Written questions by Johnson.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed deletion of the Gang Violence Matrix on (a) legal risks and (b) access to justice for affected people.

The now decommissioned Gang Violence Matrix (GVM) was an operational risk assessment tool used by the Metropolitan Police. The Metropolitan Police is the controller of this data and is operationally independent of Government.The Metropolitan Police has already extended the retention of the data for 12 months to enable persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM to exercise their Right of Access. Any individual who considers they may have been included on the GVM is entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025. The Metropolitan Police advises the public of this on its website.As the GVM is a policing tool and matter, the Ministry of Justice has no input or remit in relation to its deletion.

If she will hold discussions with the Metropolitan Police on taking steps to allow people who have been wrongfully included on the gang violence matrix to challenge their inclusion before the deletion deadline.

The Gangs Violence Matrix (GVM) was an intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The police are operationally independent of the government, and the GVM was devised and operated by the Metropolitan Police, independently of the Home Office. The deletion of the data held on the GVM is a matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing.Following an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Metropolitan Police made the decision to discontinue use of the GVM after 13 February 2024. The Metropolitan Police had already previously decided that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This decision was taken in order to satisfy both Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM and to ensure that any claims under Article 8 Human Rights Act could be answered. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Any form of discrimination in policing is unacceptable. The Government is supportive of the NPCC and College of Policing’s Police Race Action Plan which aims to improve policing’s engagement with Black communities. A number of forces have developed their own local plans to address specific needs from their communities, including the MPS.

If she will hold discussions with the Metropolitan Police on (a) the potential impact of its gang violence matrix on ethnic minority groups and (b) the steps it is taking to ensure that its policing practices are not discriminatory.

The Gangs Violence Matrix (GVM) was an intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The police are operationally independent of the government, and the GVM was devised and operated by the Metropolitan Police, independently of the Home Office. The deletion of the data held on the GVM is a matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing.Following an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Metropolitan Police made the decision to discontinue use of the GVM after 13 February 2024. The Metropolitan Police had already previously decided that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This decision was taken in order to satisfy both Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM and to ensure that any claims under Article 8 Human Rights Act could be answered. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Any form of discrimination in policing is unacceptable. The Government is supportive of the NPCC and College of Policing’s Police Race Action Plan which aims to improve policing’s engagement with Black communities. A number of forces have developed their own local plans to address specific needs from their communities, including the MPS.

How many people serving custodial sentences were convicted based on evidence from the Gang Violence Matrix.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on offenders convicted and sentenced to immediate custody in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, data held centrally does not include information on whether defendants were sentenced based on information obtained from the Gang Violence Matrix. This information may be held in court records, but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.

If she will instruct the Metropolitan Police to delay the deletion of its Gangs Violence Matrix.

The Gangs Violence Matrix (GVM) was an intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The police are operationally independent of the government, and the GVM was devised and operated by the Metropolitan Police, independently of the Home Office. The deletion of the data held on the GVM is a matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing.Following an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Metropolitan Police made the decision to discontinue use of the GVM after 13 February 2024. The Metropolitan Police had already previously decided that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This decision was taken in order to satisfy both Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM and to ensure that any claims under Article 8 Human Rights Act could be answered. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Any form of discrimination in policing is unacceptable. The Government is supportive of the NPCC and College of Policing’s Police Race Action Plan which aims to improve policing’s engagement with Black communities. A number of forces have developed their own local plans to address specific needs from their communities, including the MPS.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of identifying an independent body to safeguard data relating to the Metropolitan Police’s Gangs Violence Matrix.

The Gangs Violence Matrix (GVM) was an intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The police are operationally independent of the government, and the GVM was devised and operated by the Metropolitan Police, independently of the Home Office. The deletion of the data held on the GVM is a matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing.Following an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Metropolitan Police made the decision to discontinue use of the GVM after 13 February 2024. The Metropolitan Police had already previously decided that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This decision was taken in order to satisfy both Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM and to ensure that any claims under Article 8 Human Rights Act could be answered. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Any form of discrimination in policing is unacceptable. The Government is supportive of the NPCC and College of Policing’s Police Race Action Plan which aims to improve policing’s engagement with Black communities. A number of forces have developed their own local plans to address specific needs from their communities, including the MPS.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of people in the Metropolitan Police’s Gangs Violence Matrix who have been convicted under joint enterprise laws.

