Written questions by Kohler.

What recent steps she has taken to help tackle sexual offences; and what plans she has to update her Department's approach.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her Department has considered (a) lessons from road safety education, and (b) circumstances where (i) sustained education and (ii) meaningful consequences for offenders reduced harm, in developing its approach to education on consent and relationships.

Awaiting answer.

What guidance her Department has issued on the storage, security, sharing, and deletion of data generated through the use of live facial recognition technology.

Awaiting answer.

What criteria are used to determine when prisoners may be prohibited from communicating with the media.

Awaiting answer.

What safeguards are in place to ensure (a) lawful and (b) proportionate use of live facial recognition technology by police forces in England and Wales.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the delivery of education on (a) relationships, (b) consent and (c) behaviour across different key stages.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to ensure that deaths connected to sexual violence and abuse, including suicides amongst those who have experienced prolonged abuse, are properly recorded and reflected in Government policy.

Awaiting answer.

What data are collected through the use of live facial recognition technology by police forces in England and Wales, where those data are stored, and how long they are retained.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions she has had with Transport for London regarding the 1,435 hours of lift closures across 244 incidents at Wimbledon Park station in 2025 due solely to a lack of trained staff, including a continuous 424-hour closure between 20 November and 8 December 2025.

Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London on a variety of issues including accessibility of their network. Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor, and TfL is responsible for managing the London Underground.

What discussions she has had with TfL on the increase in lift closures due solely to a lack of trained staff on the London Underground to 6,365 hours in 2025, compared with 6,197 hours in 2024.

Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London on a variety of issues including accessibility of their network. Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor, and TfL is responsible for managing the London Underground.

What the average length of time was from charge to completion in court for rape cases in England and Wales in each year since 2016.

The Ministry of Justice publishes figures for Crown Court timeliness on a quarterly basis in the ‘End-to-end timeliness tool (Crown Court)’. This includes time taken from charge to completion for rape cases: Criminal court statistics quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK.Offence group can be filtered for ‘02: Sexual offences – all rape’. Both the mean and median time from charge to completion can be found in the table, dating back to 2016.

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of convictions for violence against women and girls in England and Wales in the last 12 months.

Violence against women and girls constitutes a number of offences. The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data on convictions for a number of offences including offences related to violence against women and girls in the Outcomes by Offence data tool. This can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.The Government cannot and does not seek to influence convictions or judicial outcomes, which are rightly matters for the independent judiciary. However, as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, we recognise it is vital for victims to feel able to come forward and obtain the justice they deserve.In December, we published our ‘Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy’, which sets out the actions we are taking to achieve our VAWG mission. To support victims to come forward and feel able to stay engaged throughout the justice process, our strategy sets out a comprehensive package of measures to strengthen support at every stage of the criminal justice system. This includes court measures to protect victims from intrusive cross-examination, stronger perpetrator management through a national rollout of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, and the largest-ever investment of £550 million into victim support services over the next three years.

What estimate he has made of the number of rape trials in England and Wales that were postponed in each year since 2015; and what the principal reasons were for those postponements.

The Ministry of Justice publishes figures for the volume of ineffective trials and reasons on a quarterly basis in the ‘Trial effectiveness at the criminal courts’ tool: Criminal court statistics quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK. An ineffective trial does not take place on the scheduled trial start date and requires a subsequent rescheduled listing.A vacated trial is one that is removed from the trial list prior to the date of trial. These trials may or may not be listed for a future date. The trial effectiveness tool also includes data on the volume of vacated trials, but the Ministry of Justice does not currently publish reasons for vacation.The offence group field can be filtered for ‘02: Sexual offences – All Rape’ and there is also a filter for the reason for ineffective trials.

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the prevalence of (a) drug use and (b) synthetic drug use among the prison population in England and Wales.

We recognise that illicit drug use in prisons is too high, and are committed to tackling this to improve safety, support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. We are investing over £40 million in physical security measures this financial year and have funded Incentivised Substance Free Living Units in 85 prisons. We work closely with health partners to identify prisoners with a drug dependency and support them into treatment and recovery and are rolling out naloxone in prisons – life saving medication which can reverse the effects of an opiate overdose.We are currently unable to publish performance data on drug level use in prisons because due to reduced testing levels, reduced number of prisons with sufficient testing and the need to update the testing panel, the data is currently not sufficient to robustly estimate the percentage positive. Prisons across the estate strive to conduct target levels of rMDT, but in recent years Governors have had to make difficult decisions about how to balance the demands of testing with wider capacity pressures. However, rMDT is only one element of a wider testing regime, which includes suspicion-based testing for those suspected of illicit use, and compact-based testing on Incentivised Substance Free Living Units and Drug Recovery Wings. Our testing regime enables us to monitor a wide range of substances and assess the prevalence of different types of drugs. We keep this under regular review to ensure we identify emerging trends to keep both prisoners and staff safe. Our new drug testing contract supports this by giving us greater flexibility to respond to emerging drug threats, including synthetic drugs.

