Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made (1) to establish specialist courts for fast-tracking rape cases, and (2) to appoint legal advocates to provide free legal advice and support to rape survivors.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This Government has funded a record number of court sitting days, so that prosecutions, including of rape and other sexual offences, can be heard more efficiently. We commissioned Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to improve timeliness for victims, and we continue carefully to consider how we can deliver our manifesto commitment to fast-track rape cases. Alongside this, judicial initiatives to expedite rape and other sexual offence cases are already taking place at a local level – for example, in Bristol and Guildford, and the judiciary already prioritise cases involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, which will include victims of rape.
The Government also continues work on our manifesto commitment to introduce free independent legal advice for adult rape victims.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many officials (1) in total, and (2) in number of full-time equivalent staff, have been involved in supporting the promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the Ministry of Justice since November 2020.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The number of full-time equivalent staff involved in providing technical drafting support and workability advice to the Sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has fluctuated since January 2025. As of 1 September 2025, there were 3.7 full-time equivalent (FTE) officials in the Ministry of Justice.
Where required, contributions on specific issues may have been sought from other teams; however, the FTE cannot be accurately quantified for these issues.
Asked by: Lord Carter of Haslemere (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average time for the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber to consider, process and rule upon rent appeal cases brought by tenants.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold the requested information centrally. To obtain this data would require a detailed analysis of the individual case records, which could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase mandatory random drug testing in prisons in England and Wales, and to expand the range of drugs tested for.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to tackling drug use in prisons, which threatens prison safety and security, undermines our work to rehabilitate prisoners and drives reoffending. We therefore need to have a multi-pronged approach that tackles the supply of drugs, drives down demand and supports recovery – drug testing plays an important role in delivering this.
Random mandatory drug testing (rMDT) forms one part of our wider approach to tackling drug use in prisons. In custody, we also conduct more targeted testing, such as suspicion-based testing, when staff have reason to believe an individual has used drugs illicitly, as well as voluntary testing, which forms part of our approach on our Incentivised Substance Free Living Units, where prisoners sign a compact to remain drug free, receive access to improved conditions compared to a standard wing and are regularly tested. In probation settings, we are expanding our drug testing powers through the Sentencing Bill, meaning that any offender on licence can be tested.
We test for a wide range of substances and keep this under regular review to ensure we identify emerging trends to keep both staff and prisoners safe. Our new drug testing contract supports this by giving us greater flexibility to identify areas for improvement in our drug testing capabilities, ensuring we can keep pace with changing patterns of drug use and target support where it is most needed.
In recent years, levels of rMDT have fallen short across the estate because of staffing constraints, and as a result, volumes have not been sufficient nor consistently high enough to produce publishable data – though results are still used as part of adjudication proceedings. There has been some encouraging progress made in recent months to increase levels, and we will continue to keep performance under close review.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the capacity of women's centres to support women who are serving community sentences.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Women’s centres provide vital information, advice and support to women in contact with the criminal justice system, including those serving community sentences.
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) currently funds specialist support for women on probation through Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) delivered by third sector organisations, including providers of women’s centres. HMPPS is committed to ensuring CRS contracts deliver holistic, gender-specific support that meets women’s needs, informed by service users, stakeholders and providers.
The Ministry of Justice is providing a further £7.2 million this year to support the women’s community sector. This funding is aimed at building sustainability, expanding interventions and increasing capacity, including residential provision where needed. Funding for future years is subject to internal allocations.
Asked by: Lord Keen of Elie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what preparations they have made to make chemical castration mandatory for certain serious sexual offenders, and by what date will the policy be introduced.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As part of the Government’s efforts to crackdown on sex crimes, the Government has committed to extending Medication to Manage Problematic Sexual Arousal (MMPSA) to twenty prisons, ramped up from the current four in the South West.
MMPSA is a pharmaceutical intervention prescribed by clinicians to individuals, based on clinical need; medication can be given in the form of testosterone suppressing medication known as anti-androgens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitiors (SSRIs). There is evidence of serious medium and longer-term side effects and risks associated with taking anti-androgens, which need to be carefully monitored by clinicians whilst a patient is taking them.
MMPSA is most effective when used alongside psychological interventions which includes accredited offending behaviour programmes, coordinated support such as therapy and probation supervision. This integrated approach ensures that public safety is prioritised.
