Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders convicted of (a) rape, (b) other sexual offences against adults, (c) child sexual offences and (d) offences involving grooming are expected to be released earlier than they otherwise would have been under the Sentencing Act 2026.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

This Government inherited a prisons system days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. Our landmark Sentencing Act 2026 will now deliver a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis we inherited, including through the progression model, which will help ensure there are always enough prison places for the courts to be able to send people to custody.

The Prime Minister’s review informed decisions relating to implementation of the progression model and subsequent offence exclusions. The Government carefully considered concerns raised by victims, survivors, parliamentarians and the wider public and acted on those concerns. Representations received from Thames Valley police, other policing stakeholders, and a range of victims including the family of PC Harper during the review formed part of the evidence considered as part of that process. Ministers continue to engage with a range of stakeholders on implementation.

As a result, offenders convicted of unlawful killing offence such as manslaughter, causing death by dangerous driving, as well as further historic child sex offences, will now be excluded, on top of rape and serious child sex offences. This also includes offenders convicted of offences involving the killing of an emergency worker. A full list of exclusions can be found here: Sentencing Act 2026 offence exclusions - GOV.UK.

These exclusions are in addition to the existing exclusion of more than 18,000 offenders serving more serious sentences.

The progression model amends release points for offenders serving Standard Determinate Sentences.

The date from which the progression model will apply, and the date of the first tranche of releases is 1 October 2026. Offenders released under the progression model will be controlled under strict licence conditions and can be recalled to custody where they breach those conditions or their risk can no longer be safely managed in the community.

We have published the modelled estimates of the volumes of offenders to be released on the first day of each tranche. Current published estimates do not identify releases from individual prisons, including HMP Isle of Wight. This information is now available at: Sentencing Act 2026 offence exclusions - GOV.UK.

Work is underway to implement the change announced, including the completion of complex sentence calculations necessary to support delivery. The Ministry of Justice also routinely publishes Accredited Official Statistics on prison population and prisoner releases as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ) publication.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to restore Official Development Assistance spending to 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance when the fiscal circumstances allow.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Official Development Assistance spending delivers value for money and advances the United Kingdom’s economic and national security interests.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Official Development Assistance (ODA) is focused where it can have the greatest impact, supporting the most vulnerable and advancing our modern development approach.

To assess value for money and inform decision-making throughout the programme lifecycle, we use a mix of quantitative data and qualitative information. As part of our ODA transparency commitments, these are published to the Development Tracker website, which further supports aid effectiveness by providing information to inform other donors' spending decisions.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that victims receive individual and timely notification when an offender becomes eligible for earlier release under the Sentencing Act 2026.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Sentencing Act 2026 contains provisions which change the proportion of a standard determinate sentence which must be served in prison before the offender serving such a sentence is released automatically on licence. Eligible victims who have opted into the Probation Service Victim Contact Scheme, where the offender is serving a standard determinate sentence, have already been informed of the commencement of the legislation.

Following the Prime Minister's announcement on 30 August, offender release dates are being recalculated to reflect the additional offence exclusions. Victims engaged in the Victim Contact Scheme will be notified by their allocated Victim Liaison Officer once the recalculation has been confirmed and informed of any change to the offender's planned release date. Recalculations are being undertaken in release date order to ensure victims are notified in sufficient time to consider and submit representations regarding licence conditions before release.

Victims are able to make representations about licence conditions intended to protect them, including exclusion zones and non-contact requirements. They are informed of the outcome of decisions on licence conditions before release, including any conditions that have been imposed. Where a victim's representations are not reflected in the final licence conditions, the Victim Liaison Officer will explain the reasons for the decisions made.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the safety of police officers responding to incidents involving vehicles being driven dangerously; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) training, (b) equipment and (c) operational guidance available to officers responding to such incidents.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has not made a specific assessment of the adequacy of equipment, training and guidance available to officers responding to vehicles being driven dangerously. These are matters for policing who are best placed to assess local risks and operational needs. However, forces are expected to ensure that officers are appropriately trained, equipped and supported to carry out their duties safely and effectively.

