Josh Babarinde Portrait

Josh Babarinde

Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne

12,204 (26.8%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)

(since September 2024)

Josh Babarinde is not a member of any APPGs
Josh Babarinde has no previous appointments


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Josh Babarinde has voted in 55 divisions, and 1 time against the majority of their Party.

26 Nov 2024 - Tobacco and Vapes Bill - View Vote Context
Josh Babarinde voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 7 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 38 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 415 Noes - 47
View All Josh Babarinde Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Rachel Reeves (Labour)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
(6 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(6 debate interactions)
Yvette Cooper (Labour)
Home Secretary
(5 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Justice
(13 debate contributions)
Home Office
(5 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(5 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Josh Babarinde's debates

Eastbourne Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Josh Babarinde has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Josh Babarinde

18th November 2024
Josh Babarinde signed this EDM on Monday 20th January 2025

Care for PANS and PANDAS

Tabled by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
That this House is concerned about the severe impact the post-infectious neuropsychiatric disorders Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) have on children, young people and families across the UK; notes that the impact is exacerbated by low levels of awareness and …
13 signatures
(Most recent: 20 Jan 2025)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 6
Liberal Democrat: 3
Independent: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Conservative: 1
8th January 2025
Josh Babarinde signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 8th January 2025

Protecting children from sexual abuse

Tabled by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
That this House believes that no child should ever be subjected to sexual abuse or exploitation; recognises that any perpetrators must face the full force of the law; emphasises that to fully deliver justice for survivors, steps must be taken at all levels of Government to better protect children from …
56 signatures
(Most recent: 15 Jan 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 51
Green Party: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Labour: 1
Independent: 1
View All Josh Babarinde's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Josh Babarinde, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Josh Babarinde has not been granted any Urgent Questions

1 Adjournment Debate led by Josh Babarinde

Thursday 24th October 2024

1 Bill introduced by Josh Babarinde


A Bill to create certain domestic abuse aggravated offences; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 9th December 2024
Next Event - 2nd Reading
Friday 24th January 2025
Order Paper number: 13
(Unlikely to be Debated - would require unanimous consent to progress)

Josh Babarinde has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 32 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, how many prosecutions for protest-related offences the Crown Prosecution Service has completed under (a) section (i) 12 and (ii) 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, as amended by section 75 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, (b) each of sections 78 to 80 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and (c) (i) each of sections 1 to 7, (ii) section 9 and (iii) section 27 of the Public Order Act 2023; of those prosecutions, how many and what proportion resulted in (1) a conviction, (2) imprisonment and (3) a financial penalty; and what the average (x) prison sentence and (y) financial penalty was in such cases.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds data on the number of prosecutions where a charge has been authorised and reached a first hearing in the magistrates’ courts for specific offences.

It is important to note that CPS offences data is only extracted into the Case Management Information System once the prosecution case has been finalised, this means that the following offence data only relates to completed prosecutions and not any ongoing prosecutions.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (PCSCA) came into effect in April 2022, amending sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.

The below table provides details of the number of offences charged under these amended sections as well as offences under section 78 PCSCA and section 137 of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended by section 80 PCSCA). To date, there have been no offences charged under section 14ZA(10) of the Public Order Act 1986 (inserted by section 79 PCSCA), where the proceedings have been completed.

2022-2023

2023-2024

2024-2025 Q1

s12 Public Order Act 1986

3

163

1

s14 Public Order Act 1986

59

35

26

s78 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022

52

209

48

s137 Highways Act 1980

706

806

162

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The Public Order Act 2023 came into effect in May 2023. The table below provides details of the number of offences charged under sections 1, 2, and 7 of the Act. To date, there have been no offences charged under sections 3 to 6, 9 or 27 of the Act where the proceedings have been completed.

2023-2024

2024-2025 Q1

s1 Public Order Act 2023

16

13

s2 Public Order Act 2023

4

5

s7 Public Order Act 2023

6

0

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

The CPS does not hold data in relation to the outcome of specific offences. Therefore, I am unable to provide an answer to those parts of your question that relate to the proportion of prosecutions for these offences that resulted a conviction, imprisonment and/or financial penalty.

Lucy Rigby
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
9th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require all wind turbines in England to use bio-based lubricants.

