Written questions by McMurdock.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the transition to electric vehicles on the number and proportion of vehicles disposed of annually.

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate and the Government’s Electric Car Grant both require vehicle manufacturers to provide a warranty of at least 8 years or 100,000 miles on electric vehicle (EV) batteries, ensuring vehicles and their batteries have long useable lives. The latest evidence on vehicle lifespans shows that EVs last just as long as their petrol equivalents. Battery replacements remain rare, and do not require the full vehicle to be disposed of. The number and proportion of vehicles scrapped annually is not expected to be affected by the transition to ZEVs.

What assessment she has made of the potential for increased vehicle scrappage if electric vehicle batteries require replacement earlier than expected.

The latest evidence on electric vehicle (EV) battery lifespans shows that average degradation is much slower than originally expected, with different studies suggesting the average battery retains between 81.6 and 85% of its original capacity after eight years. Battery replacements remain rare and do not require the full vehicle to be scrapped. Old batteries must be recycled.The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate regulations require manufacturers to provide a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles on EV batteries. During the warranty period, if battery capacity drops below 70% for cars or 65% for vans, the manufacturer must provide a replacement battery. Additionally, eligibility for the Government’s Electric Car Grant requires manufacturers to offer customers a 2-year extension on the warranty to 10 years, ensuring vehicles and their batteries have long useable lives. The Government expects a significant positive downstream effect in the used EV market.The Government is exploring options to adopt battery health regulations which would provide consumers with clearer information on an EV’s remaining battery capacity. These measures would further strengthen consumer confidence in second-hand EV purchases.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to ensure the safe disposal of electric vehicle batteries at the end of their life.

Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are classed as industrial batteries under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, which requires producers of industrial batteries to offer free take back upon request from end users. The Office of Product Safety and Standards is the regulator for waste industrial batteries and investigates reported instances of failure by producers to take back end of life EV batteries. The Government is committed to effective end-of-life management for batteries and is engaging with industry and other stakeholders to inform a review of the UK batteries regulations, including obligations on producer responsibility for end-of-life EV batteries.

What assessment she has made of the lifecycle environmental impact of electric vehicles.

Lifecycle analysis of UK road vehicles, conducted by Ricardo Energy & Environment on behalf of the Department for Transport, shows that the lifetime carbon emissions of electric vehicles are lower than equivalent petrol and diesel vehicles. Over its lifetime, including manufacture, a battery electric car will save approximately 65% greenhouse gas emissions compared to an equivalent petrol car. As the UK’s electricity supply is increasingly decarbonised, savings are expected to grow to approximately 76% by 2030 and 81% by 2050. These lifecycle emissions reductions are consistent across vehicle types, with battery electric articulated heavy goods vehicles expected to save approximately 74-78% greenhouse gas emissions compared to equivalent diesel trucks by 2030. The study can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lifecycle-analysis-of-uk-road-vehicles.

With reference her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, whether the block will apply to applicants who have been granted a visa but have not yet arrived in the UK.

It is estimated that the brake will reduce the number of asylum claims from migrants arriving in the UK on visas by 1,400 over an 18-month period.The brake does not cancel existing visas, nor does it change the conditions of visas already granted.

What estimate she has made of the total cost of electric vehicle ownership, including a) purchase price, b) insurance, c) maintenance, d) charging costs and e) vehicle excise duty.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are typically cheaper to own and run than petrol equivalents when purchased using salary sacrifice or when making use of the best available home off-peak charging tariffs. EVs continue to benefit from preferential tax breaks compared to the most polluting vehicles, including via salary sacrifice, and the Electric Car Grant offers up to £3,750 off eligible new EVs. Drivers of a new EV can save as much as £1,400 a year compared to petrol car drivers on running and maintenance costs if they can charge at home using off-peak tariffs. A breakdown of how this is calculated is available here: https://cleanenergy.campaign.gov.uk/electric-vehicle/. Analysis suggests that the average EV driver will pay around £20 a month under the Government’s eVED proposals once the new policy starts in 2028, roughly half the equivalent rate for a petrol car.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of asylum claims expected to be prevented by the visa brake policy.

It is estimated that the brake will reduce the number of asylum claims from migrants arriving in the UK on visas by 1,400 over an 18-month period.The brake does not cancel existing visas, nor does it change the conditions of visas already granted.

What assessment she has made of the availability of charging facilities for households without off-street parking.

The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund is expected to deliver over 100,000 further local public charge points for drivers without off-street parking. The Department is also working with local authorities to encourage the use of cross-pavement solutions and in July last year, announced the £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant. This will ensure that more people without off-street parking can benefit from cheaper and more convenient domestic EV charging. We remain committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an EV. As of March 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 118,321 publicly available charging devices in England and Wales.