Police have a range of tactics and equipment available to manage incidents involving dangerous driving, decisions on which tactic to adopt in each individual circumstance are decisions for police forces according to the circumstances of each case.

The Government has strengthened the framework for police driving through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and regulations prescribing police driver training standards laid in 2023 and 2025. The College of Policing has also introduced licensing for police driver training providers.

The Home Office continues to work with the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing to support effective roads policing and officer safety.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance and resources are provided to police forces on identifying, preserving and using publicly available social media content as (i) intelligence and (ii) evidence of suspected (a) vehicle theft, (b) dangerous driving and (c) other serious criminal behaviour.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police forces have statutory powers, supported by guidance, to obtain and preserve data, including social media content. These include the online information powers under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 once commenced, powers under the Investigatory Powers Act 2026, and other mechanisms such as bilaterial agreements and mutual legal assistance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the use by police forces of social media content posted by suspected offenders as evidence in the investigation of (a) vehicle theft, (b) dangerous driving and (c) other criminal offences.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police forces have statutory powers, supported by guidance, to obtain and preserve data, including social media content. These include the online information powers under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 once commenced, powers under the Investigatory Powers Act 2026, and other mechanisms such as bilaterial agreements and mutual legal assistance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is available to police forces on the collection and preservation of social media content posted by suspected offenders for use as evidence in criminal investigations; and whether she has plans to review that guidance.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police forces have statutory powers, supported by guidance, to obtain and preserve data, including social media content. These include the online information powers under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 once commenced, powers under the Investigatory Powers Act 2026, and other mechanisms such as bilaterial agreements and mutual legal assistance.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of school holiday scheduling on consumer prices in the travel and tourism sector.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

Businesses in the travel sector consider many factors when setting prices including demand at peak times such as during the school holiday period. However, during periods of lower demand, the travel industry often offer early booking discounts or free chid places, for example. Some will offer late booking deals by reducing prices.

While no specific assessment has been made by the department, the government recognises that this can be a cost to families. We continue to engage with the industry, encouraging competitiveness, price transparency and innovation to promote growth and to ensure that consumers cans choose the best deals.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential financial impact of staggering school summer holidays across regions in England on families.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates to reduce peak demand for domestic and international travel.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with representatives of the travel industry regarding the relationship between school holiday dates and peak-season pricing.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of arrangements for police forces to combine intelligence from (a) police records, (b) automatic number plate recognition systems and (c) publicly available information to identify and disrupt persistent vehicle-related offending.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the serious impacts that vehicle theft and dangerous driving can have on businesses, communities and individuals and is determined to ensure that crimes such as these receive the response they deserve.

Police Reform will support policing and provide our communities with more consistent services and policing which responds to local needs.  At the local level, new Local Policing Units (LPUs) will work with communities to focus on the issues that matter most to them, such as responding to emergencies, preventing and investigating local crime – such as vehicle theft and dangerous driving – and supporting safer neighbourhoods. In addition, the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee commits to delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of the Parliament. 3,814 additional police officers and PCSOs were delivered into neighbourhood roles by Mach 2026, creating more capacity for local patrols and a stronger presence in communities.

Vehicle theft is often organised, mobile and cross border in nature. At the national level, Police Reform will address cross-border threats such as these by establishing a more capable National Police Service (NPS) that will tackle national threats and deliver national capabilities. The NPS will bring together four core functions: strategic leadership, standard setting, support and enabling services for police forces in England and Wales and the operational response to serious and organised crime, like serious organised vehicle crime, and threats to national security. It will bring together the National Crime Agency, Counter Terrorism Policing and regional organised crime capabilities.

Data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales indicates that the most common method of entry in the case of vehicle theft involved use of electronic devices to manipulate the signal from a remote locking device. The Policing and Crime Act provides the police and courts with stronger powers to target those who use, manufacture or supply these tools, allowing for a maximum penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.