The Department has no plans to require wind turbines to use bio-based lubricants. The small amounts of lubricants used in modern turbines means the environmental risks from release of lubricants are very small.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to support (a) households and (b) organisations to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will transform homes across the country by making them cheaper and cleaner to run, rolling out upgrades from new insulation to solar and heat pumps. We have already announced the new Warm Homes: Local Grant to help low-income homeowners and private tenants with energy performance upgrades including insulation, as well as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, to support social housing providers and tenants. More detail will be provided in due course.

Small and medium-sized organisations can visit the UK Business Climate Hub for advice and support, run in partnership with government. Climate Change Agreements provide tax discounts for businesses reducing their emissions, and the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund supports industrial sites with high energy use to transition. We are currently running a pilot in the West Midlands, providing energy audits and grants to small and medium businesses to support them in decarbonising.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to support art galleries with financial pressures.

Museums and galleries enrich communities, creating thriving places for people to live and visit.

We’re working with Arts Council England and others to understand the sector’s priorities and needs, looking at the sector as a whole: from our commitment to restoring stability to Local Government, to our forthcoming review of Arts Council England.

Regional art galleries are a major beneficiary of DCMS’s £86 million Museum Estate and Development Fund, with Round 4 currently underway.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) teachers and (b) school staff receive adequate pay.

Teachers’ pay is set through an independent, statutory process each year, and the 2025/26 process is currently underway. The School Teachers’ Review Body will assess written and oral evidence from government and organisations representing schools and the teaching profession, amongst a range of other factors, when making its recommendations.

The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, which sets out the statutory requirements for teachers' pay and conditions within maintained schools in England, is then updated, following consultation, to include all accepted recommendations.

We are currently legislating, via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to extend the statutory teacher pay framework to include academy trusts. Bringing academy schools and alternative provision academies into a more flexible statutory framework will mean all prospective and current school teachers in state schools would benefit from a transparent, guaranteed core pay and conditions offer, which is subject to scrutiny and consultation through the pay review process, rather than some or all of their terms and conditions differing based on the school’s administrative structure.

This year’s pay round follows the 2024/25 pay award of 5.5%. This substantial award recognises our hard working school teachers and leaders, and demonstrates this government’s commitment to resetting the relationship with the sector, and delivering opportunity and growth.

We also recognise the vital role that school support staff play in children’s education and the smooth running of schools. That is why we have set out our plans to reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) through the Employment Rights Bill, which was introduced in Parliament on 10 October 2024.

The SSSNB will be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook and fair pay rates for support staff, as well as advising on training and career progression routes.

Most school support staff are currently employed on National Joint Council for local government services pay and conditions. The 2024/25 pay award for these employees, a flat cash uplift of £1,290, was recently agreed.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of (a) trends in the level of bullying in schools and (b) the potential impact of those trends on the (i) mental wellbeing of and (ii) performance of young people in schools.

There is no legal requirement for schools to record and report incidents of bullying to the government. However, the department does monitor evidence on the impact of bullying on children and young people through robust national surveys.

According to the most recent published data from the department’s National Behaviour Survey (NBS), for the 2022/23 academic year, 26% of secondary pupils reported being bullied and 28% of primary and secondary school parents reported their child being bullied in the past 12 months. This is shown in the table below. To note, the total sample size for pupils was 2,521 and the approximate parent sample size was 2,335.

2021/22 Academic year

2022/23 Academic year

Pupil reported bullying victimisation

22%

26%

Parent reported bullying victimisation

26%

28%

Pupil reported bullying victimisation by gender

Males

21%

25%

Females

22%

27%

Pupil reported bullying victimisation by SEND

Pupils with SEND

34%*

36%*

Pupils without SEND

20%*

24%*

Pupil reported bullying victimisation by ethnicity

White

25%*

29%*

Ethnic minority

14%*

19%*

Pupil reported bullying victimisation by FSM eligibility

Eligible for FSM

28%*

38%*

Not Eligible for FSM

21%*

22%*

*Indicates a significant difference between the sub groups. Changes over time have not been tested for significance.

The department sees little difference in self-reported rates of bullying by gender. However, a greater proportion of white secondary-aged pupils reported being bullied compared to pupils from an ethnic minority background. Similarly, a larger proportion of secondary-aged pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reported being bullied compared to those without SEND. Secondary-aged pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) also reported being bullied more frequently when compared with those not eligible for FSM.

