Written questions by Paul.

For what reason it is her policy to no longer allow the Prison Fellowship Sycamore Tree Programme to operate in prisons.

All interventions that aim to change attitudes, thinking, emotions or behaviour are governed by the National Framework for Interventions Policy Framework issued by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS): National Framework for Interventions Policy Framework - GOV.UK.The minimum standards set out in the National Framework are based on evidence of effectiveness gathered from a range of countries. A review of the Sycamore Tree programme found that it did not meet the required standards, and HMPPS therefore decided that it should no longer be delivered in prisons.HMPPS is grateful to the provider of the programme, the Prison Fellowship, for the work it has undertaken over many years. HMPPS continues to work with the Prison Fellowship on other services it provides in prisons in England and Wales.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the recent performance of the Energy Ombudsman.

The Department has regular discussions with Ofgem on a range of issues. Ofgem is required to review the performance of the Energy Ombudsman on a biennial basis to ensure it still meets the approval criteria under which it was appointed. The Department also sought views on the role of the Energy Ombudsman in the Ofgem Review Call for Evidence, which closed earlier this year. On 19 June the Government announced that we will consult on strengthening the Energy Ombudsman to ensure that suppliers comply with its final decisions or pay compensation to their consumer. This consultation will also look at introducing automatic referrals to the Ombudsman instead of consumers having to do this themselves, and also to explore the reduction of referral waiting times from 8 weeks to 4 weeks. We hope that these changes will ensure that consumers can access the free Energy Ombudsman service quicker and easier and help any customer who has received a poor quality service from their supplier to receive the compensation and resolution they deserve.

What recent discussions his Department has had with Ofgem on the performance of the Energy Ombudsman.

The Department has regular discussions with Ofgem on a range of issues. Ofgem is required to review the performance of the Energy Ombudsman on a biennial basis to ensure it still meets the approval criteria under which it was appointed. The Department also sought views on the role of the Energy Ombudsman in the Ofgem Review Call for Evidence, which closed earlier this year. On 19 June the Government announced that we will consult on strengthening the Energy Ombudsman to ensure that suppliers comply with its final decisions or pay compensation to their consumer. This consultation will also look at introducing automatic referrals to the Ombudsman instead of consumers having to do this themselves, and also to explore the reduction of referral waiting times from 8 weeks to 4 weeks. We hope that these changes will ensure that consumers can access the free Energy Ombudsman service quicker and easier and help any customer who has received a poor quality service from their supplier to receive the compensation and resolution they deserve.

How many biologically male prisoners have been placed at HMP Downview since 4 July 2024.

There are currently seven biological male prisoners at HMP Downview and all of them are on E Wing, which is a transgender only facility.No transgender women who retain their birth genitalia, and/or have any history of sexual or violent offences, can be held in the general women’s estate unless an exemption is granted by a Minister.  The current Government has not moved any transgender women into the general women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing the policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.

Whether the risk assessments undertaken before granting transgender prisoners access to the women’s estate include input from (a) trauma specialists and (b) safeguarding professionals familiar with the needs of vulnerable women.

Prior to any placement, a risk assessment would be carried out by a multidisciplinary panel chaired by a specially trained senior prison manager, with senior staff from the HMPPS Womens Group including a psychologist. Assessments take account of all known risks posed by an individual, based on a comprehensive range of factors, together with the potential impact on other prisoners.This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government. No transgender women have been moved into the general women’s estate, including at HMP Downview, since 4 July 2024. We are reviewing the policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact transgender prison policies on the (a) safety, (b) dignity and (c) privacy of biologically female prisoners.

Prior to any placement, a risk assessment would be carried out by a multidisciplinary panel chaired by a specially trained senior prison manager, with senior staff from the HMPPS Womens Group including a psychologist. Assessments take account of all known risks posed by an individual, based on a comprehensive range of factors, together with the potential impact on other prisoners.This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government. No transgender women have been moved into the general women’s estate, including at HMP Downview, since 4 July 2024. We are reviewing the policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 52148 on HMP/YOI Downview: Transgender People, whether procedures used to assess the risk posed by transgender prisoners housed on E Wing of HMP Downview include specific consideration of the vulnerability or trauma histories of the women housed there.

Prior to any placement, a risk assessment would be carried out by a multidisciplinary panel chaired by a specially trained senior prison manager, with senior staff from the HMPPS Womens Group including a psychologist. Assessments take account of all known risks posed by an individual, based on a comprehensive range of factors, together with the potential impact on other prisoners.This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government. No transgender women have been moved into the general women’s estate, including at HMP Downview, since 4 July 2024. We are reviewing the policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 52148 on HMP/YOI Downview: Transgender People, what procedures are used to assess the risk posed by transgender prisoners housed on E Wing of HMP Downview before allowing them access to the general women’s estate.

