Written questions by Lowe.

If he will hold discussions with Kings College London on the potential merits of pausing recruitment to the new Pathway puberty-blocker trial until an independent panel considers the findings of the Cass Review.

Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led. That’s why we are following expert, independent advice from the Cass Review to implement a package of research to find out how the National Health Service can best support children and young people with gender incongruence. This includes the PATHWAYS trial, a carefully designed clinical trial to assess the relative benefits and harms of puberty-suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence. The trial has received independent scientific, ethical, and regulatory approvals as well as a comprehensive review. The study design, including inclusion criteria and safety protocols, has been thoroughly scrutinised to protect young people's wellbeing. The process has included consideration of robust procedures relating to consent and eligibility. The trial was designed and will be delivered by an independent research team. This was in conjunction with patient and public involvement as well as clinical and legal experts, including those who specialise on medical ethics. The Department has not conducted its own parallel engagement with advocacy organisations on trial development but is represented, alongside patient and parent representatives, on the National Research Oversight Board to which the research team regularly reports.

Whether his Department consulted (a) Stonewall, (b) Mermaids and (c) other advocacy organisations at any stage during the (i) design, (ii) approval, and (iii) communication of the PATHWAYS trial.

Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led. That’s why we are following expert, independent advice from the Cass Review to implement a package of research to find out how the National Health Service can best support children and young people with gender incongruence. This includes the PATHWAYS trial, a carefully designed clinical trial to assess the relative benefits and harms of puberty-suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence. The trial has received independent scientific, ethical, and regulatory approvals as well as a comprehensive review. The study design, including inclusion criteria and safety protocols, has been thoroughly scrutinised to protect young people's wellbeing. The process has included consideration of robust procedures relating to consent and eligibility. The trial was designed and will be delivered by an independent research team. This was in conjunction with patient and public involvement as well as clinical and legal experts, including those who specialise on medical ethics. The Department has not conducted its own parallel engagement with advocacy organisations on trial development but is represented, alongside patient and parent representatives, on the National Research Oversight Board to which the research team regularly reports.

How many children under the age of 16 were administered puberty blockers, including through (a) clinical trials and (b) private routes in each of the last five years; and what adverse effects were reported.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists or ‘puberty blockers’ are used to treat several medical conditions in children and young people. These can include precocious puberty, some forms of cancer, and endometriosis. They have been used outside of their licenced indication to treat gender dysphoria. The following table shows the National Health Service prescriptions of puberty blockers for children aged 15 years old and under that were prescribed in England and dispensed in a community pharmacy or general practice in each year from 2020/21 to September 2025: Financial yearThe unique number of identifiable children aged 15 years old and under who received an NHS prescription of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists for all purposes2020/216702021/226562022/236442023/245542024/254702025/26342Source: ePACT2, which is sourced from the NHS Business Services Authority’s Information Services Data WarehouseNote: figures are unrounded.The NHS does not centrally collect data on secondary care prescribing. Information on the clinical indication for which these medications have been prescribed is not held. The Government does not hold data that shows how many children under 16 years old were administered puberty blockers through clinical trials or private routes. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has not previously funded trials specifically giving puberty suppressing hormones to children and information on non-NIHR funded trials is not held. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has received three United Kingdom based suspected adverse drug reaction reports in which a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists analogue has been reported as being used in a child or young person for the purpose of puberty suppression in gender dysphoria.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Pathway puberty-blocker trial on future legal claims by participants.

Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led. That’s why we are following expert, independent advice from the Cass Review to implement a package of research to find out how the National Health Service can best support children and young people with gender incongruence. This includes the PATHWAYS trial, a carefully designed clinical trial to assess the relative benefits and harms of puberty-suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence. The trial has received independent scientific, ethical, and regulatory approvals as well as a comprehensive review. The study design, including inclusion criteria and safety protocols, has been thoroughly scrutinised to protect young people's wellbeing. The process has included consideration of robust procedures relating to consent and eligibility. The trial was designed and will be delivered by an independent research team. This was in conjunction with patient and public involvement as well as clinical and legal experts, including those who specialise on medical ethics. The Department has not conducted its own parallel engagement with advocacy organisations on trial development but is represented, alongside patient and parent representatives, on the National Research Oversight Board to which the research team regularly reports.

What information his Department holds on the number of de-transitioners reporting harm from puberty blockers; and whether his Department considered this data as part of its approval of the trial.

