Written questions by Paul.

With reference to the Policy Exchange report entitled In absentia parentis, published on 24 August 2025, the Cass Review's final report, published in April 2024, and the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities to protect the welfare of gender-questioning children who are children in care.

Local authorities and social care practitioners are required to support children in a way that meets their needs and best interests. This support will look different on an individual case basis. In considering their safeguarding policies and how best to support children questioning their gender, leaders and practitioners should be led by the guidance and regulations most relevant to their setting or role. They can also be informed by the evidence and principles set out in the Cass Review. Further resources on support for children questioning their gender can be found via the NHS here: https://www.genderreferralservice.nhs.uk/.

If his Department will take steps to review systems of prisoner management in place at HMP Downview in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.

There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.

What assessment his Department has made of whether HMP Downview is capable of effectively keeping the female prisoners safe from the biological male prisoners sharing the same facilities and services, in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.

The incident referred to did not involve a prisoner on E Wing, and does not affect the management of the unit.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of staff training and management at HMP Downview, in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.

There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.

On how many occasions in the last 24 months have prisoners at HMP Downview left the secure perimeter without formal authorisation.

There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.

Whether the security breach in October 2025 involving an unauthorised prisoner departure at HMP Downview involved a prisoner housed in the prison’s E Wing.

The incident referred to did not involve a prisoner on E Wing, and does not affect the management of the unit.

What information his Department holds on the status of the proposed PATHWAYS clinical trial.

Better quality evidence is critical if the NHS is to support young people suffering from gender incongruence, so we are supporting a programme of research, recommended by the Cass Review, including the PATHWAYS study. The health and wellbeing of the children and young people involved is our primary concern.Ethical and regulatory approvals have been received for the observational element of the study. Approval processes and site set-up are well underway for the clinical trial and we will provide an update when the study moves to the next stage.

What recent steps her Department has taken to ensure the security of data submitted by third parties in support of visa applications.

UK Visa and Immigration’s commercial partners provide administrative services on behalf of the UK Government to support in processing visa applications. The UK Government visa decision making systems are entirely separate from commercial partner solutions.Information provided by visa customers in support of their application is captured by UKVI’s commercial partner, and this information is encrypted and securely transmitted to UKVI and subsequently deleted from commercial partner systems.UKVI works closely with its partners to ensure security of personal data and that this is handled in line with UK data protection requirements. UKVI’s Commercial Partners are certified to ISO 27001:2022 and accredited with UKVI Cyber Essentials Plus, ensuring compliance with the highest benchmarks for information protection. UKVI also ensure that its Commercial Partners undertake periodic third-party assessments to provide independent assurance on the security measures implemented.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations on surrogacy in the report by the UN Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women and Girls entitled Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences: The different manifestations of violence against women and girls in the context of surrogacy, published on 14 July 2025.

The UN Special Rapporteur’s report is framed within the context of Violence Against Women and Girls and recommends banning surrogacy in all forms.The United Kingdom Government supports surrogacy as an option for family formation, for people unable to carry their own children. For this option, we recommend the use of UK not-for-profit surrogacy organisations.For those considering surrogacy overseas, we recommend taking specialist legal advice and consulting the advice published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseas

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63903 on HMP High Down and HMP/YOI Downview: Crimes of Violence, how many of the prisoner on prisoner assaults recorded in 2023 at HMP Downview were committed by biological male prisoners.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 62457 on HMP/YOI Downview, whether funding of E Wing at HMP Downview comes out of the (a) women's and (b) men's estate budget.

As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63903 on HMP High Down and HMP/YOI Downview: Crimes of Violence, how many of the prisoner on prisoner assaults recorded in 2024 at HMP Downview were committed by biological male prisoners.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

How many biological males have been placed in E Wing of HMP Downview since 4 July 2024.

As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.

How many biological males were held in HMP Downview as of 1 August 2025.

As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62454 on HMP/YOI Downview, whether E Wing at HMP Downview is part of the women's estate.

As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.

What the annual cost to the public purse is of housing a prisoner in (a) E Wing of HMP Downview and (b) the general women's estate within HMP Downview.

As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.

If she will take steps to recruit additional driving examiners through gov.uk.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) advertises for driving examiner (DE) vacancies, as well as other roles across the agency, on the Civil Service jobs website, which is part of GOV.UK. DVSA’s latest DE campaign was advertised on its homepage on GOV.UK on 15 July. Further campaigns will also be launched using the same approach in September 2025.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of allowing inquests into cases of child death by suicide to sit in private.

The Government is committed to putting the bereaved at the heart of the inquest process, and we are particularly conscious of the importance of this for those who have suffered the unimaginable distress of losing a child through suicide.However, in line with the principle of open justice - which applies in all courts including the coroner’s court - it is important that justice is administered in public, that everything said in court is reportable, and that any departure from this approach is closely regulated.Accordingly, there are strict limitations on the coroner’s powers to sit in private, to withhold the names of witnesses or Interested Persons, or to prevent the reporting of matters heard in court. In particular, the public and media may only be excluded from an inquest hearing in the interests of national security.Chapter 8 of the Chief Coroner’s Guidance for Coroners on the Bench (Chapter 8: Open Justice - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary) provides guidance for coroners on the principle of open justice and the application of any statutory powers to depart from it.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of £985 per cycle payments to egg donors on the level of incentive to women from the poorest backgrounds to donate eggs because of financial need.

The compensation rate for egg donation is set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), as provided for in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The HFEA has advised that the donor compensation levels originally set in 2011 followed a thorough ethical review, which identified a set of principles that ensured altruism remained at the heart of donation and that there were not any unjustifiable barriers to donation. The HFEA has advised that the increase in donor compensation from 1 October 2024 to £985 per cycle reflects the rise in inflation since the compensation rates were first introduced in 2011.Academic research in the United Kingdom has consistently found that donating eggs and sperm is driven by altruism, and HFEA published data shows that egg and sperm donors in England from 2011 to 2020 lived in similar or more affluent socio-economic areas than the general population.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of running long term studies in to the impact on women's bodies of egg retrieval.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee (SCAAC) recently reviewed the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including egg donors. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed and the HFEA will update relevant information on its website as needed.The HFEA also set out strict requirements in its Licence Conditions and Code of Practice relating to the information that must be given before egg retrieval takes place in United Kingdom licensed fertility clinics, whether for the patient’s own use or to donate to others. This includes information about the potential immediate or longer-term health risks and the psychological consequences of being a donor, as well as offering counselling to everyone involved.