Written questions by Braverman.

Whether he plans to review the Prison Service Instruction governing the management of transgender prisoners.

We have interpreted these Parliamentary Questions as relating to transgender women in the prison estate.Transgender women with birth genitalia and/or any history of sexual or violent offences – including individuals with a Gender Recognition Certificate – cannot be held in the general women’s estate other than in exceptional circumstances, where an exemption has been granted by Ministers. No transgender women have received such an exemption under this Government.Placement decisions for transgender prisoners are determined by a Complex Case Board (CCB) - a multidisciplinary panel of experts. Whilst possession of a Gender Recognition Certificate is a consideration, it is one of a range of risk and vulnerabilities that are considered - including offending history and mental health conditions - and does not take precedence. CCBs assess both risk that the individual may face to and from others.The very small number of transgender women who fail to meet the high-risk threshold we have set for being accommodated in the general women’s estate, but who are too vulnerable to be held in the men’s estate are housed on E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview. They are accommodated completely separately to biological women, in a discrete building behind a gated fence. Despite being on the site of HMP/YOI Downview, E Wing is not part of the general women’s estate, and E Wing prisoners can only access the prison's wider regime under supervision, and where a local risk assessment deems this appropriate.As of 1 April 2026, fewer than five transgender women were being held in the general women's prison estate. None of these has convictions for sexual or stalking offences. We cannot comment on individual cases.There have been no assaults or sexual assaults committed by transgender women in the general women's estate in the last five years. The number of safeguarding alerts involving transgender prisoners placed in the women’s estate over the last five years can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.We are working through the implications of the 2025 Supreme Court ruling on the definition of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010, and the Government is considering the draft updated Code of Practice produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Once this process has been completed, we will confirm any updates to the transgender prisoner allocation policy.

What safeguarding measures are in place to protect female prisoners from transgender offenders who present a risk due to (a) mental‑health conditions, (b) obsessive behaviour and (c) previous offending patterns.

We have interpreted these Parliamentary Questions as relating to transgender women in the prison estate.Transgender women with birth genitalia and/or any history of sexual or violent offences – including individuals with a Gender Recognition Certificate – cannot be held in the general women’s estate other than in exceptional circumstances, where an exemption has been granted by Ministers. No transgender women have received such an exemption under this Government.Placement decisions for transgender prisoners are determined by a Complex Case Board (CCB) - a multidisciplinary panel of experts. Whilst possession of a Gender Recognition Certificate is a consideration, it is one of a range of risk and vulnerabilities that are considered - including offending history and mental health conditions - and does not take precedence. CCBs assess both risk that the individual may face to and from others.The very small number of transgender women who fail to meet the high-risk threshold we have set for being accommodated in the general women’s estate, but who are too vulnerable to be held in the men’s estate are housed on E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview. They are accommodated completely separately to biological women, in a discrete building behind a gated fence. Despite being on the site of HMP/YOI Downview, E Wing is not part of the general women’s estate, and E Wing prisoners can only access the prison's wider regime under supervision, and where a local risk assessment deems this appropriate.As of 1 April 2026, fewer than five transgender women were being held in the general women's prison estate. None of these has convictions for sexual or stalking offences. We cannot comment on individual cases.There have been no assaults or sexual assaults committed by transgender women in the general women's estate in the last five years. The number of safeguarding alerts involving transgender prisoners placed in the women’s estate over the last five years can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.We are working through the implications of the 2025 Supreme Court ruling on the definition of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010, and the Government is considering the draft updated Code of Practice produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Once this process has been completed, we will confirm any updates to the transgender prisoner allocation policy.

Whether possession of Gender Recognition Certificates affects prison placement decisions for offenders convicted of (a) stalking and (b) harassment; and whether this was a factor in the placement of Vivienne Taylor.

We have interpreted these Parliamentary Questions as relating to transgender women in the prison estate.Transgender women with birth genitalia and/or any history of sexual or violent offences – including individuals with a Gender Recognition Certificate – cannot be held in the general women’s estate other than in exceptional circumstances, where an exemption has been granted by Ministers. No transgender women have received such an exemption under this Government.Placement decisions for transgender prisoners are determined by a Complex Case Board (CCB) - a multidisciplinary panel of experts. Whilst possession of a Gender Recognition Certificate is a consideration, it is one of a range of risk and vulnerabilities that are considered - including offending history and mental health conditions - and does not take precedence. CCBs assess both risk that the individual may face to and from others.The very small number of transgender women who fail to meet the high-risk threshold we have set for being accommodated in the general women’s estate, but who are too vulnerable to be held in the men’s estate are housed on E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview. They are accommodated completely separately to biological women, in a discrete building behind a gated fence. Despite being on the site of HMP/YOI Downview, E Wing is not part of the general women’s estate, and E Wing prisoners can only access the prison's wider regime under supervision, and where a local risk assessment deems this appropriate.As of 1 April 2026, fewer than five transgender women were being held in the general women's prison estate. None of these has convictions for sexual or stalking offences. We cannot comment on individual cases.There have been no assaults or sexual assaults committed by transgender women in the general women's estate in the last five years. The number of safeguarding alerts involving transgender prisoners placed in the women’s estate over the last five years can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.We are working through the implications of the 2025 Supreme Court ruling on the definition of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010, and the Government is considering the draft updated Code of Practice produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Once this process has been completed, we will confirm any updates to the transgender prisoner allocation policy.

