Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints related to transgender equality issues in prisons the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman received in each year since 1997-98; and what those figures represent as a proportion of the estimated transgender prisoner population in each of those years.

The following tables show: 1) the numbers of fatal incident investigations of transgender prisoners; 2) complaints received about racial equality issues; 3) complaints received relating to prisons; and 4) complaints received about transgender issues:

1) Fatal incident investigations of transgender prisoners started, by financial year

2) Complaints received by the PPO about racial equality issues, by financial year

3) Complaints received relating to prisons, by financial year

4) Complaints received by the PPO about transgender equality issues, by financial year

We have been able to provide a consistent time series back to 2012/13. The time required to provide data going back to 1997/98 would incur disproportionate cost.

We do not hold information on the overall proportion of the prison population that made a complaint or the proportion of the estimated transgender prisoner population for the time periods requested. There may be other similar cases where the PPO investigated a death but were not aware of the person having previously identified as transgender and therefore their death would not be included in these figures.

The Government believes that prisons should be places of safety and reform. We welcome the work that the PPO has done to prevent self-inflicted deaths in custody, promote equality and inclusion, and improve safety in prisons more generally.