Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations on surrogacy in the report by the UN Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women and Girls entitled Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences: The different manifestations of violence against women and girls in the context of surrogacy, published on 14 July 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UN Special Rapporteur’s report is framed within the context of Violence Against Women and Girls and recommends banning surrogacy in all forms.
The United Kingdom Government supports surrogacy as an option for family formation, for people unable to carry their own children. For this option, we recommend the use of UK not-for-profit surrogacy organisations.
For those considering surrogacy overseas, we recommend taking specialist legal advice and consulting the advice published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseas
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the status of the proposed PATHWAYS clinical trial.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Better quality evidence is critical if the NHS is to support young people suffering from gender incongruence, so we are supporting a programme of research, recommended by the Cass Review, including the PATHWAYS study. The health and wellbeing of the children and young people involved is our primary concern.
Ethical and regulatory approvals have been received for the observational element of the study. Approval processes and site set-up are well underway for the clinical trial and we will provide an update when the study moves to the next stage.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of staff training and management at HMP Downview, in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.
The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.
Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of whether HMP Downview is capable of effectively keeping the female prisoners safe from the biological male prisoners sharing the same facilities and services, in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The incident referred to did not involve a prisoner on E Wing, and does not affect the management of the unit.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the security breach in October 2025 involving an unauthorised prisoner departure at HMP Downview involved a prisoner housed in the prison’s E Wing.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The incident referred to did not involve a prisoner on E Wing, and does not affect the management of the unit.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will take steps to review systems of prisoner management in place at HMP Downview in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.
The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.
Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions in the last 24 months have prisoners at HMP Downview left the secure perimeter without formal authorisation.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.
The Prison Group Director has commissioned an investigation into the breach, and an immediate assessment of risks has been undertaken pending the outcome of the investigation.
Once the investigation is complete, action will be taken based on the findings.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to ensure the security of data submitted by third parties in support of visa applications.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UK Visa and Immigration’s commercial partners provide administrative services on behalf of the UK Government to support in processing visa applications. The UK Government visa decision making systems are entirely separate from commercial partner solutions.
Information provided by visa customers in support of their application is captured by UKVI’s commercial partner, and this information is encrypted and securely transmitted to UKVI and subsequently deleted from commercial partner systems.
UKVI works closely with its partners to ensure security of personal data and that this is handled in line with UK data protection requirements. UKVI’s Commercial Partners are certified to ISO 27001:2022 and accredited with UKVI Cyber Essentials Plus, ensuring compliance with the highest benchmarks for information protection. UKVI also ensure that its Commercial Partners undertake periodic third-party assessments to provide independent assurance on the security measures implemented.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63903 on HMP High Down and HMP/YOI Downview: Crimes of Violence, how many of the prisoner on prisoner assaults recorded in 2024 at HMP Downview were committed by biological male prisoners.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 62457 on HMP/YOI Downview, whether funding of E Wing at HMP Downview comes out of the (a) women's and (b) men's estate budget.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.
E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.
HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.
The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.
Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.