Across most of these groups, there is a small percentage point increase in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22. This is between 2 and 5 percentage points, aside from FSM, where the increase was 10. The department does not know if these changes are statistically significant. The department will publish updated data from the NBS in due course.

Other robust data sources which report on bullying prevalence, and with a longer time series, include the Health Behaviours of School-aged Children Study and the Crime Survey for England and Wales, surveying 10 to 15 year olds. These suggest overall prevalence rates have remained reasonably stable between 2018 and 2023.

The department has not made a formal assessment of the links between the level of bullying and impacts on the mental wellbeing and performance of young people in schools, but we are aware of the range of evidence that shows these links. For example, national surveys which show a link between bullying and the impact on mental health include the NHS Digital: Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Survey and the Crime Survey for England and Wales, surveying 10 to 15 years olds. The department also follows the wider academic literature on the impacts of bullying. A recent internal review by departmental analysts identified numerous sources which demonstrate the link between bullying and both mental health and academic outcomes.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department plans to provide to tackle bullying in schools based on (a) perceived difference and (b) protected characteristics.

The department’s most recent anti-bullying grants, which totalled over £3 million and ran between August 2021 and March 2024, were procured to support schools to target bullying related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The department is currently reviewing the impact of these previous programmes and considering next steps for future programmes aimed at tackling bullying in schools. Funding beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review which will take place this autumn. The outcome of the Review will be communicated in due course.

The department published advice in 2017 to support schools with addressing incidences of bullying, including bullying based on perceived differences and protected characteristics. This is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/625ee64cd3bf7f6004339db8/Preventing_and_tackling_bullying_advice.pdf.

In 2016, the department also published a practical tool to help schools, which can be found on the Educate Against Hate website. This can be accessed at: https://educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of her Department's anti-bullying funding on schools; and whether she plans to reinstate that funding.

The department’s most recent anti-bullying grants, which totalled over £3 million and ran between August 2021 and March 2024, were procured to support schools to target bullying related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The department is currently reviewing the impact of these previous programmes and considering next steps for future programmes aimed at tackling bullying in schools. Funding beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review which will take place this autumn. The outcome of the Review will be communicated in due course.

The department published advice in 2017 to support schools with addressing incidences of bullying, including bullying based on perceived differences and protected characteristics. This is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/625ee64cd3bf7f6004339db8/Preventing_and_tackling_bullying_advice.pdf.

In 2016, the department also published a practical tool to help schools, which can be found on the Educate Against Hate website. This can be accessed at: https://educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of trends in the level of bullying in schools based on (a) perceived differences and (b) protected characteristics.

There is no legal requirement for schools to record and report incidents of bullying to the government. However, the department does monitor evidence on the impact of bullying on children and young people through robust national surveys.

According to the most recent published data from the department’s National Behaviour Survey (NBS), for the 2022/23 academic year, 26% of secondary pupils reported being bullied and 28% of primary and secondary school parents reported their child being bullied in the past 12 months. This is shown in the table below. To note, the total sample size for pupils was 2,521 and the approximate parent sample size was 2,335.

2021/22 Academic year

2022/23 Academic year

Pupil reported bullying victimisation

22%

26%

Parent reported bullying victimisation

26%

28%

Pupil reported bullying victimisation by gender

Males

21%

25%

Females

22%

27%

Pupil reported bullying victimisation by SEND

Pupils with SEND

34%*

36%*

Pupils without SEND

20%*

24%*

Pupil reported bullying victimisation by ethnicity

White

25%*

29%*

Ethnic minority

14%*

19%*

Pupil reported bullying victimisation by FSM eligibility

Eligible for FSM

28%*

38%*

Not Eligible for FSM

21%*

22%*

*Indicates a significant difference between the sub groups. Changes over time have not been tested for significance.

The department sees little difference in self-reported rates of bullying by gender. However, a greater proportion of white secondary-aged pupils reported being bullied compared to pupils from an ethnic minority background. Similarly, a larger proportion of secondary-aged pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reported being bullied compared to those without SEND. Secondary-aged pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) also reported being bullied more frequently when compared with those not eligible for FSM.

Across most of these groups, there is a small percentage point increase in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22. This is between 2 and 5 percentage points, aside from FSM, where the increase was 10. The department does not know if these changes are statistically significant. The department will publish updated data from the NBS in due course.

