Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the Justice Secretary in the debate on the Independent Sentencing Review on 22 May 2025, whether he plans to continue to explore mandating medication to manage problematic sexual arousal.

Medication to Manage Problematic Sexual Arousal (MMPSA) forms part of our wider response to ensure people convicted of sexual offences are robustly managed. Work is underway to increase the use of MMPSA for sex offenders by expanding the existing feasibility pilot in the Southwest to two additional regions, which will see the service extend from four to 20 prisons as a first step.

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 protection, including through our collaboration with Nottingham Trent University to conduct a Randomised Controlled Trial to understand the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (one of the medications used) in managing problematic sexual behaviours.

As the evidence of impact builds, we will continue to review options for increasing the use of MMPSA, including whether to mandate this treatment in future.