How many transgender prisoners are held in women’s prisons; and how many of these individuals have convictions for (a) violent, (b) sexual and (c) stalking offences.

We have interpreted these Parliamentary Questions as relating to transgender women in the prison estate.Transgender women with birth genitalia and/or any history of sexual or violent offences – including individuals with a Gender Recognition Certificate – cannot be held in the general women’s estate other than in exceptional circumstances, where an exemption has been granted by Ministers. No transgender women have received such an exemption under this Government.Placement decisions for transgender prisoners are determined by a Complex Case Board (CCB) - a multidisciplinary panel of experts. Whilst possession of a Gender Recognition Certificate is a consideration, it is one of a range of risk and vulnerabilities that are considered - including offending history and mental health conditions - and does not take precedence. CCBs assess both risk that the individual may face to and from others.The very small number of transgender women who fail to meet the high-risk threshold we have set for being accommodated in the general women’s estate, but who are too vulnerable to be held in the men’s estate are housed on E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview. They are accommodated completely separately to biological women, in a discrete building behind a gated fence. Despite being on the site of HMP/YOI Downview, E Wing is not part of the general women’s estate, and E Wing prisoners can only access the prison's wider regime under supervision, and where a local risk assessment deems this appropriate.As of 1 April 2026, fewer than five transgender women were being held in the general women's prison estate. None of these has convictions for sexual or stalking offences. We cannot comment on individual cases.There have been no assaults or sexual assaults committed by transgender women in the general women's estate in the last five years. The number of safeguarding alerts involving transgender prisoners placed in the women’s estate over the last five years can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.We are working through the implications of the 2025 Supreme Court ruling on the definition of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010, and the Government is considering the draft updated Code of Practice produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Once this process has been completed, we will confirm any updates to the transgender prisoner allocation policy.

How many instances of lost or unprocessed documents have been recorded by County Courts in the last 12 months; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce administrative errors in civil claims.

There were more than 1.9 million civil claims issued in the County Court in 2025. County Court claims can be made via HMCTS’ modern digital services (Online Civil Money Claims and Damages Claims services), older digital services (Money Claims Online and Possession Claims Online) or on paper.HMCTS keeps the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service under routine operational monitoring.No assessment has been undertaken specifically on the reliability of recording and processing defendants’ submissions. Issues identified through live running have been limited in number and resolved promptly and have not indicated a need for a wider assessment.In 2025, of incidents and complaints received by HMCTS relating to civil claims, 342 complaints were classified as ‘documents or information went missing’, 222 complaints classified as ‘my documents were not filed’; 92 data incidents recorded as ‘loss or theft of paper documents inside HMCTS premises’ and 31 data incidents recorded as ‘loss or theft of paper documents outside HMCTS premises’. There will be further instances of lost or unprocessed documents which have not been recorded, for example because they have not caused a complaint or data incident.HMCTS is reducing the risk of administrative errors in civil claims though work to digitalise processes. The OCMC and Damages Claims services enable parties to manage a civil claim digitally from start to finish, including the ability to upload evidence, make applications and view judicial orders online. A digital Possession Service is being developed. The Deputy Prime Minister has announced further modernisation of the Civil Courts with an over £50 million investment to continue digitalising the County Court. HMCTS is also improving internal electronic document management and replacing paper-based and email processes with a digital, centrally stored case file, reducing reliance on manual handling and physical transfer of documents between teams and courts.HMCTS has processes to reduce the risk of default judgment being entered where a defence has been submitted but not yet processed. Defences provided by paper are prioritised and judgment requests returned; Money Claims Online (MCOL) applies a buffer to check for paper responses; and responses provided on paper to claims made via OCMC are processed on receipt, with functionality to set aside judgments where a response and judgment request coincide.“Properly processed” means received and recorded by the court. Where a defence has not been received, default judgment cannot be prevented, but urgent set-aside processes are in place where court error is identified.