There is currently no registry in place in the United Kingdom that routinely collects data that is specific to individuals who choose to detransition at any point following a previous medical intervention for gender reassignment.Last month, NHS England published a Call for Evidence aimed at healthcare professionals and medical bodies to gather evidence on the care needs of individuals who choose to detransition, in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review. NHS England will publish plans for the establishment of a clinical detransition pathway in 2026, informed by the outcome of the Call for Evidence and a review of the published evidence.The PATHWAYS trial has been subject to extensive scientific, clinical, ethical, and regulatory approvals. It was approved by an independent National Institute for Health and Care Research funding committee, with the final protocols all subject to rigorous approval processes from both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Health Research Authority, including review by an independent Research Ethics Committee.

Whether her Department records crimes committed against churches, chapels and other places of Christian worship as a distinct offence category.

The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate anti-Christian hatred in any form.The Home Office does not hold arrest or crime data specifically relating to Christian places of worship.

Whether her Department plans to conduct a national review into criminal attacks on churches and Christian heritage sites.

The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate anti-Christian hatred in any form.The Home Office does not hold arrest or crime data specifically relating to Christian places of worship.

How many recorded offences involving vandalism, arson, burglary, or hate-motivated attacks were committed against Christian places of worship in each of the last five years.

The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate anti-Christian hatred in any form.The Home Office does not hold arrest or crime data specifically relating to Christian places of worship.

Whether her Department holds data on the nationality or immigration status of people arrested for offences committed against churches.

The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate anti-Christian hatred in any form.The Home Office does not hold arrest or crime data specifically relating to Christian places of worship.

How many arrests and prosecutions have resulted from reported offences against churches in each of the last five years.

The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate anti-Christian hatred in any form.The Home Office does not hold arrest or crime data specifically relating to Christian places of worship.

What estimate his Department has made of the value of benefit expenditure paid to non-UK nationals in the last financial year by benefit type.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Whether his Department routinely records the nationality and immigration status of claimants in cases of proven benefit fraud.

The Monetary Value of Fraud and Error Statistics are not disaggregated by nationality and immigration status.

How many cases of benefit fraud identified in the last five years involved individuals whose immigration status was later found to be (a) overstayer, (b) illegal entrant or (c) failed asylum seeker.

The Monetary Value of Fraud and Error Statistics are not disaggregated by nationality and immigration status.

If she will publish an annual breakdown of benefit fraud and error by nationality and immigration status of the claimant.

The Monetary Value of Fraud and Error Statistics are not disaggregated by nationality and immigration status.

What estimate he has made of the proportion of identified benefit fraud cases in which the claimant was a non-UK national in the last five years.

The Monetary Value of Fraud and Error Statistics are not disaggregated by nationality and immigration status.

To provide a breakdown of (i) the total number (ii) the age of children taken into care in each of the last ten years.

The latest figures on the number of children taken into care for reasons of court orders or police protection, emergency or child assessment orders in England by age are shown in the attached table.The latest figures on all children starting to be looked after in England by legal status and separately by age is published in the statistical release: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025#explore-data-and-files.The table can be located at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/a70a7aef-adc9-46be-b94b-08de28d609b2.

How many non-UK nationals are in receipt of (a) Universal Credit, (b) legacy working-age benefits and (c) child-related benefits by nationality.

The Department publishes Universal Credit (UC) immigration status and nationality statistics as part of the Universal Credit statistics publication. These statistics can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-9-october-2025. The number of people on Universal Credit who are non – Common Travel Area nationals, for each month from April 2022 to October 2025, is in Table 1 of the following data tables: Universal Credit immigration status and nationality statistics to October 2025. The information requested for parts (b) and (c) are not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What mechanisms are in place to ensure that individuals whose immigration status no longer entitles them to public funds are automatically removed from benefit systems; and how many such removals have taken place in each of the last five years.

Universal Credit systems carry out daily automatic checks against Home Office data to identify any changes in immigration status, and subsequently, DWP caseworkers stop claims where the individual no longer has an immigration status that permits recourse to public funds. However, the department does not hold data on the number of benefit claims disallowed after a review.

Whether he has made an estimate of savings from halving levels of benefit fraud and error by 2030.

Since Autumn Budget 2024, including the new announcements at Autumn Budget 2025, the Government have committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in Great Britain. Estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-25 can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK and cost of fraud and error in the benefit system for the past five financial years can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK

What proportion of benefit expenditure was lost to (a) claimant fraud, (b) official error and (c) customer error in each of the last five years.

Since Autumn Budget 2024, including the new announcements at Autumn Budget 2025, the Government have committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in Great Britain. Estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-25 can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK and cost of fraud and error in the benefit system for the past five financial years can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK