Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women were taken into immediate custody from (a) Crown courts and (b) magistrates courts for sentences of (i) less than and (ii) more than six months for each offence classification in each police force area in England and Wales in 2022-23.

Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of custodial sentences issued at criminal courts in England and Wales. This includes breakdowns by sex, sentence length, offence group and police force area, and therefore the information requested can be obtained from the following published data:

• Magistrates’ courts: Magistrates' court data tool

• Crown Court: Crown Court data tool

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) airports, (b) ports and (c) train terminals had a dedicated Border Force customs team to deal with freight in each year since 2010.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office’s priority is to deliver a safe and secure border, Border Force maintain 100% checks for all scheduled arriving passengers into the UK and this will be continued during any period.

Border Force does not publish information on operational activities. Doing so would publicise operational practices which would be used to assist in the evasion of customs controls and compromise Border security.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he is undertaking a review of the eligibility criteria for community benefits for electricity transmission.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing energy bill discounts of (a) £10,000 over ten years to people within 200 metres and (b) £20,000 over 20 years for people within 500 metres of an energy infrastructure project.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

It is important for this Government that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should directly benefit from it. We are currently considering how to ensure communities benefit from living near new onshore electricity transmission infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has undertaken a review of the accessibility of the Fruit and Vegetable aid scheme.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme and legislation is in place which will close it on the 31st of December 2025. The Government has committed to championing British farming, whilst protecting the environment, and is currently considering the best way to support our farming sectors in the future, including horticulture.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help people living in rural villages to benefit from safe active travel routes to larger urban areas to access (a) schools and (b) retail and other services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Active Travel England (ATE) provides funding and support to all local authorities in England, including those in rural areas. For example, ATE provides training on infrastructure design guidance and is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas. In 2024, ATE also provided £1 million to the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of of the potential merits of providing long-term financial compensation to communities which host the installation of pylons to improve the transmission of renewable energy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The heart of the Government’s agenda is to make Britain a clean energy superpower, boost energy independence and reduce bills through clean power by 2030, and our electricity network is key to this success. It is important for this Government that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should directly benefit from it. We are currently considering ways that ensure communities benefit from living near new onshore electricity transmission infrastructure and are committed to ensuring fair and beneficial outcomes in alignment with our overall mission.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with Network Rail on the status of the Wymondham train station accessibility upgrades.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Both the Rail Minister and I are early in our tenure as Transport Ministers. As such, he has yet to speak to Network Rail regarding the status of the Wymondham station accessibility project. The Department looks forward to discussing these proposals with Network Rail and other stakeholders in the near future.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will review Border Force’s use of Police and Reporting Notebook Organiser.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Border Force is currently conducting a small-scale trial of electronic notebooks to better understand whether they will meet the future requirements of the organisation both operationally and legally as a simplified method of data capture and database checks to help secure our borders.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing (a) £10,000, (b) £40,000 and (c) £100,000 per kilometre of underground line to local authorities affected by new electricity infrastructure projects.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The previous government’s response to the consultation on community benefits for transmission network infrastructure was published in November 2023. This document outlines that, when combined with bill discounts and additional benefits for overhead cables and substations, these levels of wider benefits could lead to benefits to society with an estimated value between £1.5bn - £7.8bn if improved acceptability reduces delays to network build. These benefits come from reduced network constraint costs and emissions savings.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/community-benefits-for-electricity-transmission-network-infrastructure

It is important for this Government that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should directly benefit from it. We are currently considering how to ensure communities benefit from living near new onshore electricity transmission infrastructure.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to amend the Seasonal Worker Visa Scheme.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published a Review of the Seasonal Worker route on 16 July.