In January 2026, the Government published a consultation on motoring offences and enforcement, including whether existing penalties and enforcement powers remain effective, proportionate and sufficiently capable of deterring repeat or dangerous behaviour. Responses to the consultation are currently being analysed, and the Government will publish its response in due course.

Information on stolen vehicles is already shared across law enforcement and with relevant partners to support the prevention, detection and investigation of vehicle crime. Opal, the police national intelligence unit focusing on serious organised acquisitive crime has responsibility for identifying and developing intelligence relating to organised vehicle crime. It works with law enforcement officers, partners and industry (both nationally and internationally) in delivering this remit. In addition, the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership headed by the National Police Chief Council’s Lead for Vehicle Crime, ACC Sarah Grahame, brings together law enforcement, industry and government partners. It is working to enhance information sharing and analysis, build networks to target offenders and coordinate activity to reduce vehicle crime and associated harm.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of arrangements for identifying and intervening with persistent offenders involved in (a) vehicle theft and (b) dangerous driving; and what steps she is taking to support police forces to prevent escalation in such offending.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the serious impacts that vehicle theft and dangerous driving can have on businesses, communities and individuals and is determined to ensure that crimes such as these receive the response they deserve.

Police Reform will support policing and provide our communities with more consistent services and policing which responds to local needs.  At the local level, new Local Policing Units (LPUs) will work with communities to focus on the issues that matter most to them, such as responding to emergencies, preventing and investigating local crime – such as vehicle theft and dangerous driving – and supporting safer neighbourhoods. In addition, the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee commits to delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of the Parliament. 3,814 additional police officers and PCSOs were delivered into neighbourhood roles by Mach 2026, creating more capacity for local patrols and a stronger presence in communities.

Vehicle theft is often organised, mobile and cross border in nature. At the national level, Police Reform will address cross-border threats such as these by establishing a more capable National Police Service (NPS) that will tackle national threats and deliver national capabilities. The NPS will bring together four core functions: strategic leadership, standard setting, support and enabling services for police forces in England and Wales and the operational response to serious and organised crime, like serious organised vehicle crime, and threats to national security. It will bring together the National Crime Agency, Counter Terrorism Policing and regional organised crime capabilities.

Data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales indicates that the most common method of entry in the case of vehicle theft involved use of electronic devices to manipulate the signal from a remote locking device. The Policing and Crime Act provides the police and courts with stronger powers to target those who use, manufacture or supply these tools, allowing for a maximum penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.

In January 2026, the Government published a consultation on motoring offences and enforcement, including whether existing penalties and enforcement powers remain effective, proportionate and sufficiently capable of deterring repeat or dangerous behaviour. Responses to the consultation are currently being analysed, and the Government will publish its response in due course.

Information on stolen vehicles is already shared across law enforcement and with relevant partners to support the prevention, detection and investigation of vehicle crime. Opal, the police national intelligence unit focusing on serious organised acquisitive crime has responsibility for identifying and developing intelligence relating to organised vehicle crime. It works with law enforcement officers, partners and industry (both nationally and internationally) in delivering this remit. In addition, the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership headed by the National Police Chief Council’s Lead for Vehicle Crime, ACC Sarah Grahame, brings together law enforcement, industry and government partners. It is working to enhance information sharing and analysis, build networks to target offenders and coordinate activity to reduce vehicle crime and associated harm.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer on survival rates among men from groups at higher risk of the disease.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon member to the answer provided on 16 July in response to Question 17458.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to review the eligibility criteria for prostate cancer screening as further evidence becomes available from the TRANSFORM study.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon member to the answer provided on 16 July in response to Question 17458.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential for the findings of the TRANSFORM study to inform a future national prostate cancer screening programme.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon member to the answer provided on 16 July in response to Question 17458.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Section 38 agreements under the Highways Act 1980 in ensuring the timely completion and adoption of roads on new housing developments; and whether she is considering measures to ensure that financial bonds and other securities are adequate to enable outstanding highway works to be completed where developers fail to meet their obligations.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport recently commissioned independent research into the road adoption process in England, including the operation of Section 38 agreements under the Highways Act 1980. The Department is considering the findings of this research alongside ongoing cross-government work on unadopted roads and private estate management arrangements, including the operation of current arrangements for Section 38 bonds and other financial securities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were in receipt of subsistence-only asylum support as of the most recent date for which figures are available.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

