Jackie Doyle-Price

The seafarer exemption was originally designed for seafarers involved in keeping critical freight moving in and out of the country, not for cruises. Noting increased risks associated with variants of concern, the exemption for seafarers was amended accordingly.

We currently have no plans to designate non-operational cruise ships as Managed Quarantine Facilities using powers set out in Schedule 11 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability) (England) Regulations 2021.

The Government is collecting data from cruise lines as part of the ongoing review of satisfactory evidence from domestic cruises which have restarted, to support progression to international cruise restart. We are unable to publish this information as it is commercially sensitive.

The seafarer exemption was originally designed for seafarers involved in keeping critical freight moving in and out of the country, not for cruises. Noting increased risks associated with variants of concern, the exemption for seafarers was amended accordingly.

We currently have no plans to designate non-operational cruise ships as Managed Quarantine Facilities using powers set out in Schedule 11 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability) (England) Regulations 2021.

The Government is collecting data from cruise lines as part of the ongoing review of satisfactory evidence from domestic cruises which have restarted, to support progression to international cruise restart. We are unable to publish this information as it is commercially sensitive.

The seafarer exemption was originally designed for seafarers involved in keeping critical freight moving in and out of the country, not for cruises. Noting increased risks associated with variants of concern, the exemption for seafarers was amended accordingly.

We currently have no plans to designate non-operational cruise ships as Managed Quarantine Facilities using powers set out in Schedule 11 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability) (England) Regulations 2021.

The Government is collecting data from cruise lines as part of the ongoing review of satisfactory evidence from domestic cruises which have restarted, to support progression to international cruise restart. We are unable to publish this information as it is commercially sensitive.

The United Kingdom currently recognises prescriptions from countries on an approved list. A prescription from a country not on the list would not be recognised. We will only recognise prescriptions issued by prescribers of equivalent professional status to those eligible to prescribe in the UK.

We would expect all registered pharmacies and pharmacists to meet the regulatory standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland when considering dispensing any lawfully valid prescription.

The terms of reference for the independent review into gender identity services for children and young people are published on the NHS England and NHS Improvement at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/terms-of-reference-for-review-of-gender-identity-development-service-for-children-and-adolescents/

The review will be wide-ranging and will make recommendations in relation to the best clinical approach for individuals with various complex presentations.

The FCDO and Department for Transport have proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with cruise operators to ensure there is a clear understanding of the responsibilities of both operators and government should repatriation of cruise passengers be required. Discussions between the cruise industry and government are nearing completion. An agreed MoU is one aspect of the conditions required for the safe restart of international cruising. Travel advice for cruises will continue to be informed by the latest public health risk assessments.

The FCDO remains fully committed to working closely with the Department for Transport and industry following the publication of the second Global Travel Taskforce report. International cruises are expected to restart alongside the wider restart of international travel, in line with the "traffic light" system. This will be subject to continued satisfactory evidence from the domestic restart and cruising in other countries. Travel advice for cruises will continue to be informed by the latest public health risk assessments.

The FCDO advises against ocean cruising based on medical risk assessments by public health officials. We keep this advice under continuous review.

The FCDO remains fully committed to working closely with public health experts, the Department for Transport and key industry leaders to agree on the steps required to restart cruises safely.

It is an operational matter for the police to determine what relevant information should be recorded to assist in their investigation of individual crimes.

Home Office statisticians work with the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) on the quality of data from the police. The OSR have issued guidance on the collection and reporting of data about sex in official statistics which informs on-going conversations the Department has with policing partners on the issue of data:

https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/draft-guidance-collecting-and-reporting-data-about-sex-in-official-statistics/

Information is not held centrally on which police forces record both the sex and gender identity of the perpetrators of sexual offences.

It is an operational matter for the police to determine what relevant information should be recorded to assist in their investigation of individual crimes.

Home Office statisticians work with the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) on the quality of data from the police. The OSR have issued guidance on the collection and reporting of data about sex in official statistics which informs on-going conversations the Department has with policing partners on the issue of data:

https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/draft-guidance-collecting-and-reporting-data-about-sex-in-official-statistics/

Information is not held centrally on which police forces record both the sex and gender identity of the perpetrators of sexual offences.

The Home Office does not issue guidance on the recording of sex or gender to police forces.

It is down to individual police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College for policing to make decisions on how this information is captured.

The Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission was announced at Budget 2016. The Growth Commission was tasked with developing a vision and delivery plan for the Thames Estuary up to 2050. With this task complete, the Commission has disbanded.

Government has backed the Growth Commission’s recommendation to reform governance in the Estuary, and has supported the establishment of the Thames Estuary Growth Board. The first Estuary Envoy, Kate Willard, was appointed on 30 October 2019 to chair this Board. The Thames Estuary Growth Board formally launched on 21 July 2020

The Thames Estuary Growth Board’s overall budget was £1.4 million in 2020/21. The Growth Board's operating budget for 2021/22 is subject to business case approval.