Other robust data sources which report on bullying prevalence, and with a longer time series, include the Health Behaviours of School-aged Children Study and the Crime Survey for England and Wales, surveying 10 to 15 year olds. These suggest overall prevalence rates have remained reasonably stable between 2018 and 2023.

The department has not made a formal assessment of the links between the level of bullying and impacts on the mental wellbeing and performance of young people in schools, but we are aware of the range of evidence that shows these links. For example, national surveys which show a link between bullying and the impact on mental health include the NHS Digital: Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Survey and the Crime Survey for England and Wales, surveying 10 to 15 years olds. The department also follows the wider academic literature on the impacts of bullying. A recent internal review by departmental analysts identified numerous sources which demonstrate the link between bullying and both mental health and academic outcomes.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
9th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to accelerate the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme.

This Government remains committed to delivering the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in October 2027, as agreed with the devolved Governments of the UK, and in accordance with the Joint Policy Statement published in April 2024. There are no plans to accelerate this work – industry have been clear that this is the time they need to launch the scheme.

Defra intenda to lay the DRS regulations for England and Northern Ireland before Parliament later this year, assuming Parliamentary time allows. If so, the regulations would come into force in early 2025, before the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), (who will run the scheme), would be appointed in April 2025.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
11th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to take steps through Great British Railways, once the network is nationalised, to reduce the role of commission-charging railway ticketing websites.

We have no plans to reduce the role of independent retailers once rail operators are brought into public ownership.

Independent retailers add significant value to the marketplace in driving innovation and the Government wants to see them continuing to do so in the future.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) other lung health issues feature in the 10-year NHS plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will consider the change needed to meet the three health mission goals, which are: a fairer system where everyone lives well for longer; a National Health Service that is there when people need it; and fewer lives lost to the biggest killers.

We will carefully be considering policies with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for children from Eastbourne constituency to access support from Sussex CAMHS.

It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including in areas such as the Eastbourne constituency. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult, and children and young people’s mental health services.

The Department for Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education to consider how to deliver our commitment of providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. Alongside this, we are working towards rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment NHS England has made of the potential impact of the Royal Marsden Man Van project on prostate cancer testing in areas with high rates of late diagnosis.

NHS England has not made a specific assessment.

We will find the safest and most effective way to screen for prostate cancer. The Department is investing £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK led Transform screening trial, which seeks to diagnose prostate cancer as early as possible. This trial will compare the most promising tests that look for prostate cancer in men that do not have symptoms, and aims to address disparities in early detection rates across different groups.

NHS England has funded 10 clinical audits, which includes audit work on prostate cancer. Using routine data, collected on patients diagnosed with cancer in a National Health Service setting, the audit will look at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be done better. This will seek to reduce unwarranted variation in treatment and reduce inequalities across different groups.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve NHS workforce training on HIV (a) awareness and (b) treatment.

The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the independent, statutory health care regulatory bodies and higher education institutions who set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and determine the content of their curriculum, in line with General Medical Council guidelines.

Individual National Health Service trusts are responsible for investing in post-registration training to ensure that staff can effectively deliver sexual and reproductive health services, including HIV treatment. In addition, NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare includes a range of programmes and material which focus on HIV.

The Department, the UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, and a broad range of system partners are developing a new HIV Action Plan and considering the next steps needed for the workforce within it. We aim to publish this by summer 2025.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to implement an advanced brain injury strategy.

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care, with their families and carers supported.

We will change the National Health Service so that it becomes not just a sickness service, but a service that is able to prevent ill health in the first place. This will help us be better prepared for the change in the nature of disease, and allow our services to focus more on the management of chronic, long-term conditions, like ABIs, including rehabilitation where appropriate. A decision on the next steps on ABI at the national level will be taken in the coming months.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the processing time for Disclosure and Barring Service checks for people working in the health and social care sector.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent from the Home Office and operates to service standards of completing 85% of Basic check applications within 2 days, 85% of Standard check applications within 3 days, and 80% of Enhanced check applications within 14 days.

The DBS year to date performance against these targets up to November 2024 is 87.9% for Basic checks, 90.2% for Standard checks, and 75.7% for Enhanced checks. These attainments apply to applications across all employment sectors, including the health and social care sectors.