The Government will carefully consider the MAC’s recommendations and will announce a detailed response in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many instances of fly tipping there were in South Norfolk constituency in each of the last five years.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Local authorities are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions to Defra, which the department publishes annually, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env24-fly-tipping-incidents-and-actions-taken-in-england. This data isn't available at a constituency level and excludes the majority of private-land incidents.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will (a) make an assessment of the adequacy of the regulatory framework for ensuring public consultation on energy transmission projects and (b) take steps to ensure that statutory consultations on such projects include consultation on construction options.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

For England and Wales, the Planning Act 2008 sets out the consultation requirements that developers of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), including electricity transmission projects, are required to follow. In April 2024, new guidance was published for NSIPs which sets out the consultation milestone that requires developers to demonstrate that they have consulted adequately with communities. The developer’s statutory consultation needs to show compliance with the energy National Policy Statements, including in relation to construction. In Scotland, the Scottish Government’s good practice guidance sets out the expectations and requirements for consultation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many families of children (a) have applied, (b) are waiting and (c) have been issued with a neurodevelopmental services assessment in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information is not available in the format requested.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to encourage communities to support renewable energy network connection infrastructure in their localities.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

It is important for this Government that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should directly benefit from it. We are currently considering ways that ensure communities benefit from living near new onshore electricity transmission infrastructure.

Strategic network planning will reduce the overall impact of infrastructure through coordination where appropriate. Networks plans take account of environmental and community impacts, alongside deliverability and economic cost, at every stage of network planning.

National Grid Electricity System Operator is developing the Electricity Transmission Design Principles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Network Rail on (a) the status of the Ely area capacity enhancement and (b) its potential impact on rail capacity for the Cambridge to Norwich route.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Both the Rail Minister and I are early in our tenure as Transport Ministers, and he is yet to speak to Network Rail regarding the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement. However, as Transport Ministers we recognise the benefits the scheme could bring for freight and passenger rail services in East Anglia, including the Cambridge to Norwich route. The Rail Minister looks forward to discussing these proposals with Network Rail and other stakeholders in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing (a) £50,000, (b) £200,000 and (c) £500,000 per kilometre of overhead line to local authorities affected by new electricity infrastructure projects.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The previous government’s response to the consultation on community benefits for transmission network infrastructure was published in November 2023. This document outlines that, when combined with bill discounts and additional benefits for underground cables and substations, these levels of wider benefits could lead to benefits to society with an estimated value between £1.5bn - £7.8bn if improved acceptability reduces delays to network build. These benefits come from reduced network constraint costs and emissions savings.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/community-benefits-for-electricity-transmission-network-infrastructure

It is important for this Government that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should directly benefit from it. We are currently considering how to ensure communities benefit from living near new onshore electricity transmission infrastructure.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the financial impact of rural crime on the agriculture sector in Norfolk.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are committed to stamping out crime and disorder in rural areas and we will ensure countryside communities blighted by organised crime, rural theft and antisocial behaviour will be protected.

The Home Office provided a startup grant of £300,000 to set up the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU).

The NRCU supports forces nationally in their responses to rural crime, such as the theft of farming or construction machinery, livestock theft, rural fly tipping, rural fuel theft and equine crime. The unit aims to help police forces tackle rural crime priorities through the provision of specialist operational support, as well as through sharing best practice and encouraging regional and national approaches to tackling rural crime. The NRCU helps police across the country tackle organised theft and disrupt organised crime groups, as well as working closely with the National Crime Agency.

The Home Office also directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit to provide intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime which can affect the agriculture sector.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was allocated to (a) each police force in England and Wales, (b) each government department, (c) each local authority and (d) other bodies through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme in each year since 2010.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Allocations from the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) with breakdowns for police forces, government departments, local authority and other bodies that participate in ARIS is only available from financial year 2016/17 to 2022/23

Published data from financial year 2016/17 to 2021/22 can be found in tab 9 of the data tables: Reporting force and agency data - assets recovered: September 2022.

Published data from financial year 2017/18 to 2022/23 can be found in tab 10 of the data tables: Asset Recovery Statistics, financial years ending 2018 to 2023: Data Tables.