The Government is committed to giving all towns, cities and communities across the UK, including those in Thurrock and the wider Thames Estuary, real power and investment to drive the future growth and unleash their full potential. The Thames Estuary is a major opportunity area with the potential to support growth right across the country.

When the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission was announced at Budget 2016, it was tasked with developing a vision and delivery plan for the Thames Estuary up to 2050. The Thames Estuary Growth Commission was made up of independent experts, and under the leadership of Sir John Armitt, the Commission have reported their ambitious vision and delivery plan for north Kent, south Essex and east London up to 2050. With their purpose fulfilled, the Commission has now disbanded.

Government responded to the Thames Estuary Growth Commission in March 2018, awarding £1 million to support the establishment and operation of the Thames Estuary Growth Board.

The Growth Board's purpose is to help stimulate growth in the economy across the Estuary. The Growth Board is made up of local authorities and private sector members and is seeking to represent the diversity of the communities it serves.

On 30 October 2019, Kate Willard was appointed as the first Estuary Envoy and the Chair of the new Growth Board. The Envoy is working to convene partners across the area and is a ‘single voice’ for the Thames Estuary to advocate for the area at a national and international level.

Information on the number of Gender Recognition certificates that have been issued in each year since 2010; and how many applications have been rejected are published at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2021.

The data provides information on receipts, grants, part grants, refusals, withdrawals etc for each year from before 2010 to most recent publication.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

The table below shows how many staff are employed at each women’s prison by male and female staff. Further information can be found at Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: June 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Table 1: HMPPS staff in post in Women's Estate, by gender as at 30 June 2021

Notes:

As with all HR databases, extracts are taken at a fixed point in time to ensure consistency of reporting. However, the database itself is dynamic and where updates to the database are made late, subsequent to the taking of the extract, these updates will not be reflected in figures produced by the extract. For this reason, HR data are unlikely to be precisely accurate.

The information regarding the number of prisoners serving sentences in the women’s prison estate who are women is published as part of the Offender Management Statistics quarterly and can be found in Table 1.1 (here).

We are not able to release the requested information in respect of the number of transwomen across the women’s prison estate. This is because the number is five or fewer. Low numbers are suppressed to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998. This applies to values of five or fewer or other values which would allow values of five or fewer to be derived by subtraction. This is to prevent the identification of individuals. The Ministry of Justice is fully mindful of the need to balance the rights of individuals within the women’s estate with risk management.

The information regarding the number of prisoners serving sentences for sex offences who are women is also published as part of the Offender Management Statistics quarterly and can be found in Table 1.2b (here). An ad hoc data collection exercise in 2019 revealed that there were 54 legally male prisoners who identified as female (transwomen), whose principal offence for which they were serving an immediate custodial sentence was a sexual offence, across all establishments in England and Wales.

Details of transgender individuals were provided by men’s and women’s public and private prisons in England and Wales in March-April 2019 following an exercise to gather information from transgender individuals in custody. Individuals are not obliged to share data on their identity, so we consider the figures to provide an estimate of the number of transgender individuals in prison. We are committed to mitigating some of the challenges around data collection, and ultimately improving the process to ensure data is reliable.

We are committed to ensuring that transgender individuals are treated fairly, lawfully and decently, with their rights and safety properly respected. Regardless of where a transgender individual is being held, we expect that they will be respected and that their needs will be addressed in accordance with the gender with which they identify.

The information regarding the number of prisoners serving sentences in the women’s prison estate who are women is published as part of the Offender Management Statistics quarterly and can be found in Table 1.1 (here).

We are not able to release the requested information in respect of the number of transwomen across the women’s prison estate. This is because the number is five or fewer. Low numbers are suppressed to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998. This applies to values of five or fewer or other values which would allow values of five or fewer to be derived by subtraction. This is to prevent the identification of individuals. The Ministry of Justice is fully mindful of the need to balance the rights of individuals within the women’s estate with risk management.

The information regarding the number of prisoners serving sentences for sex offences who are women is also published as part of the Offender Management Statistics quarterly and can be found in Table 1.2b (here). An ad hoc data collection exercise in 2019 revealed that there were 54 legally male prisoners who identified as female (transwomen), whose principal offence for which they were serving an immediate custodial sentence was a sexual offence, across all establishments in England and Wales.

Details of transgender individuals were provided by men’s and women’s public and private prisons in England and Wales in March-April 2019 following an exercise to gather information from transgender individuals in custody. Individuals are not obliged to share data on their identity, so we consider the figures to provide an estimate of the number of transgender individuals in prison. We are committed to mitigating some of the challenges around data collection, and ultimately improving the process to ensure data is reliable.

We are committed to ensuring that transgender individuals are treated fairly, lawfully and decently, with their rights and safety properly respected. Regardless of where a transgender individual is being held, we expect that they will be respected and that their needs will be addressed in accordance with the gender with which they identify.