Written questions by Toale.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of prison recalls following implementation of the Sentencing Act 2026.

Further work is underway to understand how best we can support practitioners in safely managing risk in the community. This will inform future options to ensure recall continues to be used proportionately, to support both public protection and rehabilitation. We are also looking at our approach to recall across the prison estate, including how the 56-day recall period can be used more purposefully in custody, alongside gathering learning from regional initiatives to safely reduce recalls and strengthen pre-release and release-day support. This work will support our cross-government commitment to halve the proportion of offenders on probation who become homeless on their first night out of prison; and shape future options for a more consistent, end-to-end, and evidence-based approach to recall across the estate.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of systemic factors such as housing, mental health and employment on fixed term recalls.

The Department recognises that systemic factors such as access to stable housing, mental‑health support and employment opportunities all play an important role in people’s ability to comply with licence conditions and avoid recall. We continue to work to improve support in these areas, for example by working to embed strong joint partnership working between prisons, probation, and across Government to improve accommodation outcomes for prison leavers.

Whether he plans to issue updated guidance on the use of recall in line with the recommendations of the Independent Sentence Review.

The Government accepted the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendations on recall in principle. Further work is underway within the Department to consider how these recommendations should be implemented in practice, including decisions on whether it is appropriate to update guidance on the use of recall. These decisions will be taken over the coming months as part of our wider work to ensure that recall is used proportionately and supports both public protection and rehabilitation.

How many people have been prosecuted for (a) sexual assault or (b) rape in Bournemouth in each year since 2019.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions at magistrates’ courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: December 2023, including breakdowns for specific offences.However, magistrates’ court proceedings data held centrally is collated at a Local Justice Area (LJA) level only and is therefore not available for Bournemouth specifically. To view the number of prosecutions at courts located in the Dorset LJA, select ‘Dorset’ in the ‘Police Force Area’ filter (Dorset LJA is the only LJA in the Dorset police force area).

How many people have been prosecuted for drug-related offences in Bournemouth in each year since 2019.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions at magistrates’ courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: December 2023, including breakdowns for specific offences.However, magistrates’ court proceedings data held centrally is collated at a Local Justice Area (LJA) level only and is therefore not available for Bournemouth specifically. To view the number of prosecutions at courts located in the Dorset LJA, select ‘Dorset’ in the ‘Police Force Area’ filter (Dorset LJA is the only LJA in the Dorset police force area).