The total value of ARIS allocations to police forces, government departments, local authority and other bodies from 2016/17 to 2022/23 is £679.7m

The next publication covering financial year 2023/24 is due to be published in September.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of promoting community-owned energy projects in the East of England to (a) help achieve Net Zero targets and (b) provide greater support for infrastructure construction in localities affected.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Community projects will play a crucial role in the Government’s mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, by saving families money and improving communities’ energy security.

Through the Government’s Local Power Plan, which will be delivered by Great British Energy, we will put local communities and stakeholders at the heart of the energy transition. Great British Energy will collaborate with private energy companies, local authorities, and cooperatives to roll-out small and medium-scale clean energy projects. This will save families money and ensure communities directly benefit from local developments.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Border Force Operational Notification forms.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Operation Notification Form (ONF) is used by Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) teams outside the Metropolitan Police area

Its purpose is to enable Immigration Enforcement (IE) to request local police assistance for an enforcement visit or notify the police of a planned enforcement visit where no additional local police assistance is required. It is used by IE to gather intelligence held by the police regarding the subjects and addresses they plan to visit. In addition, it enables local police to carry out an equalities and community impact assessment of the proposed visit and allows IE to notify police of the result of the visit using the intelligence feedback report

Operational business assurance standards provide officers with guidance relating to the use of ONFs / equivalent police checks. Assurance checks for ONFs have been conducted in past operational assurance reviews

Published guidance on the ONF can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powers-and-operational-procedure/enforcement-planning-assessments-accessible.

The role of ‘Operational Support Officer’ is not a standard position within every operational team / unit within IE, therefore the department would not consider creating a standardised best practice guide for this position

Guidance for officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/enforcement-instructions-and-guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will publish standardised best practice guides for Border Force Operational Support Officers.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Operation Notification Form (ONF) is used by Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) teams outside the Metropolitan Police area

Its purpose is to enable Immigration Enforcement (IE) to request local police assistance for an enforcement visit or notify the police of a planned enforcement visit where no additional local police assistance is required. It is used by IE to gather intelligence held by the police regarding the subjects and addresses they plan to visit. In addition, it enables local police to carry out an equalities and community impact assessment of the proposed visit and allows IE to notify police of the result of the visit using the intelligence feedback report

Operational business assurance standards provide officers with guidance relating to the use of ONFs / equivalent police checks. Assurance checks for ONFs have been conducted in past operational assurance reviews

Published guidance on the ONF can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powers-and-operational-procedure/enforcement-planning-assessments-accessible.

The role of ‘Operational Support Officer’ is not a standard position within every operational team / unit within IE, therefore the department would not consider creating a standardised best practice guide for this position

Guidance for officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/enforcement-instructions-and-guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who absconded from ports of entry after being detained by Border Force officers were subsequently recovered in each year since 2010.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office are unable to provide the requested data. This is on the basis the information requested is not available in a reportable format.

The Home Office are relentless in the pursuit of those who seek to enter the UK illegally. Our extensive security measures include robust, specialist measures from both Border Force and Immigration Enforcement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people absconded from ports of entry after being detained by Border Force officers in each year since 2010.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office are unable to provide the requested data. This is on the basis the information requested is not available in a reportable format.

The Home Office are relentless in the pursuit of those who seek to enter the UK illegally. Our extensive security measures include robust, specialist measures from both Border Force and Immigration Enforcement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration’s report entitled An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the social care sector, if her Department will undertake a review of the (a) sponsor licensing application and (b) decision-making process in collaboration with social care industry leads and sector experts.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Prior to the report from the ICIBI, work was underway between UKVI and the social care sector to improve and develop their processes. This focussed on both the development of the sponsor licencing application process, and improvement of decision-making processes in relation to adult social care cases.

Regular engagement sessions between the Home Office and the sector also allow clear examples of good practice to be shared. This is happening alongside the trial of a support process whereby providers are able to seek a letter of support from the local Director of Adult Social Services confirming any requests are proportionate to the business model. We will continue to examine new ways to tackle exploitation in the immigration system, including in social care.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many adult men with no previous convictions were taken into immediate custody from (a) Crown and (b) magistrates courts for sentences of (i) below six months and (ii) six months and over in each police force area in England and Wales in 2022-23; and what the offence classification was in each of those cases.

Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Information on the numbers of adult men with no previous convictions who were taken into immediate custody from the Crown Courts and the Magistrates courts for sentences of below six months, and six months and over, are provided below. It is not possible to provide breakdowns by police force area because, due to low numbers, this would risk identification of the individuals concerned. Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent courts, taking into account the circumstances of each case.

Number of adult(1) male offenders with no previous convictions(2) sentenced to immediate custody by court type(3), sentence length(4)(5), and offence type; England and Wales(6), 2022-23(7):

Source: Ministry of Justice extract of the Police National Computer(9)

Notes:

1) Aged 18 or over at time of sentence.

2) Counting the number of male offenders who were convicted in court for the first time.

3) Includes crown and magistrates’ courts cases, where this information is recorded on the PNC.

4) 6 months has been assumed to be 180 days.

5) Excludes cases where the sentence length is not known.

6) England and Wales include all 43 police force areas plus the British Transport Police.

7) Includes financial year beginning April 2022 to March 2023.

8) For more detailed information on the offences included in each classification see the Offence Group Classifications file at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2023

9) The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the extent of (a) violence towards and (b) abuse of (i) shop staff and (ii) volunteers in the charity retail sector.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police recorded crime figures recorded 430,104 shoplifting offences for year ending December 2023, an increase by 37% in the 12 months leading up to. The British Retail Consortium Crime Report 2024 showed there were around 475,000 incidents of violence and abuse in 2022-23. Shoplifting continues to increase at an unsatisfactory level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. Violence and abusive behaviour towards any worker, particularly those who provide a valuable service to the public, is never acceptable. The Government will not stand for this.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government will introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We will also end the effective immunity that has been granted to low level shoplifting of goods under £200.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money has accrued to the public purse in confiscation orders in each year since 2010; and how much of that money was allocated in compensation to victims of crime in each year.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration’s report entitled An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the social care sector, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Skilled Worker route for social care workers; and whether she has plans to (a) review and (b) reform the Skilled Worker visa.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The previous government accepted the recommendations of the ICIBI report and we will continue to take this work forward. The Home Office has undertaken activity since 2023 to address issues in the sector including commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a review of the Immigration Salary List and requiring those sponsoring care workers in England to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.

The Government is committed to reducing historically high levels of legal migration and addressing the root causes. We recognise the need to cut reliance on international recruitment in sectors like social care.

We will introduce measures to upskill workers and improve working conditions in the UK, ensuring quicker responses to labour market challenges and reducing the need for international recruitment.

We will continue to work across government, and with the adult social care sector to develop an understanding of the sector to inform our policies and decision making in relation to cases from it.

There are regular engagement sessions between the Home Office and the sector whereby clear examples of good practice are shared alongside the trial of a support process where providers are able to seek a letter of support from the local Director of Adult Social Services confirming any requests are proportionate to the business model.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing community benefit for electricity infrastructure projects in the local community of (a) £50,000 (b) £200,000 and (c) £500,000 per electrical substation.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The previous government’s response to the consultation on community benefits for transmission network infrastructure was published in November 2023. This document outlines that, when combined with bill discounts and additional benefits for underground cables and substations, these levels of wider benefits could lead to benefits to society with an estimated value between £1.5bn - £7.8bn if improved acceptability reduces delays to network build. These benefits come from reduced network constraint costs and emissions savings.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/community-benefits-for-electricity-transmission-network-infrastructure

It is important for this Government that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should directly benefit from it. We are currently considering how to ensure communities benefit from living near new onshore electricity transmission infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many families with a child with (a) special educational needs and (b) pathological demand avoidance have been issued with a (i) parenting order, (ii) education supervision order, (iii) school attendance order and (iv) fine for poor school attendance in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The information requested is not held by this department.

