Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost-effectiveness of a voluntary national programme to prescribe and manage medication, including anti-androgens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, for sex offenders who require assistance in managing their sex drives.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Services keeps Medication to Manage Sexual Arousal (MMSA) under review as part of its commitment to evidence-based approaches to reducing reoffending and protecting the public. This is a relatively new service whose effectiveness, both in outcome and cost, is still under review. We have not researched prevalence rates of the number of offenders who might benefit, but clinical opinion suggests it is approximately 5% of known sex offenders. There are currently no plans to expand services.