Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that perpetrators of child sexual abuse have access to rehabilitative programmes.

We are absolutely committed to reducing reoffending and addressing the needs of those individuals convicted of a sexual offence.

Individuals convicted of child sexual abuse who have offence related problems common to other sexual offenders, may be suitable for a sex offender programme, either in prison or community. HMPPS provide a range of accredited programmes for individuals convicted of a sexual offence which are offered according to the level of risk and need of the offender. These programmes draw on the latest international evidence on effective treatment for this cohort of offenders.

In addition to these programmes, HMPPS, and its partners, provide a range of other programmes and services for this complex group of offenders, including strong public protection measures through Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. These are tailored to address individuals’ risks and needs, and may, for example, include work to address thinking and attitudes, substance misuse, mental health issues, personality disorder, unemployment, unstable housing, and poor relationships. Specialist services may also be included such as anti-libidinal drug treatment.