What evaluation his Department has undertaken of the effectiveness of digital court reform programmes in ensuring timely, fair and transparent case management for small claims.

The Department published its evaluation of the Online Civil Money Claims service on 11 September 2025, available on GOV.UK at: HM Courts & Tribunals Service Reform: Digital Services Evaluation - GOV.UK. This evaluation included assessments of case timeliness, equality outcomes and perceptions of fairness, and user experiences of and trust in case management.

What safeguards are in place to prevent default judgments being issued where a defendant has submitted a defence that has not been properly processed by the court.

There were more than 1.9 million civil claims issued in the County Court in 2025. County Court claims can be made via HMCTS’ modern digital services (Online Civil Money Claims and Damages Claims services), older digital services (Money Claims Online and Possession Claims Online) or on paper.HMCTS keeps the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service under routine operational monitoring.No assessment has been undertaken specifically on the reliability of recording and processing defendants’ submissions. Issues identified through live running have been limited in number and resolved promptly and have not indicated a need for a wider assessment.In 2025, of incidents and complaints received by HMCTS relating to civil claims, 342 complaints were classified as ‘documents or information went missing’, 222 complaints classified as ‘my documents were not filed’; 92 data incidents recorded as ‘loss or theft of paper documents inside HMCTS premises’ and 31 data incidents recorded as ‘loss or theft of paper documents outside HMCTS premises’. There will be further instances of lost or unprocessed documents which have not been recorded, for example because they have not caused a complaint or data incident.HMCTS is reducing the risk of administrative errors in civil claims though work to digitalise processes. The OCMC and Damages Claims services enable parties to manage a civil claim digitally from start to finish, including the ability to upload evidence, make applications and view judicial orders online. A digital Possession Service is being developed. The Deputy Prime Minister has announced further modernisation of the Civil Courts with an over £50 million investment to continue digitalising the County Court. HMCTS is also improving internal electronic document management and replacing paper-based and email processes with a digital, centrally stored case file, reducing reliance on manual handling and physical transfer of documents between teams and courts.HMCTS has processes to reduce the risk of default judgment being entered where a defence has been submitted but not yet processed. Defences provided by paper are prioritised and judgment requests returned; Money Claims Online (MCOL) applies a buffer to check for paper responses; and responses provided on paper to claims made via OCMC are processed on receipt, with functionality to set aside judgments where a response and judgment request coincide.“Properly processed” means received and recorded by the court. Where a defence has not been received, default judgment cannot be prevented, but urgent set-aside processes are in place where court error is identified.

What mechanisms exist for individuals or businesses to seek redress or compensation when court administrative errors result in financial loss or procedural disadvantage.

When administrative errors result in financial loss or procedural disadvantage, individuals or businesses can seek redress through the HMCTS administrative complaints process. The aim of the complaints process is to put the complainant back to the position they were in before any error occurred. HMCTS will consider making goodwill (ex-gratia) offers to cover any direct financial losses that have occurred, and to recognise the impact the error has had.

What assessment has he made of the reliability of the Online Civil Money Claims system in recording and processing defendants’ submissions, including defences and responses to court directions.

There were more than 1.9 million civil claims issued in the County Court in 2025. County Court claims can be made via HMCTS’ modern digital services (Online Civil Money Claims and Damages Claims services), older digital services (Money Claims Online and Possession Claims Online) or on paper.HMCTS keeps the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service under routine operational monitoring.No assessment has been undertaken specifically on the reliability of recording and processing defendants’ submissions. Issues identified through live running have been limited in number and resolved promptly and have not indicated a need for a wider assessment.In 2025, of incidents and complaints received by HMCTS relating to civil claims, 342 complaints were classified as ‘documents or information went missing’, 222 complaints classified as ‘my documents were not filed’; 92 data incidents recorded as ‘loss or theft of paper documents inside HMCTS premises’ and 31 data incidents recorded as ‘loss or theft of paper documents outside HMCTS premises’. There will be further instances of lost or unprocessed documents which have not been recorded, for example because they have not caused a complaint or data incident.HMCTS is reducing the risk of administrative errors in civil claims though work to digitalise processes. The OCMC and Damages Claims services enable parties to manage a civil claim digitally from start to finish, including the ability to upload evidence, make applications and view judicial orders online. A digital Possession Service is being developed. The Deputy Prime Minister has announced further modernisation of the Civil Courts with an over £50 million investment to continue digitalising the County Court. HMCTS is also improving internal electronic document management and replacing paper-based and email processes with a digital, centrally stored case file, reducing reliance on manual handling and physical transfer of documents between teams and courts.HMCTS has processes to reduce the risk of default judgment being entered where a defence has been submitted but not yet processed. Defences provided by paper are prioritised and judgment requests returned; Money Claims Online (MCOL) applies a buffer to check for paper responses; and responses provided on paper to claims made via OCMC are processed on receipt, with functionality to set aside judgments where a response and judgment request coincide.“Properly processed” means received and recorded by the court. Where a defence has not been received, default judgment cannot be prevented, but urgent set-aside processes are in place where court error is identified.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rising heating oil prices on low‑income households in semi‑rural areas; and what steps she plans to take to help ensure these households are not disadvantaged compared with mains‑connected customers.

