Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the proportion of sex offenders serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection whose suitability for parole would be enhanced by voluntarily undertaking a programme of medication to manage their sex drives.

It is not possible to estimate the proportion of sexual offenders serving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) whose suitability for parole might be enhanced if they were to take medication to manage their sex drives. This is because the impact that such medication might have varies considerably from individual to individual, having regard to their offending histories and interests, and because medication of this kind requires the offender’s consent.

In any event, the Medication to Manage Sexual Arousal (MMSA) service is currently offered only at seven prisons. Whilst Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Services keeps MMSA under continuous review as part of its commitment to evidence-based approaches to reducing reoffending and protecting the public, there are no plans currently to expand MMSA beyond those seven prisons.