Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63903 on HMP High Down and HMP/YOI Downview: Crimes of Violence, how many of the prisoner on prisoner assaults recorded in 2024 at HMP Downview were committed by biological male prisoners.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 62457 on HMP/YOI Downview, whether funding of E Wing at HMP Downview comes out of the (a) women's and (b) men's estate budget.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.
E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.
HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.
The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.
Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the annual cost to the public purse is of housing a prisoner in (a) E Wing of HMP Downview and (b) the general women's estate within HMP Downview.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.
E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.
HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.
The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.
Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62454 on HMP/YOI Downview, whether E Wing at HMP Downview is part of the women's estate.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.
E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.
HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.
The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.
Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many biological males have been placed in E Wing of HMP Downview since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.
E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.
HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.
The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.
Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many biological males were held in HMP Downview as of 1 August 2025.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate under the current Government.
E Wing is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview and can only access the wider prison's regime where this is supervised by staff and has been risk-assessed to ensure safety.
HMPPS's budget allocation process does not distinguish between the men’s and women's estates. Decisions on the overall level of funding for each prison are made by Area Executive Directors.
The following link provides the latest available information on annual cost per prisoner, by establishment: costs-per-prison-place-prisoner-individual-prison-2023-24.ods.
Data on the annual cost of accommodating a prisoner in particular locations within an establishment are not held.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63903 on HMP High Down and HMP/YOI Downview: Crimes of Violence, how many of the prisoner on prisoner assaults recorded in 2023 at HMP Downview were committed by biological male prisoners.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the average cost of healthcare was for (a) male prisoners and (b) female prisoners in HMP Downview in the last 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HMP Downview is a women’s prison. The average cost of healthcare per female prisoner at HMP Downview for 2024/25 was £11,765.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of the Border Force Seasonal Worker programme was for the last financial year of its operation.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of the 1st of April 2024, there were 449 Seasonal Workforce staff in contract. The Seasonal Workforce (SWF) was a temporary staffing resource used to support operational delivery during periods of peak demand and recruited under exemptions from the normal civil service recruitment procedures. In 2024, a decision was taken to cease the use of the SWF, recruited under CSC exemptions, and instead recruit permanent resource Border Force Officers in line with the Civil Service recruitment principles of fair and open recruitment and improved strategic workforce planning. The use of the SWF ended by 31 January 2025.
In September 2024, Border Force launched the Alternative Working Campaign, which was introduced in part to replace the use of the SWF and better align staffing to operational peaks. Border Force advertised 67 of these roles nationally. In accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, all recruitment under this scheme is conducted using a sifting process where all identifying information is removed and all appointments were made on merit through open and fair competition. As a result, it is not possible to determine whether any candidates were previously part of the seasonal workforce.
All costs for Border Force staffing are accounted for in the 2024-25 Home Office annual report and accounts at Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Border Force workers were employed on Seasonal Workforce Contracts in 2024.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of the 1st of April 2024, there were 449 Seasonal Workforce staff in contract. The Seasonal Workforce (SWF) was a temporary staffing resource used to support operational delivery during periods of peak demand and recruited under exemptions from the normal civil service recruitment procedures. In 2024, a decision was taken to cease the use of the SWF, recruited under CSC exemptions, and instead recruit permanent resource Border Force Officers in line with the Civil Service recruitment principles of fair and open recruitment and improved strategic workforce planning. The use of the SWF ended by 31 January 2025.
In September 2024, Border Force launched the Alternative Working Campaign, which was introduced in part to replace the use of the SWF and better align staffing to operational peaks. Border Force advertised 67 of these roles nationally. In accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, all recruitment under this scheme is conducted using a sifting process where all identifying information is removed and all appointments were made on merit through open and fair competition. As a result, it is not possible to determine whether any candidates were previously part of the seasonal workforce.
All costs for Border Force staffing are accounted for in the 2024-25 Home Office annual report and accounts at Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.