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely over coming days and weeks. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Chancellor has announced £53m for low income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. This funding will be available to the Northern Ireland Executive, Wales, and Scotland. This funding is allocated as part of the Crisis Resilience fund and will be distributed by local authorities. Local Authorities have responsibility for distributing funds to households. More information can be found here: Over £50 million to help families struggling with soaring heating oil costs - GOV.UK Households using heating oil also benefit from wider cost‑of‑living support, including electricity bill reductions announced in the Autumn Budget, and the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with £150 off energy bills annually until 2030/31.

Whether the Export Control Joint Unit has been involved in the clearance of the consignments under DHL tracking number 6480575743 and UPS tracking number 1ZE461190495384661; and what steps the Department is taking to ensure that specialist engineering exports are not subject to disproportionate or unexplained delays at the border.

Unfortunately, these commercial tracking numbers do not enable us to identify the relevant export or the relevant border.On the general point, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) informs exporters when their items are stopped at the border. If required, HMRC seeks advice from the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) about the licensing requirements and, to minimise costs and delays to exporters, ECJU prioritises such cases.

What assessment she has made of the reasons for the customs delays affecting the export consignments from Magload Ltd with (a) DHL tracking number 6480575743 and (b) UPS tracking number 1ZE461190495384661; and whether she plans to take steps to ensure these consignments are reviewed and processed.

Information relating to identifiable taxpayers is protected by taxpayer confidentiality under the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005, and HMRC is therefore unable to disclose it. HMRC does not provide specific details regarding checks as to do so could undermine compliance activity. HMRC takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement. HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their consignments on time and has robust procedures alongside Border Force to help maintain the flow, whilst ensuring risks are managed.

Whether HMRC has identified any outstanding documentation, compliance concerns, or risk‑based triggers relating to the export consignments from Magload Ltd with (a) DHL tracking number 6480575743 and (b) UPS tracking number 1ZE461190495384661.

Information relating to identifiable taxpayers is protected by taxpayer confidentiality under the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005, and HMRC is therefore unable to disclose it. HMRC does not provide specific details regarding checks as to do so could undermine compliance activity. HMRC takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement. HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their consignments on time and has robust procedures alongside Border Force to help maintain the flow, whilst ensuring risks are managed.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending Jess’s Rule, or establishing a similar national protocol, to ensure that recurrent presentations automatically trigger a clinical review.

Jess’s Rule was published in September 2024 as formal clinical guidance, developed with the Royal College of General Practitioners and NHS England, to support and strengthen general practitioners’ (GPs’) clinical judgement. It encourages GPs to pause, review recurrent presentations, and consider whether anything may have been missed.Jess’s Rule formalises best practice, helping to embed a more consistent approach and reduce harmful inequalities in care. However, the guidance is intended to support, not replace, clinical decision-making. It does not mandate automatic referrals or investigations, as the GP remains responsible for deciding what action is clinically appropriate for the individual patient, in line with local pathways, and to avoid unnecessary pressure on services.We will continue to keep Jess’s Rule under review, including the case for any future updates to national guidance.

If he will consider requiring Jess’s Rule to be applied across all primary care contact points, including A&E and Child Assessment Units.

Jess’s Rule is an NHS England patient safety initiative for primary care. It is designed for general practitioners and supports them to reconsider a patient’s presentation and/or diagnosis where the patient has attended general practice three or more times and symptoms have escalated, or the diagnosis is uncertain.Martha’s Rule is an NHS England patient safety initiative for secondary care. It enables patients, families, and carers to request an urgent, independent review if they believe a hospital inpatient’s condition is deteriorating and is not being adequately addressed. This includes all acute hospitals in England, including paediatric acute inpatient service.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) warranty and (b) redress mechanisms in resolving cases involving structural defects in properties built by Vistry.