Specific support to the health and social care sectors is provided by the DBS Partnerships Team who have held recent meetings with NHS England, NHS Employers, Skills for Care, Care Quality Commission and Home Care Association, as well as on a regional level with local NHS, local authorities and care providers, about how checks are processed and how to improve the quality of applications submitted to the DBS in order to reduce processing times.

The DBS also provides the ‘adult first’ service to employing organisations in the care sector. Under this service, organisations can request a check of the DBS adults’ barred list and, depending on the result, a person can be permitted to start work, under supervision, with vulnerable adults before the result of an Enhanced DBS check.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
22nd Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme beyond April 2025.

To provide future certainty, Ukrainians who have been provided with sanctuary in the UK under the Ukraine schemes will be able to apply for 18 months further permission to remain in the UK through a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme due to open in early 2025.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme will also remain open, uncapped and free of charge for Ukrainians to apply to come to the UK.

Seema Malhotra
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
9th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to prevent large vacant (a) retail and (b) leisure units in town centres from remaining empty.

The government is fully committed to tackling the issue of persistent vacancy in town centres and rejuvenating our high streets. High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) came into effect on 2 December 2024 and are a new permissive power for local authorities in England to auction the lease of commercial high street property (including retail and leisure units) that has been vacant for longer than 12 months in a 24-month period.

Furthermore, through the English Devolution Bill, we will introduce a strong new ‘right to buy’ for valued community assets. This measure will empower local communities to reclaim and revitalise assets that are important to them such as empty shops, pubs, and community spaces, helping to improve our high streets and eliminate the blight of vacant premises.

Alex Norris
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of domestic abusers perpetrated further crimes in prison in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, and (c) 2024.

It is not possible to robustly calculate the number of domestic abusers in prison or their reoffending rate. This is because these crimes are recorded under the specific offences for which they are prosecuted, such as intentional strangulation or suffocation. Data relating to crimes in prison is held across police referral and adjudication records. To be able to identify these cases we would have to access and review all potentially relevant records which would be of disproportionate cost.

The Public Protection Policy Framework and the Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service work to protect victims and prevent offenders, such as domestic abusers, from continuing to carry out crimes such as stalking or coercive controlling behaviour from prison.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of domestic abusers perpetrate domestic abuse against their original victims within (a) one year, (b) three years, (c) five years and (d) ten years of conviction.

It is not possible to robustly calculate the number of domestic abusers in prison or their reoffending rate. This is because these crimes are recorded under the specific offences for which they are prosecuted, such as intentional strangulation or suffocation.

This Government is prioritising public protection from, and rehabilitation for, this cohort through measures such as better training for probation officers and improved use of monitoring technology. We have also recently introduced Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, which brings together the strongest elements of existing orders to protect victims.

This Government also ensured that a range of offences linked to domestic abuse have been excluded from the early release programme, unlike the scheme run by the previous Conservative Government. We have set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, using every tool available to us to deliver transformative change.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of domestic abusers reoffend within (a) one year, (b) three years, (c) five years and (d) ten years of conviction.

It is not possible to robustly calculate the number of domestic abusers in prison or their reoffending rate. This is because these crimes are recorded under the specific offences for which they are prosecuted, such as intentional strangulation or suffocation.

This Government is prioritising public protection from, and rehabilitation for, this cohort through measures such as better training for probation officers and improved use of monitoring technology. We have also recently introduced Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, which brings together the strongest elements of existing orders to protect victims.

This Government also ensured that a range of offences linked to domestic abuse have been excluded from the early release programme, unlike the scheme run by the previous Conservative Government. We have set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, using every tool available to us to deliver transformative change.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many domestic abusers are serving prison sentences in England and Wales.

It is not possible to robustly calculate the number of domestic abusers in prison or their reoffending rate. This is because these crimes are recorded under the specific offences for which they are prosecuted, such as intentional strangulation or suffocation.

This Government is prioritising public protection from, and rehabilitation for, this cohort through measures such as better training for probation officers and improved use of monitoring technology. We have also recently introduced Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, which brings together the strongest elements of existing orders to protect victims.

This Government also ensured that a range of offences linked to domestic abuse have been excluded from the early release programme, unlike the scheme run by the previous Conservative Government. We have set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, using every tool available to us to deliver transformative change.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers reported abuse by offenders in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, and (c) 2024.