The number of individuals in receipt of subsistence-only Home Office support is published in table Asy_D09 of the ‘Asylum support detailed datasets’. The latest data represents the number of people in receipt of support as at 30 June 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many addresses approved for subsistence-only asylum support are recorded as hosting more than one supported individual at the same time.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

This data is not held in a reportable format.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what requirement exists for an asylum seeker to notify her Department of a change of address after leaving Home Office accommodation to stay with friends or family, where they are not in receipt of subsistence-only support.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

Where an asylum seeker makes an application for subsistence only support, an assessment is made on whether they are destitute. This may involve enquiries about the hosts circumstances where relevant to determining whether the asylum seeker is destitute.

Asylum seekers are required by Immigration Rule 358B to provide the Home Office with any change of address where they are not being supported by the Home Office. This includes where supported asylum seekers intend to leave asylum accommodation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what checks her Department undertakes on the immigration status of a person hosting an asylum seeker under the subsistence-only support route.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

Where an asylum seeker makes an application for subsistence only support, an assessment is made on whether they are destitute. This may involve enquiries about the hosts circumstances where relevant to determining whether the asylum seeker is destitute.

Asylum seekers are required by Immigration Rule 358B to provide the Home Office with any change of address where they are not being supported by the Home Office. This includes where supported asylum seekers intend to leave asylum accommodation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in receipt of subsistence-only asylum support have had that support (a) withdrawn and (b) suspended in the last 12 months because her Department was unable to establish contact with them.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

This data is not held in a reportable format.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who left Home Office asylum accommodation to stay with friends and family members did not go on to receive subsistence-only support.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

This data is not held in a reportable format.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who left Home Office asylum accommodation without receiving subsistence-only support are recorded as whereabouts unknown.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

This data is not held in a reportable format.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people convicted of (a) taking a motor vehicle without consent, (b) aggravated vehicle taking and (c) dangerous driving in each of the last five years were aged (i) under 18 and (ii) 18 to 24; and how many people in each category had one or more previous convictions.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We have not made a specific assessment of the effectiveness of the youth justice system in reducing reoffending in relation to the requested offences. However, please refer to the tables attached which show the proven reoffending rates for children and young adults (18-24) convicted of these offences. To note that volumes are too low to reproduce reoffending rates for children convicted of dangerous driving offences.

The principal aim of the youth justice system is to protect the public by preventing offending by children. In the Youth Justice White Paper published earlier this year, the Government laid out a range of robust interventions to deliver on that aim, with a particular focus on early intervention and strengthening youth justice services. Youth justice services are empowered to design specific provision that works best for their local area. For example, Leicestershire Youth Justice Services’ deliver the Brake! programme, which is used for children involved in driving offences.

The number of children and 18-24 year olds convicted of the requested offences, and the number of people in each category with one or more convictions, can be found attached.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the youth justice system in reducing reoffending among children and young adults convicted of (a) vehicle theft, (b) aggravated vehicle taking and (c) dangerous driving offences.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We have not made a specific assessment of the effectiveness of the youth justice system in reducing reoffending in relation to the requested offences. However, please refer to the tables attached which show the proven reoffending rates for children and young adults (18-24) convicted of these offences. To note that volumes are too low to reproduce reoffending rates for children convicted of dangerous driving offences.

The principal aim of the youth justice system is to protect the public by preventing offending by children. In the Youth Justice White Paper published earlier this year, the Government laid out a range of robust interventions to deliver on that aim, with a particular focus on early intervention and strengthening youth justice services. Youth justice services are empowered to design specific provision that works best for their local area. For example, Leicestershire Youth Justice Services’ deliver the Brake! programme, which is used for children involved in driving offences.

The number of children and 18-24 year olds convicted of the requested offences, and the number of people in each category with one or more convictions, can be found attached.

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