The government has legislated for a series of future measures to strengthen the clarity and enforceability of developers’ obligations during the early years of new home ownership. Sections 144 and 145 of the Building Safety Act, once commenced, will require every new build home to be sold with a warranty that meets mandated minimum standards, and will enable the government to impose penalties of up to 10 per cent of the sale value or £10,000 on those who sell a new home without a compliant warranty. These powers will ensure developers’ responsibilities in the early years are clearer and more consistently enforced. The government believes that existing redress mechanisms for those buying a new home are inadequate. We are therefore working with the devolved administrations to implement the statutory UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman (NHO) scheme and an accompanying Code to investigate and resolve complaints and will bring forward the necessary secondary legislation in due course. Once enacted all developers will be required to be a member of the statutory NHO. The Department does not hold the requested data related to individual developers. Where developers are responsible for remediation, including structural defects, we expect them to take prompt action to remediate buildings. We are not considering bringing forward statutory timescales for developers to complete remedial works.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered the potential merits of establishing statutory timescales for developers to complete remedial works following the identification of structural defects.

The government has legislated for a series of future measures to strengthen the clarity and enforceability of developers’ obligations during the early years of new home ownership. Sections 144 and 145 of the Building Safety Act, once commenced, will require every new build home to be sold with a warranty that meets mandated minimum standards, and will enable the government to impose penalties of up to 10 per cent of the sale value or £10,000 on those who sell a new home without a compliant warranty. These powers will ensure developers’ responsibilities in the early years are clearer and more consistently enforced. The government believes that existing redress mechanisms for those buying a new home are inadequate. We are therefore working with the devolved administrations to implement the statutory UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman (NHO) scheme and an accompanying Code to investigate and resolve complaints and will bring forward the necessary secondary legislation in due course. Once enacted all developers will be required to be a member of the statutory NHO. The Department does not hold the requested data related to individual developers. Where developers are responsible for remediation, including structural defects, we expect them to take prompt action to remediate buildings. We are not considering bringing forward statutory timescales for developers to complete remedial works.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the clarity and enforceability of developers’ obligations during the first two years of new‑home warranty cover.

The government has legislated for a series of future measures to strengthen the clarity and enforceability of developers’ obligations during the early years of new home ownership. Sections 144 and 145 of the Building Safety Act, once commenced, will require every new build home to be sold with a warranty that meets mandated minimum standards, and will enable the government to impose penalties of up to 10 per cent of the sale value or £10,000 on those who sell a new home without a compliant warranty. These powers will ensure developers’ responsibilities in the early years are clearer and more consistently enforced. The government believes that existing redress mechanisms for those buying a new home are inadequate. We are therefore working with the devolved administrations to implement the statutory UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman (NHO) scheme and an accompanying Code to investigate and resolve complaints and will bring forward the necessary secondary legislation in due course. Once enacted all developers will be required to be a member of the statutory NHO. The Department does not hold the requested data related to individual developers. Where developers are responsible for remediation, including structural defects, we expect them to take prompt action to remediate buildings. We are not considering bringing forward statutory timescales for developers to complete remedial works.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of statutory requirements applying to developers to notify the relevant Building Control authority before commencing structural remedial works relating to subsidence, foundation movement, or other ground‑stability defects.

Work to an existing home is considered a material alteration, and therefore falls within the definition of building work, if changes to the structural, fire safety, or accessibility features of that building are made as part of the work. Unless work is covered by a Competent Persons Scheme (CPS), all building work requires an application to local authority building control or a private sector Registered Building Control Approver. Local authorities have existing powers to prosecute those who breach the building regulations or carry out building work without authorisation and can require that work that breaches the regulations is altered or removed. These powers were strengthened in the Building Safety Act 2022. Where work has been carried out without a building control application the person carrying out the work can also apply to the local authority to have the work regularised. The competence, conduct, and performance of the building control profession is regulated by the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Control Independent Panel is considering how building control is delivered and the performance of building control bodies; it will report in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that developers comply with statutory obligations to obtain Building Control approval for significant remedial works on completed homes.

Work to an existing home is considered a material alteration, and therefore falls within the definition of building work, if changes to the structural, fire safety, or accessibility features of that building are made as part of the work. Unless work is covered by a Competent Persons Scheme (CPS), all building work requires an application to local authority building control or a private sector Registered Building Control Approver. Local authorities have existing powers to prosecute those who breach the building regulations or carry out building work without authorisation and can require that work that breaches the regulations is altered or removed. These powers were strengthened in the Building Safety Act 2022. Where work has been carried out without a building control application the person carrying out the work can also apply to the local authority to have the work regularised. The competence, conduct, and performance of the building control profession is regulated by the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Control Independent Panel is considering how building control is delivered and the performance of building control bodies; it will report in due course.