Abuse of prison officers by prisoners is taken very seriously, and will never be tolerated. It is comprehensively recorded through various mechanisms, including internal reports, disciplinary records, and external investigations. The goal of these systems is to ensure the safety and security of staff, while also managing the behaviour of prisoners within the system. As the information is collected in a variety of formats, collating it would be a labour-intensive process, which could not be undertaken without incurring disproportionate cost.

Attacks on prison officers are taken very seriously, and they are treated equally with assaults on the police and other emergency service workers under the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act (Offences) 2018. Since June 2022, the maximum penalty for those who assault emergency workers, which covers prison officers, has now doubled.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of violent offenders reoffend within (a) one year, (b) three years, (c) five years and (d) ten years of conviction.

Offences are recorded on the Police National Computer using the Home Office Classification, which does not allow us to identify whether an offence is ‘violent’ or ‘non-violent’. As a result, it is subsequently not possible to identify violent offenders through digital records. Providing this information would therefore require a manual search of court records and would therefore be of disproportionate cost.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) programmes and (b) interventions are used to reduce reoffending among domestic abusers in the community; and what the reoffending rates are among people who participate.

HM Prison and Probation Service currently offers five Accredited Programmes that may be undertaken by those convicted of domestic abuse offences. These are the Building Better Relationships programme, Becoming New Me +, New Me Strengths, Building Choices (available in prisons and probation), and Kaizen (available in prisons only). These programmes may also be undertaken by offenders with a range of offending types, however, so it is not possible to provide re-offending outcomes specifically in relation to domestic abusers.

Accredited Programmes more generally are well-evidenced. Most international reviews indicate that programmes reduce reoffending generally by about 20% to 30%.

In addition to Accredited Programmes, a number of approved interventions are also delivered by HMPPS and other partners, including Third Sector organisations. The National Framework for Interventions Policy Framework - GOV.UK sets out the minimum design standards for these types of interventions.

Structured Interventions are available as a sentence of the court, by inclusion in a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. They are part of a set of interventions delivered by regional interventions teams in the community. Those which focus specifically on domestic abuse include Stepwise Relationships, Positive Pathways Plus, Help, and Developing Assertiveness for Women in Relationships.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) programmes and (b) interventions are used to reduce reoffending among domestic abusers in prison; and what the reoffending rates are among prisoners who participate.

HM Prison and Probation Service currently offers five Accredited Programmes that may be undertaken by those convicted of domestic abuse offences. These are the Building Better Relationships programme, Becoming New Me +, New Me Strengths, Building Choices (available in prisons and probation), and Kaizen (available in prisons only). These programmes may also be undertaken by offenders with a range of offending types, however, so it is not possible to provide re-offending outcomes specifically in relation to domestic abusers.

Accredited Programmes more generally are well-evidenced. Most international reviews indicate that programmes reduce reoffending generally by about 20% to 30%.

In addition to Accredited Programmes, a number of approved interventions are also delivered by HMPPS and other partners, including Third Sector organisations. The National Framework for Interventions Policy Framework - GOV.UK sets out the minimum design standards for these types of interventions.

Structured Interventions are available as a sentence of the court, by inclusion in a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. They are part of a set of interventions delivered by regional interventions teams in the community. Those which focus specifically on domestic abuse include Stepwise Relationships, Positive Pathways Plus, Help, and Developing Assertiveness for Women in Relationships.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
17th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults involving boiling water have been recorded within prisons in the last 12 months.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
17th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of providing kettles in prison on (a) prisoner and (b) staff welfare.

Small travel kettles have been allowed in prisoners’ possession for many years. HM Prison & Probation Service is aware of the risk of assaults by throwing of boiling water and works constantly to mitigate and reduce these risks.

All prisons carry out regular risk assessments relating to safety and security and implement associated safe systems of work. If a specific risk is identified in relation to use of a kettle, or intelligence is received that one may be used in an assault, the kettle will be withdrawn until it is assessed that it is safe to return it.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many individuals on the prison estate are serving sentences for protest-related offences under (a) section (i) 12 and (ii) 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, as amended by section 75 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, (b) each of sections 78 to 80 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and (c) (i) each of sections 1 to 7, (ii) section 9 and (iii) section 27 of the Public Order Act 2023.

The information requested can be found in the table attached.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury