Written questions by Ribeiro-Addy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 48519 on Blood: Donors, what proportion of donors of (a) African heritage, (b) Caribbean heritage, (c) mixed white and African heritage, (d) mixed backgrounds and (e) white backgrounds had their donations deferred due to recent travel in the last twelve months.

NHS Blood and Transplant is responsible for blood donation in England. From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, the most recent data available, 3.87% of donors with black African heritage, 0.67% of donors of Black Caribbean heritage, 0.86% donors of mixed white and black African heritage, 0.53% of donors of mixed backgrounds, and 0.28% of donors of white backgrounds had their donations deferred due to travel.

Pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 46825 on Electronic Tagging: Standards, how Serco has performed against the 14 key performance indicators at the most recent performance review.

Serco has failed to meet its target performance on 11 of 14 of its KPIs. The Department continues to hold Serco to account for its failings and will not hesitate to levy contractual penalties for underperformance.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of the Crown Post Office in Brixton on the community.

In order to create a long-term, sustainable future for post offices in communities across the UK, Post Office is moving to a fully franchised network. All 108 Directly Managed Branches (DMBs) – including Brixton Post Office – are in scope of these changes. Post Office intends to replace DMBs with Mains branches where possible (Mains branches offer similar services to DMBs). Where this is not possible, Post Office has committed to ensure that all communities currently served by a DMB will have at least one Mains branch within a 1-mile radius of the existing branch. Post Office will keep staff, customers and my honourable friend informed about changes to Brixton Post Office.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2025 to Question 45856 on Blood: Donors, how many and what proportion of the donors deferred due to low haemoglobin levels were of (a) African, (b) Caribbean, (c) mixed white and African heritage and (d) mixed white and Caribbean heritage in the last 12 months.

NHS Blood and Transplant is responsible for blood donation in England. The following table shows the number and proportion of deferrals due to low haemoglobin levels by those of African, Caribbean, mixed white and African, and mixed white and Caribbean heritage, from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, the latest data available:EthnicityNumber of deferrals due to low haemoglobin levelsProportion of total deferrals due to low haemoglobin levelsBlack- African40232.37%Black- Caribbean24261.43%Mixed white and black African4920.29%Mixed white and black Caribbean13140.78%

When his Department plans to launch its consultation on the future of the Post Office.

We aim to publish a Green Paper later this year which will set out several proposals for discussion on the future direction of the Post Office. As part of this work, Government will be carefully considering what customers, communities and postmasters would like to see from a modern Post Office network.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2025 to Question 45856 on Blood: Donors, how many and what proportion of the donors deferred due to the donor’s recent travel to other countries were of (a) African, (b) Caribbean, (c) mixed white and African heritage and (d) mixed white and Caribbean heritage.

NHS Blood and Transplant is responsible for blood donation in England. The following table shows the number and proportion of deferrals due to the donor’s recent travel to other countries for those of African, Caribbean, mixed white and African, and mixed white and Caribbean heritage, from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, the most recent data available:EthnicityNumber of deferrals due to donor’s recent travel to other countriesProportion of total deferrals due to donor’s recent travel to other countriesBlack- African65110.56%Black- Caribbean881.43%Mixed white and black African310.50%Mixed white and black Caribbean400.65%

Whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging blood marrow donation when a new blood donor registers online.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation services in England, and also manages the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, previously the British Bone Marrow Registry, which facilitates the donation of stem cells either via blood or bone marrow donation, used to treat forms of leukaemia and some other serious inherited conditions. In 2024/25 there were 27,945 NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry registrations, 23,108 of which were recruited via blood sessions.Eligible blood, plasma, and platelet donors aged between 17 to 40 years old are asked to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry when they attend a donation session. Due to the need to take an additional blood sample for typing, registration takes place during the session. NHSBT emails new and returning donors who are eligible for stem cell donation ahead of their blood donation appointment to highlight the impact of stem cell donation and to encourage them to sign up to the stem cell registry when they attend. NHSBT also periodically contacts eligible new blood donors who have not yet attended a blood donation session, and lapsed blood donors, offering a buccal swab sample which can also be used for typing.To further encourage sign up, NHSBT uses stem cell champions on blood donation teams, which are nationally and specially trained event assistants that are present at sessions with high numbers of minority ethnic donors and young men. NHSBT is also looking at ways to capture a new donor’s intention to join the stem cell registry during their registration online by asking them to register an interest, which is then highlighted to staff on their donor record during donation.

Whether she plans to increase the (a) role and (b) resources of (i) the National Wildlife Crime Unit and (ii) Border Force to support the (A) protection of wildlife, (B) communities and (C) ecological recovery.

Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. We are committed to reducing crime and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law. Recognising the notable successes of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), we are providing funding this financial year (2025/26) of £450,000, an increase on previous years, ensuring this specialist policing unit can continue to help police forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to tackle wildlife crime, including disrupting serious and organised crime. The NWCU also supports cases referred by Border Force to the National Crime Agency or to individual forces and is the UK policing focal point for EUROPOL and INTERPOL wildlife crime activity. Border Force’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) officers are dedicated to preventing the importation and exportation of endangered animals and plants, as well as working in partnership with the legal trade and enforcement partners from across the UK to eradicate this ruthless and exploitative trade which has a devastating environmental impact. Additionally, all new Border Force officers receive mandatory training on CITES to aid the detection of illicit goods linked to the illegal wildlife trade.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of blood donor centres that are asking (a) new and (b) returning blood donors to sign up to donate bone marrow.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation services in England, and also manages the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, previously the British Bone Marrow Registry, which facilitates the donation of stem cells either via blood or bone marrow donation, used to treat forms of leukaemia and some other serious inherited conditions. In 2024/25 there were 27,945 NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry registrations, 23,108 of which were recruited via blood sessions.Eligible blood, plasma, and platelet donors aged between 17 to 40 years old are asked to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry when they attend a donation session. Due to the need to take an additional blood sample for typing, registration takes place during the session. NHSBT emails new and returning donors who are eligible for stem cell donation ahead of their blood donation appointment to highlight the impact of stem cell donation and to encourage them to sign up to the stem cell registry when they attend. NHSBT also periodically contacts eligible new blood donors who have not yet attended a blood donation session, and lapsed blood donors, offering a buccal swab sample which can also be used for typing.To further encourage sign up, NHSBT uses stem cell champions on blood donation teams, which are nationally and specially trained event assistants that are present at sessions with high numbers of minority ethnic donors and young men. NHSBT is also looking at ways to capture a new donor’s intention to join the stem cell registry during their registration online by asking them to register an interest, which is then highlighted to staff on their donor record during donation.

How many prisoners released on home curfew were not tagged for the entirety of their monitoring period in the most recent period for which data is available.

The number of prisoners released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) where a tag had not been fitted for the entirety of their monitoring period can be found in the attached at Annex A.All prisoners released on HDC are subject to a statutory electronically monitored curfew. The requested information is routinely published as part of the department’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication. The most recent published data (covering the period October to December 2024) can be found in Table 3_Q_10 here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6807c23692d50839757a61b7/prison-releases-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods.’

What recent assessment she has made of the average time taken for Serco to tag (a) priority one critical offenders and (b) people classified as likely to offend.

Serco’s performance has been unacceptable, and we will not hesitate to impose further penalties if our high-performance targets are not met and performance does not improve. There are regular meetings between the Minister for Prisons and Probation and the CEO of Serco to impress upon him the need for improvement.The contract contains strict time bound service levels within which all equipment installations for all electronic monitoring orders must take place. In addition, the small number of national security cases and those requiring more intensive monitoring plus Domestic Abuse Perpetrators on Licence and those with Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPO) are prioritised. Electronic monitoring orders are identified by order type and terms such as priority one critical offenders and people classified as likely to offend are not used.

How many people released on licence were electronically tagged as part of a home detention curfew programme in the most recent period for which data is available.

The number of prisoners released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) where a tag had not been fitted for the entirety of their monitoring period can be found in the attached at Annex A.All prisoners released on HDC are subject to a statutory electronically monitored curfew. The requested information is routinely published as part of the department’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication. The most recent published data (covering the period October to December 2024) can be found in Table 3_Q_10 here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6807c23692d50839757a61b7/prison-releases-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods.’

What assessment she had made of the adequacy of Serco's performance; and if she will undertake a review of it's electronic tagging contract.

Serco’s performance has been unacceptable, and we will not hesitate to impose further penalties if our high-performance targets are not met and performance does not improve. There are regular meetings between the Minister for Prisons and Probation and the CEO of Serco to impress upon him the need for improvement.The contract contains strict time bound service levels within which all equipment installations for all electronic monitoring orders must take place. In addition, the small number of national security cases and those requiring more intensive monitoring plus Domestic Abuse Perpetrators on Licence and those with Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPO) are prioritised. Electronic monitoring orders are identified by order type and terms such as priority one critical offenders and people classified as likely to offend are not used.

What steps her Department is taking to address the backlog in fitting offenders with electronic monitoring tags.

Serco’s performance has been unacceptable, and we will not hesitate to impose further penalties if our high-performance targets are not met and performance does not improve. There are regular meetings between the Minister for Prisons and Probation and the CEO of Serco to impress upon him the need for improvement.The contract contains strict time bound service levels within which all equipment installations for all electronic monitoring orders must take place. In addition, the small number of national security cases and those requiring more intensive monitoring plus Domestic Abuse Perpetrators on Licence and those with Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPO) are prioritised. Electronic monitoring orders are identified by order type and terms such as priority one critical offenders and people classified as likely to offend are not used.