Prior to any placement, a risk assessment would be carried out by a multidisciplinary panel chaired by a specially trained senior prison manager, with senior staff from the HMPPS Womens Group including a psychologist. Assessments take account of all known risks posed by an individual, based on a comprehensive range of factors, together with the potential impact on other prisoners.This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government. No transgender women have been moved into the general women’s estate, including at HMP Downview, since 4 July 2024. We are reviewing the policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.

What is the process for authorising the approval of the transfer of a biological male prisoner into the female prison estate.

There are currently seven biological male prisoners at HMP Downview and all of them are on E Wing, which is a transgender only facility.No transgender women who retain their birth genitalia, and/or have any history of sexual or violent offences, can be held in the general women’s estate unless an exemption is granted by a Minister.  The current Government has not moved any transgender women into the general women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing the policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.

How many biological males are held in women's prisons.

No transgender women who retain their birth genitalia, or have any history of sexual or violent offences, can be held in the general women’s estate unless an exemption is granted by a Minister.The number of transgender women prisoners in the general women's estate is in the low single figures.This is as a result of decisions taken by past Justice Secretaries, and the current Government has not moved any transgender women into the general women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy following the recent Supreme Court ruling. We will ensure that we are fully compliant with this ruling, which has brought long overdue and much needed clarity to this question.

On what date the transfer of Joanna Rowland-Stuart to HMP Downview was authorised by her Department; and what the authorisation process was.

We do not provide information that includes the personal details of individuals.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2025 to Question 50011 on HMP/YOI Downview: Transgender People, when the seven male prisoners held at HMP Downview will be moved to the men's prison estate; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure the (a) safety, (b) privacy and (c) dignity of female prisoners held in HMP Downview.

This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous government and have not moved any transgender women into the women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.E Wing prisoners are held separately to other prisoners at HMP Downview. They cannot be given any access to the general women's estate in the prison unless risk-assessed as being safe to do so. If they are given access, this will be directly supervised by staff.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords] on the capture of sex data in public services.

The Data Bill does not alter data collection practices for public services.Public service providers processing personal data are still subject to compliance requirements under data protection legislation.The Government accepts the Supreme Court Ruling. We are working through this judgement carefully, including on how public services collect (and subsequently process) sex data in public services.

How many biological male prisoners are held in E Wing in HMP Downview.

As of 1 May 2025, there were 7 transgender women held on E Wing. Other than on E Wing, there were no transgender women held in HMP Downview. The figures are compiled from local operational data and are therefore not directly comparable with official statistics on transgender prisoners covering the whole estate.This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government and has not moved any transgender women into the women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will be able to say more about this in due course.

Whether she plans to stop biological males being housed in E wing at HMP Downview.

As of 1 May 2025, there were 7 transgender women held on E Wing. Other than on E Wing, there were no transgender women held in HMP Downview. The figures are compiled from local operational data and are therefore not directly comparable with official statistics on transgender prisoners covering the whole estate.This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government and has not moved any transgender women into the women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will be able to say more about this in due course.

When biological male prisoners at HMP Downview will be transferred to male prisons.

As of 1 May 2025, there were 7 transgender women held on E Wing. Other than on E Wing, there were no transgender women held in HMP Downview. The figures are compiled from local operational data and are therefore not directly comparable with official statistics on transgender prisoners covering the whole estate.This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government and has not moved any transgender women into the women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will be able to say more about this in due course.

How many biologically male prisoners are held at HMP Downview.

As of 1 May 2025, there were 7 transgender women held on E Wing. Other than on E Wing, there were no transgender women held in HMP Downview. The figures are compiled from local operational data and are therefore not directly comparable with official statistics on transgender prisoners covering the whole estate.This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government and has not moved any transgender women into the women’s estate since taking office.We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will be able to say more about this in due course.

What plans his Department has help increase the speed of the delivery of Challenger 3 main battle tanks, in the context of the supply chain.

We are engaged with the supply chain and additional resources have been directed towards ensuring the materials required for Challenger 3 main battle tanks are available to meet the delivery timescales.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the system for legally purchasing firearms; and whether her Department plans to improve the (a) licensing, (b) monitoring and (c) enforcement processes.

We keep firearms licensing controls under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms. We will shortly be refreshing the Statutory Guidance to tighten the criteria applied by police forces when considering if someone is suitable to have a firearms certificate, including handling of domestic abuse allegations, treatment of violent offences, the impact of dishonesty, and the role and arrangements for referees supporting an application.Firearms licensing fees were increased to enable full cost recovery on 5 February 2025, giving effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto. The extra income from fees will help police forces to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams. Later this year we will also be publishing a new consultation on greater alignment of shotgun and firearms controls and other proposals for making changes to firearms legislation.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in levels of recruitment and retention in the armed forces on operational capacity.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration, and we are committed to addressing this through a range of targets, initiatives and measures. The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the recruitment and retention trends across the Armed Forces and makes assessments of the impact these trends may have on a particular capability as well as our overall operational capabilities. I hope that the hon. Member will understand that details on operational capacity are not made public to preserve the operational security of HM Armed Forces, but improving both recruitment and retention are priority areas for Armed Forces.