What estimate she has made of the average lifespan of electric vehicle batteries and the implications this may have for the second hand market for electric vehicles.

The latest evidence on electric vehicle (EV) battery lifespans shows that average degradation is much slower than originally expected, with different studies suggesting the average battery retains between 81.6 and 85% of its original capacity after eight years. Battery replacements remain rare and do not require the full vehicle to be scrapped. Old batteries must be recycled.The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate regulations require manufacturers to provide a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles on EV batteries. During the warranty period, if battery capacity drops below 70% for cars or 65% for vans, the manufacturer must provide a replacement battery. Additionally, eligibility for the Government’s Electric Car Grant requires manufacturers to offer customers a 2-year extension on the warranty to 10 years, ensuring vehicles and their batteries have long useable lives. The Government expects a significant positive downstream effect in the used EV market.The Government is exploring options to adopt battery health regulations which would provide consumers with clearer information on an EV’s remaining battery capacity. These measures would further strengthen consumer confidence in second-hand EV purchases.

What steps she is taking to increase the availability of rapid and ultra-rapid charging infrastructure in rural areas.

As of January 2026, 20.3% of rapid and ultra-rapid EV chargers were in rural areas, higher than the proportion of the population of England and Wales that live in rural areas (17.5%).There are currently over 26,378 open-access 50kW+ chargers in the UK. This includes over 6,400 charge points within one mile of the Strategic Road Network (SRN, motorways and major A-roads in England), which have more than quadrupled in the last three years (July 2022 – October 2025, Zapmap). The Government will continue to work closely with industry to target support where it is needed, including gaps in charging provision on the SRN. This includes support through a £10 million innovation fund, which is open to applications until later this month.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, what information her department holds on the number of asylum seekers who are illegally working.

Home Office holds details of people claiming asylum who have been encountered during illegal working enforcement visits. This data only reflects those detected through enforcement activity and cannot be used to estimate the number of asylum seekers who may be working illegally more generally.Once the changes announced on 5 March 2026 become law, if, following an investigation, there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an asylum seeker is working illegally, their support may be suspended or discontinued.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, how many illegal migrants have been deported to Namibia since 2025, and how many remain in the UK.

Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Namibia are not in scope for the visa brake. These governments were threatened with the imposition of visa penalties last year specifically in order to improve co-operation in the return of individuals with no right to be in the UK, as provided for by sections 70-74 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. This is distinct from the visa brake.Since these threats, returns co-operation with all three governments has rapidly and significantly improved and returns that previously would not have been possible are now taking place. Each government now complies with the UK’s standard. Statistics on returns will be published on gov.uk as usual.The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take further action where needed.

What steps he is taking to ensure sentencing is equitable across genders.

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of gender on (a) custodial sentence length and (b) rates of reoffending.

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

What comparative assessment he has made of custodial sentencing rates between male and female offenders for comparable offences.

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, what discussions she has had with the higher education sector regarding the introduction of the visa brake affecting applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.

Following the announcement of the visa brake on 4th March, information to help sponsoring institutions understand what the change means for them has been shared with them via regular channels, including an operational forum held with sector representatives.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, how many illegal migrants have been deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2025, and how many remain in the UK.

Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Namibia are not in scope for the visa brake. These governments were threatened with the imposition of visa penalties last year specifically in order to improve co-operation in the return of individuals with no right to be in the UK, as provided for by sections 70-74 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. This is distinct from the visa brake.Since these threats, returns co-operation with all three governments has rapidly and significantly improved and returns that previously would not have been possible are now taking place. Each government now complies with the UK’s standard. Statistics on returns will be published on gov.uk as usual.The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take further action where needed.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of prison population in England and Wales.

On 29 January 2026, we published our second annual statement on prison capacity, which sets out the prison projections up to November 2032 and our assessment of them: Ministry of Justice – Annual Statement on Prison Capacity: 2025.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, how many illegal migrants have been deported to Angola since 2025, and how many remain in the UK.

Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Namibia are not in scope for the visa brake. These governments were threatened with the imposition of visa penalties last year specifically in order to improve co-operation in the return of individuals with no right to be in the UK, as provided for by sections 70-74 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. This is distinct from the visa brake.Since these threats, returns co-operation with all three governments has rapidly and significantly improved and returns that previously would not have been possible are now taking place. Each government now complies with the UK’s standard. Statistics on returns will be published on gov.uk as usual.The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take further action where needed.

What estimate he has made of the prison population in England and Wales over the next five years.

On 29 January 2026, we published our second annual statement on prison capacity, which sets out the prison projections up to November 2032 and our assessment of them: Ministry of Justice – Annual Statement on Prison Capacity: 2025.