The evidence of outcomes related to a reduction in psychological distress is building. To strengthen our evidence base, the Government is going further than the Independent Sentencing Review recommendation by committing to extending and expanding the existing MMPSA feasibility pilot beyond the South-West region, to two additional regions, the North East and the North West, as the first steps towards a national roll-out. We are continuing to work closely with our partners across health and justice agencies to inform our plans for implementation throughout the Autumn.
Alongside the expansion of the pilot, we are working closely with experts to ensure all future decisions are based on strong evidence which prioritises public safety, including through our collaboration with Nottingham Trent University to conduct a Randomised Controlled Trial to understand the effectiveness of SSRIs in managing problematic sexual behaviours.
We are also conducting international research to inform our approach to MMPSA. This has included hosting an expert roundtable with international representation from Sweden and Germany, and targeted engagement with countries who use this medication, as recommended in the Review. A summary of the evidence available will be deposited in the House Library.
As the evidence builds, it is right we consider ways we can increase the use of MMPSA and we will continue to explore whether we might mandate this treatment in future.
Asked by: Lord Keen of Elie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in assessing the risks and benefits of chemical castration for sex offenders.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As part of the Government’s efforts to crackdown on sex crimes, the Government has committed to extending Medication to Manage Problematic Sexual Arousal (MMPSA) to twenty prisons, ramped up from the current four in the South West.
MMPSA is a pharmaceutical intervention prescribed by clinicians to individuals, based on clinical need; medication can be given in the form of testosterone suppressing medication known as anti-androgens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitiors (SSRIs). There is evidence of serious medium and longer-term side effects and risks associated with taking anti-androgens, which need to be carefully monitored by clinicians whilst a patient is taking them.
MMPSA is most effective when used alongside psychological interventions which includes accredited offending behaviour programmes, coordinated support such as therapy and probation supervision. This integrated approach ensures that public safety is prioritised.
The evidence of outcomes related to a reduction in psychological distress is building. To strengthen our evidence base, the Government is going further than the Independent Sentencing Review recommendation by committing to extending and expanding the existing MMPSA feasibility pilot beyond the South-West region, to two additional regions, the North East and the North West, as the first steps towards a national roll-out. We are continuing to work closely with our partners across health and justice agencies to inform our plans for implementation throughout the Autumn.
Alongside the expansion of the pilot, we are working closely with experts to ensure all future decisions are based on strong evidence which prioritises public safety, including through our collaboration with Nottingham Trent University to conduct a Randomised Controlled Trial to understand the effectiveness of SSRIs in managing problematic sexual behaviours.
We are also conducting international research to inform our approach to MMPSA. This has included hosting an expert roundtable with international representation from Sweden and Germany, and targeted engagement with countries who use this medication, as recommended in the Review. A summary of the evidence available will be deposited in the House Library.
As the evidence builds, it is right we consider ways we can increase the use of MMPSA and we will continue to explore whether we might mandate this treatment in future.
Asked by: Lord Keen of Elie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what possible risk factors they have identified in the implementation of chemical castration for sex offenders, and what plans they have to mitigate against these risks when implementing the policy.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As part of the Government’s efforts to crackdown on sex crimes, the Government has committed to extending Medication to Manage Problematic Sexual Arousal (MMPSA) to twenty prisons, ramped up from the current four in the South West.
MMPSA is a pharmaceutical intervention prescribed by clinicians to individuals, based on clinical need; medication can be given in the form of testosterone suppressing medication known as anti-androgens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitiors (SSRIs). There is evidence of serious medium and longer-term side effects and risks associated with taking anti-androgens, which need to be carefully monitored by clinicians whilst a patient is taking them.
MMPSA is most effective when used alongside psychological interventions which includes accredited offending behaviour programmes, coordinated support such as therapy and probation supervision. This integrated approach ensures that public safety is prioritised.
The evidence of outcomes related to a reduction in psychological distress is building. To strengthen our evidence base, the Government is going further than the Independent Sentencing Review recommendation by committing to extending and expanding the existing MMPSA feasibility pilot beyond the South-West region, to two additional regions, the North East and the North West, as the first steps towards a national roll-out. We are continuing to work closely with our partners across health and justice agencies to inform our plans for implementation throughout the Autumn.
Alongside the expansion of the pilot, we are working closely with experts to ensure all future decisions are based on strong evidence which prioritises public safety, including through our collaboration with Nottingham Trent University to conduct a Randomised Controlled Trial to understand the effectiveness of SSRIs in managing problematic sexual behaviours.
