9283 on Wales Office: Buildings, what the average number of staff was that attended her Department's headquarters in the most recent working period for which figures are available.

The average number of staff attending the Department's HQ building in the most recent working period for which figures are available is 62%.

With reference to the Answer of 18 September 2024 to Question HL835 on Government Departments: Remote Working, what the requirement is for Parole Board staff to physically attend the office, in terms of average days attending across the working week.

Parole Board staff are not civil servants. As public servants, the Parole Board is independent and sets its own policies on office attendance.

How many individual desks were occupied in each of the Parole Board’s headquarter offices in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff assigned to each of those offices attended the office in person on average in the same period.

The Parole Board is a nationally dispersed organisation with its headquarters located at 10 South Colonnade. As public servants, the Parole Board is responsible for determining the level of monitoring required on office attendance in accordance with its own HR policies and is not required to report on this to the Ministry of Justice.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 9277 on Home Office: Buildings, how many civil servants are assigned to work in her Department's headquarters in London; and how many individual desks are available in that office.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 9276 on 11th November 2024.

How many cases of mis-sold Equity Release schemes have been referred to the Financial Ombudsmen in the last two years.

This is a matter for the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which is an independent, non-governmental body. The FOS will respond to the Honourable Member by letter, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2024, to Question 9286, on Civil Servants, how many civil servants are assigned to work in her Department's headquarters in London; and how many individual desks are available in the headquarters office.

As of 31st October 2024, there are 2,357 paid members of staff with Caxton House – London recorded as their place of work. There are 1,050 desks allocated to DWP in Caxton House.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 9617 on DEFRA: Buildings, how many civil servants are assigned to work in his Department's headquarters in London; and how many individual desks are available in that office.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 November to Question 9616.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 9607 on DBT: Buildings, how many civil servants are assigned to work in his Department's headquarters in London; and how many individual desks are available in that office.

I refer the (Rt.) Hon. Member to my response to question 9606, tabled on 16th October 2024. Please see below a summary of the number of staff assigned by each location and the number of desks per location as of 30th September 2024: DBT HubHeadcountDesk NumbersBelfast6316Birmingham403216Cardiff14566Darlington248100Edinburgh9256Greater Manchester17165London40101500*Regional Offices194141Total53262160*We have several offices across the country that are listed under Regional Offices, it would exceed the word count if these were to be listed in totality.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 9068 on Department for Education: Buildings, how many individual desks were occupied in her Department’s headquarters office in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available.

Heads of department have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Office occupancy data for the period July to September has been published, with further publications to happen on a quarterly basis. The data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 9607 on DBT: Buildings, how many individual desks were occupied in his Department’s headquarters in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available.

Heads of Department have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Office occupancy data for the period July - September has been published, with further publications to now happen on a quarterly basis. The data is published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 9277 on Home Office: Buildings, how many individual desks were occupied in her Department’s headquarters office in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available.

Office occupancy data for the period July - September has been published, with further publications to now happen on a quarterly basis.The data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data.