The Gangs Violence Matrix (GVM) was an intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The police are operationally independent of the government, and the GVM was devised and operated by the Metropolitan Police, independently of the Home Office. The deletion of the data held on the GVM is a matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing.Following an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Metropolitan Police made the decision to discontinue use of the GVM after 13 February 2024. The Metropolitan Police had already previously decided that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This decision was taken in order to satisfy both Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM and to ensure that any claims under Article 8 Human Rights Act could be answered. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Any form of discrimination in policing is unacceptable. The Government is supportive of the NPCC and College of Policing’s Police Race Action Plan which aims to improve policing’s engagement with Black communities. A number of forces have developed their own local plans to address specific needs from their communities, including the MPS.

What steps she is taking to ensure people who were convicted using information from the Gang Violence Matrix can appeal their convictions after the database is deleted.

The Gang Violence Matrix (GVM) was an operational intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The deletion of the data held on the GVM is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. The Metropolitan Police’s use of the GVM is subject to an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We understand that since the enforcement notice the names on the GVM have been under regular review, and since its inception in 2012 over 4,000 names have been removed.Following the enforcement notice from the ICO, the Metropolitan Police made a decision that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This means that all data will permanently be destroyed on 13 February 2025. This decision was taken in order to satisfy Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Additionally, the ICO’s enforcement notice already requires that the Metropolitan Police review their sharing of information with third parties and, as the relevant supervisory authority, the ICO have the necessary powers to enforce compliance with said notice.The Home Office does not hold any data on individuals being charged, prosecuted or incarcerated based on information held on the GVM.In relation to the transparency of the process by which the Police collect retain and use data, the Police are subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. However, as part of the Home Office’s police reform agenda we will explore how best to support policing in the collection, use and management of their data for a range of operational and analytical purposes.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the permanent deletion of the Metropolitan Police's Gang Violence Matrix database on access to justice for people who were wrongfully included on the database.

The Gang Violence Matrix (GVM) was an operational intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The deletion of the data held on the GVM is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. The Metropolitan Police’s use of the GVM is subject to an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We understand that since the enforcement notice the names on the GVM have been under regular review, and since its inception in 2012 over 4,000 names have been removed.Following the enforcement notice from the ICO, the Metropolitan Police made a decision that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This means that all data will permanently be destroyed on 13 February 2025. This decision was taken in order to satisfy Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Additionally, the ICO’s enforcement notice already requires that the Metropolitan Police review their sharing of information with third parties and, as the relevant supervisory authority, the ICO have the necessary powers to enforce compliance with said notice.The Home Office does not hold any data on individuals being charged, prosecuted or incarcerated based on information held on the GVM.In relation to the transparency of the process by which the Police collect retain and use data, the Police are subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. However, as part of the Home Office’s police reform agenda we will explore how best to support policing in the collection, use and management of their data for a range of operational and analytical purposes.

What steps she is taking to help improve the transparency of processes for the (a) collection, (b) retention and (c) use of data by the police.

The Gang Violence Matrix (GVM) was an operational intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The deletion of the data held on the GVM is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. The Metropolitan Police’s use of the GVM is subject to an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We understand that since the enforcement notice the names on the GVM have been under regular review, and since its inception in 2012 over 4,000 names have been removed.Following the enforcement notice from the ICO, the Metropolitan Police made a decision that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This means that all data will permanently be destroyed on 13 February 2025. This decision was taken in order to satisfy Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Additionally, the ICO’s enforcement notice already requires that the Metropolitan Police review their sharing of information with third parties and, as the relevant supervisory authority, the ICO have the necessary powers to enforce compliance with said notice.The Home Office does not hold any data on individuals being charged, prosecuted or incarcerated based on information held on the GVM.In relation to the transparency of the process by which the Police collect retain and use data, the Police are subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. However, as part of the Home Office’s police reform agenda we will explore how best to support policing in the collection, use and management of their data for a range of operational and analytical purposes.

What steps she is taking to contact people who were included on the Gang Violence Matrix to enable them to access their information before its deletion on 13 February 2025.

The Gang Violence Matrix (GVM) was an operational intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The deletion of the data held on the GVM is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. The Metropolitan Police’s use of the GVM is subject to an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We understand that since the enforcement notice the names on the GVM have been under regular review, and since its inception in 2012 over 4,000 names have been removed.Following the enforcement notice from the ICO, the Metropolitan Police made a decision that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This means that all data will permanently be destroyed on 13 February 2025. This decision was taken in order to satisfy Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Additionally, the ICO’s enforcement notice already requires that the Metropolitan Police review their sharing of information with third parties and, as the relevant supervisory authority, the ICO have the necessary powers to enforce compliance with said notice.The Home Office does not hold any data on individuals being charged, prosecuted or incarcerated based on information held on the GVM.In relation to the transparency of the process by which the Police collect retain and use data, the Police are subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. However, as part of the Home Office’s police reform agenda we will explore how best to support policing in the collection, use and management of their data for a range of operational and analytical purposes.