What are the performance indicators agreed with Serco as part of the contract to provide electronic monitoring services.

During the procurement of the Field and Monitoring Service contract, all suppliers were required to provide details of their vetting, staff recruitment, training and retention processes and these were assessed as part of the evaluation process. As with all of our contracts, we have robust mechanisms in place to hold Serco to account, including provisions to address under-performance. We have set out that Serco must deliver robust training that they are continually reviewing it for areas of improvementThe contract outlines the ongoing requirements Serco staff must meet in terms of pre-employment checks, additional vetting and specific national security vetting clearance.There are 14 Key Performance Indicators within the Field and Monitoring Service contract held by Serco. Detailed information on the 14 Key Performance Indicators is available on Contracts Finders under Schedule 3 of the contract: Electronic Monitoring Field and Monitoring Service (FMS) - Contracts Finder.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the (a) recruitment and (b) vetting process for people employed to tag offenders.

During the procurement of the Field and Monitoring Service contract, all suppliers were required to provide details of their vetting, staff recruitment, training and retention processes and these were assessed as part of the evaluation process. As with all of our contracts, we have robust mechanisms in place to hold Serco to account, including provisions to address under-performance. We have set out that Serco must deliver robust training that they are continually reviewing it for areas of improvementThe contract outlines the ongoing requirements Serco staff must meet in terms of pre-employment checks, additional vetting and specific national security vetting clearance.There are 14 Key Performance Indicators within the Field and Monitoring Service contract held by Serco. Detailed information on the 14 Key Performance Indicators is available on Contracts Finders under Schedule 3 of the contract: Electronic Monitoring Field and Monitoring Service (FMS) - Contracts Finder.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of offenders not tagged as a result of the Probation Service holding an incorrect address for the offender.

To establish the number of people who were not tagged because the probation service held and provided an incorrect address to the EM provider would require a trawl through thousands of individual case records held on prison and probation systems. Such information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost and is therefore not available.The probation service audit cases where an individual has not received a tag through a weekly data report. Where incorrect addresses are identified, through discussion with EMS they are rectified as soon as possible. Serco must make a minimum of two attempts to install a tag. If both visits result in a “no show” or if the address held by Serco is incorrect, Serco is required to send a non-compliance notification to the offender’s probation officer, who will then make a decision on what enforcement action is appropriate. This can include a return to court or custody if an offender has moved address without telling their probation officer or if they have breached their licence conditions.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of councils offering private rented properties.

It is a matter for individual local authorities as to whether they wish to include private rented accommodation as part of their wider housing offer, including through Local Housing Companies.The government is committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and will support councils and housing associations to build their capacity to make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply.For an overview of our policies in this area, I refer the hon. Member to my response to Question UIN 41721 on 3 April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help ensure that developers provide structural remediation works to ensure that buildings are safe for residents.

Building owners are responsible for managing building safety and performance issues in their building, including any structural issues. Under the Building Safety Act 2022, Principal Accountable Persons for higher risk buildings (buildings with 7 or more storeys, or which are 18m or more in height with 2+ residential units) are responsible for assessing, reviewing, and taking all reasonable steps to prevent structural risks identified in their building from materialising to keep residents safe.The Building Safety Act 2022 also protects qualifying leaseholders from unreasonable costs of remediating historical safety defects, including structural defects, and makes it possible for building owners to apply to recover some or all of the cost of remediation from the third parties who were responsible for relevant defects.In addition, developers who signed the developer remediation contract have committed to undertake or pay for an estimated £3.9 billion worth of remedial works to address life-critical fire safety defects arising from the design and construction of buildings 11 metres and over in height that they developed, or refurbished in England in the 30 years ending on 4 April 2022. We publish quarterly updates on the progress that developers are making. Any developer who fails to comply with their obligations faces significant consequences.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of obligating developers to conduct (a) Type 2 surveys of internal compartmentation of common parts of medium-to-high rise multi-occupancy buildings and (b) in instances where those surveys reveal defects, additional Type 4 surveys within flats.

Developers who signed the Developer Remediation Contract are obligated to remediate or pay to remediate external and internal life-critical fire safety defects due to the original design and construction in relevant building. In doing so, those developers must obtain fire safety assessments demonstrating that they have complied with their contractual obligations. Those assessments may include Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (which must comply with PAS 9980) and other fire safety assessments (which must comply with relevant industry standards). The type of assessments needed will depend on the circumstances of the building. MHCLG regularly audits assessments obtained by developers to make sure that they comply with the contractual requirements. If an assessment is non-compliant, the developer is required to address this at its own expense.