We are also conducting international research to inform our approach to MMPSA. This has included hosting an expert roundtable with international representation from Sweden and Germany, and targeted engagement with countries who use this medication, as recommended in the Review. A summary of the evidence available will be deposited in the House Library.
As the evidence builds, it is right we consider ways we can increase the use of MMPSA and we will continue to explore whether we might mandate this treatment in future.
Asked by: Lord Keen of Elie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made regarding their pilot for the voluntary chemical castration of sex offenders, and whether they will provide a timeline for its implementation.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As part of the Government’s efforts to crackdown on sex crimes, the Government has committed to extending Medication to Manage Problematic Sexual Arousal (MMPSA) to twenty prisons, ramped up from the current four in the South West.
MMPSA is a pharmaceutical intervention prescribed by clinicians to individuals, based on clinical need; medication can be given in the form of testosterone suppressing medication known as anti-androgens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitiors (SSRIs). There is evidence of serious medium and longer-term side effects and risks associated with taking anti-androgens, which need to be carefully monitored by clinicians whilst a patient is taking them.
MMPSA is most effective when used alongside psychological interventions which includes accredited offending behaviour programmes, coordinated support such as therapy and probation supervision. This integrated approach ensures that public safety is prioritised.
The evidence of outcomes related to a reduction in psychological distress is building. To strengthen our evidence base, the Government is going further than the Independent Sentencing Review recommendation by committing to extending and expanding the existing MMPSA feasibility pilot beyond the South-West region, to two additional regions, the North East and the North West, as the first steps towards a national roll-out. We are continuing to work closely with our partners across health and justice agencies to inform our plans for implementation throughout the Autumn.
Alongside the expansion of the pilot, we are working closely with experts to ensure all future decisions are based on strong evidence which prioritises public safety, including through our collaboration with Nottingham Trent University to conduct a Randomised Controlled Trial to understand the effectiveness of SSRIs in managing problematic sexual behaviours.
We are also conducting international research to inform our approach to MMPSA. This has included hosting an expert roundtable with international representation from Sweden and Germany, and targeted engagement with countries who use this medication, as recommended in the Review. A summary of the evidence available will be deposited in the House Library.
As the evidence builds, it is right we consider ways we can increase the use of MMPSA and we will continue to explore whether we might mandate this treatment in future.
Asked by: Lord Keen of Elie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what research they have conducted into countries which have a policy of chemical castration for sex offenders ahead of the proposed trial in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As part of the Government’s efforts to crackdown on sex crimes, the Government has committed to extending Medication to Manage Problematic Sexual Arousal (MMPSA) to twenty prisons, ramped up from the current four in the South West.
MMPSA is a pharmaceutical intervention prescribed by clinicians to individuals, based on clinical need; medication can be given in the form of testosterone suppressing medication known as anti-androgens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitiors (SSRIs). There is evidence of serious medium and longer-term side effects and risks associated with taking anti-androgens, which need to be carefully monitored by clinicians whilst a patient is taking them.
MMPSA is most effective when used alongside psychological interventions which includes accredited offending behaviour programmes, coordinated support such as therapy and probation supervision. This integrated approach ensures that public safety is prioritised.
The evidence of outcomes related to a reduction in psychological distress is building. To strengthen our evidence base, the Government is going further than the Independent Sentencing Review recommendation by committing to extending and expanding the existing MMPSA feasibility pilot beyond the South-West region, to two additional regions, the North East and the North West, as the first steps towards a national roll-out. We are continuing to work closely with our partners across health and justice agencies to inform our plans for implementation throughout the Autumn.
Alongside the expansion of the pilot, we are working closely with experts to ensure all future decisions are based on strong evidence which prioritises public safety, including through our collaboration with Nottingham Trent University to conduct a Randomised Controlled Trial to understand the effectiveness of SSRIs in managing problematic sexual behaviours.
We are also conducting international research to inform our approach to MMPSA. This has included hosting an expert roundtable with international representation from Sweden and Germany, and targeted engagement with countries who use this medication, as recommended in the Review. A summary of the evidence available will be deposited in the House Library.
As the evidence builds, it is right we consider ways we can increase the use of MMPSA and we will continue to explore whether we might mandate this treatment in future.