What support his Department is providing to help firms in Northern Ireland maximise the potential benefits of dual market access while managing regulatory and administrative burdens.

Dual market access is a unique trading advantage that can attract further investment in Northern Ireland. I meet a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland - and recently visited the Camlin Group, Leckey and the Exact Group who all highlight dual market access as a source of competitive advantage for them. As set out in the Government’s response to the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, we are committed to ensuring that businesses can realise these benefits and are taking forward an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ business support service that will support Northern Ireland’s trade within the UK and with the EU markets.

What engagement his Department has had with business organisations in Northern Ireland on the practical challenges of complying with dual market access requirements, and what issues have been raised.

Dual market access is a unique trading advantage that can attract further investment in Northern Ireland. I meet a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland - and recently visited the Camlin Group, Leckey and the Exact Group who all highlight dual market access as a source of competitive advantage for them. As set out in the Government’s response to the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, we are committed to ensuring that businesses can realise these benefits and are taking forward an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ business support service that will support Northern Ireland’s trade within the UK and with the EU markets.

How many sitting days each (a) court and (b) tribunal in England and Wales has been allocated in the 2025–26 financial year.

The Ministry of Justice interprets this question as referring to the total allocations for each court and tribunal jurisdiction for the FY 2025/26. As part of this Government’s commitment to transparency, we began publishing total sitting‑day allocations by jurisdiction last year. The table below sets out the total allocations for FY2025/26 by jurisdiction. The Government has funded each jurisdiction to sit at or close to maximum capacity.Jurisdiction Sitting Day Allocation Crown110,000 (later increased to 111,250).Magistrates (Crime)114,000Civil74,300Family97,300Court of Protection4,900Immigration and Asylum Chamber*22,750Social Security and Child Support**23,000Employment33,900Mental Health17,000Other tribunals (Specials) ***36,100* This figure represents the total number of days funded from both Ministry of Justice and Home Office budgets. However, in order to maximise overall sittings within this funding, the total number of days allocated across the First Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal in aggregate was slightly higher, at 23,450.** This figure includes days funded from both Ministry of Justice and Department for Work and Pensions budgets.*** This figure only represents the sitting days included in the Ministry of Justice's baseline funding. There are long-standing agreements with several other government departments whereby they provide funding for capacity in specific tribunals. Additional days will be sat as a result of this additional funding.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of police officer retention and morale.

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. The retention of police officers is an important element of managing the police workforce.Leaver rates for police officers in England and Wales, at 6.0% in the year ending 31 March 2025, have shown a reduction of 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous year. Voluntary resignation rates of police officers in England and Wales, have also reduced 0.2 percentage. points, from 3.4% in the year ending 31 March 2024, to 3.2% in the year ending 31 March 2025. This is low compared to other sectors.This Government is clear that police wellbeing must be prioritised to ensure a motivated and thriving workforce. The Police Covenant plays a crucial role in police morale by ensuring officers, staff, volunteers and their families are supported and are not disadvantaged as a result of their service. By formally recognising policing’s unique demands and strengthening support for those who serve, the Covenant plays an important role in building and maintaining morale across the workforce. We continue to keep the Covenant under review to ensure it is as effective as possible and will look to improve the Covenant including, if necessary, through legislation.

What the longest waiting time was for a case to be heard in a criminal court in England and Wales once referred, as of the most recent data available.

We have interpreted your question to be asking for information on the longest time a case has taken to have its first hearing at a criminal court from the point of crime referral.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data regarding timeliness from the date of crime referral.The Department publishes quarterly timeliness data concerning the criminal courts in the ‘End-to-end timeliness tool (Crown Court)’ and ‘Magistrates’ courts timeliness tool’, at the following link: Criminal court statistics quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK.These Accredited Official Statistics present the latest statistics on type and volume of cases that are received and processed through the criminal court system of England and Wales, including multiple measures of timeliness. The statistics give a summary overview of the volume of cases and defendants dealt with by these courts over time, including further breakdowns of available timeliness stages, offence groups and factors impacting case flow (plea, remand and case type).

How many children and young people were waiting for an Education, Health and Care Plan decision in January (a) 2025 and (b) 2026.

The number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment received during the calendar year, the outcome of those requests and the number of requests where the decision is outstanding at the end of the calendar year is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.This publication also includes the number of EHC needs assessments carried out during the calendar year, the outcome of these assessments, the number of assessments where the decision is outstanding at the end of the calendar year and the number and percentage of EHC plans issued within 20 weeks of the date of the request. The latest available data relates to the 2024 calendar year. Information for the 2025 calendar year will be published later this year.