If she will hold discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the steps it is taking to ensure that data shared with third parties from the gang violence matrix is not (a) misused and (b) further disseminated.

The Gang Violence Matrix (GVM) was an operational intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The deletion of the data held on the GVM is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. The Metropolitan Police’s use of the GVM is subject to an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We understand that since the enforcement notice the names on the GVM have been under regular review, and since its inception in 2012 over 4,000 names have been removed.Following the enforcement notice from the ICO, the Metropolitan Police made a decision that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This means that all data will permanently be destroyed on 13 February 2025. This decision was taken in order to satisfy Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Additionally, the ICO’s enforcement notice already requires that the Metropolitan Police review their sharing of information with third parties and, as the relevant supervisory authority, the ICO have the necessary powers to enforce compliance with said notice.The Home Office does not hold any data on individuals being charged, prosecuted or incarcerated based on information held on the GVM.In relation to the transparency of the process by which the Police collect retain and use data, the Police are subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. However, as part of the Home Office’s police reform agenda we will explore how best to support policing in the collection, use and management of their data for a range of operational and analytical purposes.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of deleting the Gang Violence Matrix on the ability of wrongfully convicted people to appeal their convictions.

The now decommissioned Gang Violence Matrix was an operational risk assessment tool used by the Metropolitan Police. As a risk assessment tool, it was not used to provide evidence on which a person could be convicted. The deletion of the Gang Violence Matrix will not have any bearing on a person’s ability to appeal their convictions.In order to be convicted of an offence, evidence must be provided such that the court or jury is sure beyond reasonable doubt that the person committed the offence. There is the right to seek leave to appeal against conviction or sentence.If someone has had their application for permission to appeal refused, or had their conviction upheld on appeal, and they believe they have been wrongfully convicted, it remains open to them to apply to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

What estimate she has made of the number of people who have been (a) charged, (b) prosecuted and (c) incarcerated based on information obtained from the Gang Violence Matrix since 2011.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on defendants prosecuted and sentenced to immediate custody in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, data held centrally does not include information on whether defendants were prosecuted or sentence to immediate custody based on information obtained from the Gang Violence Matrix.This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

What recent estimate she has made of the annual cost to the public purse of people serving imprisonment for public protection sentences.

It is right that the sentence was abolished. The Government is determined to make further progress towards a safe and sustainable release for those serving the IPP sentence, but not in a way that impacts public protection.For 2022/23, the average Overall Resource Expenditure cost per prisoner was £51,108. The annual cost for IPP prisoners is not collected or published.To improve the prospects of release for the unreleased cohort of IPP Prisoners, we published the updated IPP Action Plan on 15 November 2024. The Updated Plan puts stronger emphasis on effective frontline delivery in our prisons ensuring that those serving IPP sentences have a sentence plan tailored to their needs, and that they have access to the right interventions or services to address their offending behaviour.

How many and what proportion of people serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence have been recalled to prison by (a) category and (b) reason for recall, in each of the past eight quarters.

Data on the number of offenders recalled to custody after becoming homeless are not held centrally and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Information about the number of IPP recalls is published in quarterly offender management statistics - Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

How many people have been recalled to prison because of homelessness in each of the last 12 months.

Data on the number of offenders recalled to custody after becoming homeless are not held centrally and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Information about the number of IPP recalls is published in quarterly offender management statistics - Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2024 to Question HL3055, Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance, whether the public sector will be allowed to bid for new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for prisons.

The Ministry of Justice will not be inviting public sector bids for the provision of maintenance services for prisons. A 2023 assessment undertaken in partnership with the Cabinet Office determined that a privatised solution was the preferred option for meeting prison maintenance service needs. This conclusion was approved by the previous administration.In the interests of expediting the desired improvements in prison maintenance services, the Government is currently running a competitive tender process for these new contracts in line with the recommendations made.

How many people serving an IPP sentence have been recalled to prison because of homelessness in each of the last 12 months.

Data on the number of offenders recalled to custody after becoming homeless are not held centrally and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Information about the number of IPP recalls is published in quarterly offender management statistics - Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

How many and what proportion of people serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence have been recalled to prison due to criminal allegations made against them which did not result in further police action, in each of the past eight quarters.

Data on the number of offenders recalled to custody after becoming homeless are not held centrally and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Information about the number of IPP recalls is published in quarterly offender management statistics - Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.