Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to consult with (a) young women with lived experience, (b) specialists and (c) women and girls’ organisations on the development of the Young Women’s Strategy.

The Young Women’s Strategy forms part of the Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan, which sets out what we will deliver over the period 2022-25. We do not yet have a specific publication date.

We are running young women’s residential pilots in two women’s prisons: learning from these will inform the Young Women’s Strategy. We will also be engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including specialist organisations and young women with lived experience.

The Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan exemplifies the Government’s commitment to take a gender-specific and trauma-responsive approach that acknowledges the impact of neglect and abuse (as well as other forms of trauma) on health, mental health and behaviour. In developing the Young Women’s Strategy we will have due regard to issues of age and race.