The department collects aggregate data on the use of parenting orders, education supervision orders and penalty notices from local authorities in England through the annual parental responsibility measures attendance census. No information is collected on characteristics of the children concerned. The available data is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures.

The department collects aggregate data on school attendance orders issued and revoked from local authorities in England through the new collection on elective home education and children missing education. No information is collected on characteristics of the children concerned. The available data is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders (a) started and (b) completed Prison Education Service (i) catering and (ii) construction apprenticeships in 2023.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The ability of prisoners to undertake apprenticeships was introduced in October 2022.

Apprenticeships for prisoners are primarily undertaken by prisoners eligible to be released on temporary licence, where they start their employment and training in the community and fully complete the apprenticeship after release.

No prisoners started or completed a catering or construction apprenticeship in 2023. One apprentice started a Commis Chef Level 2 apprenticeship in November 2022 and completed their apprenticeship in April 2024 after release.

Three prisoners have started apprenticeships in the catering industry this year including one in a closed prison, where we are trialling the potential of prisoners in the closed estate to also undertake apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships are one part of the current employment and training offer. We are developing plans to support prisons to link with more employers and the voluntary sector to increase the number of ex-offenders in employment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the press release entitled New Prison Education Service to cut crime, published on 29 September 2023, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of giving prison governors in five prisons increased freedom to organise education, skills and work programmes in their prisons.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Under the current Prison Education Framework, prison governors have the freedom to design and organise delivery of education, skills and work in their prisons. This is further enabled through the Dynamic Purchasing System, which allows for the commissioning of courses in accordance with local learner need. Governor freedoms over education, skills and work will continue under the new Prisoner Education Service. Heads of Education, Skills and Work have already been introduced in all prisons to ensure Governors have the specialist knowledge and skills to maximise impact of these freedoms.

Work to increase governor freedoms in five jails was paused earlier this year to ensure successful delivery of the new Prisoner Education Service. Once this is fully mobilised in 2025, consideration of localised provision of education, skills and work will be explored further.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women sentenced to (a) less than and (b) more than six months were taken into immediate custody from each (i) magistrates and (ii) Crown court in East Anglia in 2022-23; and what the offence classification was in each of those cases.

Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of custodial sentences issued at criminal courts in England and Wales. This includes breakdowns by sex, sentence length, offence group and police force area:

- Magistrates’ courts: Magistrates' court data tool

- Crown Court: Crown Court data tool

However, this published data does not include breakdowns by individual courts. Therefore, the information requested for magistrates’ courts has been provided in table 1 (broken down by Local Justice Area) and for Crown Court centres in table 2, both attached. The figures provided in these tables relate to criminal courts located in the police force areas of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk only, as an approximation to East Anglia.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the police reporting and notebook organiser (PRONTO) system to ensure its effectiveness at recording questions that deviate from the list of pre-defined ones built into it.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Historically police forces and law enforcement organisations have made local commercial buying decisions through Chief Constables and PCCs for products such electronic notebook organisers. These organisers are used to increase efficiency whilst undertaking operational duties.

In support of increasing efficiency and effectiveness of data, the Home Office maintains under active review all processes needed to support police and law enforcement partners with their operational data requirements. However, the functioning of electronic notebooks remains a primary consideration for operational partners in policing and law enforcement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a standardised procedure for recording debriefing records onto police reporting and notebook organisers (PRONTOs).

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Historically police forces and law enforcement organisations have made local commercial buying decisions through Chief Constables and PCCs for products such electronic notebook organisers. These organisers are used to increase efficiency whilst undertaking operational duties.

In support of increasing efficiency and effectiveness of data, the Home Office maintains under active review all processes needed to support police and law enforcement partners with their operational data requirements. However, the functioning of electronic notebooks remains a primary consideration for operational partners in policing and law enforcement.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to introduce exemptions for protected horticultural growers within the biodiversity net gain regulations.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the importance of horticultural growers. Land used for horticulture can be enhanced or created to generate biodiversity units, which can support site expansion or be sold on the private market or used to support on site expansion. Equally, any impacts to horticultural land through development or land use change require compensation.

Following consultation, exemptions to the BNG requirement set out within the regulations are narrow and focussed. This keeps the policy ambitious, whilst being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local authorities. The exemptions are not sector specific.

Defra are ready to work with the horticulture industry to promote best practice for maximising on-site BNG opportunities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the use of buses in (a) South Norfolk constituency and (b) East Anglia.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities, and the government is committed to delivering better bus services and growing passenger numbers. Since the de-regulation of buses in England, passenger numbers have declined, and the government is determined to fix this.

As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will pass the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs to the communities who rely on them and encourage passengers back onto buses, including in South Norfolk, East Anglia and right across England. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on these ambitions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to increase the number of people approved to sit on the Appeal Tribunal Chair list for police misconduct trials.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police Appeal Tribunals (PATs) play a crucial role in ensuring that we have a fair and robust police discipline system.

There was a recruitment exercise earlier this year to significantly increase numbers of PAT chairs, and decisions on appointments will be taken in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help increase horticulture exports.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade provides a comprehensive package of support to increase exports, including the Export Support Service, UK Export Finance and a network of trade advisers across the UK and overseas. The department remains committed to breaking down market access barriers affecting the horticultural industry, and to opening up new markets for horticultural exports through trade agreements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police stations were operational in the South Norfolk constituency in (a) 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

This data is collected at Police Force Area (PFA) level only, and information at lower levels of geography, such as Parliamentary Constituencies is not collected.

Table H1 of the data tables accompanying each 31 March release of the ‘Police Workforce’ publication shows the number of full-time equivalent police officers that are available for duty. The number of police officers available for duty excludes those on long term absence (career break, sick leave, study leave, maternity/paternity leave, suspension, special leave, compassionate leave and study leave).

The Home Office does not centrally collect information on police stations and never has done.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of active police officers in the South Norfolk constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

This data is collected at Police Force Area (PFA) level only, and information at lower levels of geography, such as Parliamentary Constituencies is not collected.

Table H1 of the data tables accompanying each 31 March release of the ‘Police Workforce’ publication shows the number of full-time equivalent police officers that are available for duty. The number of police officers available for duty excludes those on long term absence (career break, sick leave, study leave, maternity/paternity leave, suspension, special leave, compassionate leave and study leave).

The Home Office does not centrally collect information on police stations and never has done.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many single justice procedure notices issued by local authorities for truancy relating to a child (a) with and (b) without special educational needs have been prosecuted in each of the last five years.

Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions for truancy offences, however, information held centrally does not include whether the prosecution was processed through the Single Justice Procedure, or if the offence related to a child with or without special educational needs. This information may be held on court records, but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much her Department has spent on training relating to the single justice procedure for (a) magistrates and (b) legal advisers in each of the last five years.

Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice is not responsible for judicial training, which is the responsibility of the Judicial College.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing single justice procedure hearings to be observable by accredited journalists.

Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Single Justice Procedure (SJP) cases are decided by a single magistrate, with support of a legal adviser, in private rather than in a hearing in open court. This means that cases can be dealt with by courts anywhere in the country and are therefore not scheduled in the same way as conventional cases in court proceedings. As a result of this, these cases can be decided quickly and are often used to fill gaps between in person hearings and so enable efficient use of magistrates’ court capacity and time. Magistrates have the ability to refer cases to open court if they feel it would be appropriate.

Although journalists cannot observe magistrates deciding individual SJP cases, there is already more information published on SJP cases than cases heard in open court. This allows scrutiny from journalists, who can request additional information on cases under the Criminal Procedure Rules. Under a protocol agreed between HMCTS and media organisations, magistrates’ courts must provide lists of both pending cases and copies of the court register to local media. This includes SJP cases. The protocol also outlines what documents relating to SJP cases can be provided to the media – unlike any other case type, this includes a copy of the prosecution statement of facts or, if there is no statement of facts, the witness statement(s) and any defence representations in mitigation. We will keep the procedure under review.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners found work within six months of their release in each year since 2010.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We know that finding employment in the year after release makes offenders less likely to reoffend, by up to nine percentage points. Getting ex-offenders into work is critical to the Government’s work to break the cycle of reoffending. That is why in our manifesto, this Government committed to improve access to purposeful activity, including learning, and to support prisons to link with employers and the voluntary sector to support ex-offenders into work.

Information on the number and proportion of prison leavers employed at 6 months post release is available from April 2020. The most recent figures were published on 25 July 2024 in the Offender Employment Outcomes Update to March 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-employment-outcomes-update-to-march-2024.

The proportion of prison leavers in jobs within six months of their release more than doubled across the past three performance years, from 14% in 2020/21 to 31% in 2023/24.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Prison Education Service for (a) increasing literacy, (b) reducing reoffending and (c) increasing employment opportunities for ex-offenders.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

There is good evidence relating to the positive impact of prison education and we continue to carry out evaluation and work to link data to better understand outcomes for prison learners.

Literacy provision is a significant element of the current education offer, with all prisons offering functional skills qualifications in Literacy from Entry Level to Level 2.

From 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, the number of prison learners participating in a functional skills course (English and maths) increased by 71%, from 16,866 to 28,832. Prisoners achieving a full or partial grade increased by 80% from 10,755 to 19,329.

There is good evidence that participation in any form of in-prison education reduces reoffending by up to 9 percentage points. Research from 2018 also showed that learners were significantly more likely to be in P45 employment one year from release, than non-learners (by 1.8 percentage points).

We are continuing to evaluate education initiatives such as the recent Literacy Innovation Fund and Future Skills Projects to add to our knowledge of what works. To further build understanding, the Better Outcomes through Linked Data programme is developing the quantitative evidence base with the aim of understanding the role of different types of prison education in contributing to positive employment outcomes.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential impact of biodiversity net gain regulations on local planning authorities.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ministers and officials from Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have regular discussions on a range of issues. Officials from both departments continue to work very closely together on biodiversity net gain (BNG) implementation to ensure local planning authorities have the guidance and tools in place to deliver BNG.

Defra has committed £35 million since financial year 2021/2022 to enable Local Planning Authorities to prepare for and implement BNG. On top of this, Defra has funded the Planning Advisory Service to support Local Planning Authorities to prepare for and deliver BNG.

Defra and MHCLG will continue to monitor the roll out of BNG.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the preparedness of local planning authorities to meet their obligations under the biodiversity net gain regulations.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ministers and officials from Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have regular discussions on a range of issues. Officials from both departments continue to work very closely together on biodiversity net gain (BNG) implementation to ensure local planning authorities have the guidance and tools in place to deliver BNG.

Defra has committed £35 million since financial year 2021/2022 to enable Local Planning Authorities to prepare for and implement BNG. On top of this, Defra has funded the Planning Advisory Service to support Local Planning Authorities to prepare for and deliver BNG.

Defra and MHCLG will continue to monitor the roll out of BNG.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders have taken part in the Future Skills programme; and in which sectors they were trained.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Future Skills Programme is live in 23 prisons, with training being delivered across a range of sectors including construction, warehousing, hospitality, and third sector case work. The programme will run until March 2025 and is being monitored and evaluated. The requested information will be published as part of the evaluation which is anticipated to be available on GOV.UK by summer 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisons have neurodiversity support managers.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

All public prisons have successfully recruited a Neurodiversity Support Manager. All private prisons have also recruited Neurodiversity Support Managers, unless they already held equivalent neurodiversity specialisms and expertise.

Due to natural role attrition, as of 29 July 2024, there are 116 Neurodiversity Support Managers in post across the 124 prisons in England and Wales.