Written questions by McMurdock.

What assessment she has made of the lifecycle environmental impact of electric vehicles.

Lifecycle analysis of UK road vehicles, conducted by Ricardo Energy & Environment on behalf of the Department for Transport, shows that the lifetime carbon emissions of electric vehicles are lower than equivalent petrol and diesel vehicles. Over its lifetime, including manufacture, a battery electric car will save approximately 65% greenhouse gas emissions compared to an equivalent petrol car. As the UK’s electricity supply is increasingly decarbonised, savings are expected to grow to approximately 76% by 2030 and 81% by 2050. These lifecycle emissions reductions are consistent across vehicle types, with battery electric articulated heavy goods vehicles expected to save approximately 74-78% greenhouse gas emissions compared to equivalent diesel trucks by 2030. The study can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lifecycle-analysis-of-uk-road-vehicles.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of asylum claims expected to be prevented by the visa brake policy.

It is estimated that the brake will reduce the number of asylum claims from migrants arriving in the UK on visas by 1,400 over an 18-month period.The brake does not cancel existing visas, nor does it change the conditions of visas already granted.

What steps she is taking to increase the availability of rapid and ultra-rapid charging infrastructure in rural areas.

As of January 2026, 20.3% of rapid and ultra-rapid EV chargers were in rural areas, higher than the proportion of the population of England and Wales that live in rural areas (17.5%).There are currently over 26,378 open-access 50kW+ chargers in the UK. This includes over 6,400 charge points within one mile of the Strategic Road Network (SRN, motorways and major A-roads in England), which have more than quadrupled in the last three years (July 2022 – October 2025, Zapmap). The Government will continue to work closely with industry to target support where it is needed, including gaps in charging provision on the SRN. This includes support through a £10 million innovation fund, which is open to applications until later this month.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, what information her department holds on the number of asylum seekers who are illegally working.

Home Office holds details of people claiming asylum who have been encountered during illegal working enforcement visits. This data only reflects those detected through enforcement activity and cannot be used to estimate the number of asylum seekers who may be working illegally more generally.Once the changes announced on 5 March 2026 become law, if, following an investigation, there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an asylum seeker is working illegally, their support may be suspended or discontinued.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of gender on (a) custodial sentence length and (b) rates of reoffending.

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

What comparative assessment he has made of custodial sentencing rates between male and female offenders for comparable offences.

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

What steps he is taking to ensure sentencing is equitable across genders.

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, what discussions she has had with the higher education sector regarding the introduction of the visa brake affecting applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.

Following the announcement of the visa brake on 4th March, information to help sponsoring institutions understand what the change means for them has been shared with them via regular channels, including an operational forum held with sector representatives.

What estimate he has made of the prison population in England and Wales over the next five years.

On 29 January 2026, we published our second annual statement on prison capacity, which sets out the prison projections up to November 2032 and our assessment of them: Ministry of Justice – Annual Statement on Prison Capacity: 2025.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, how many illegal migrants have been deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2025, and how many remain in the UK.

Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Namibia are not in scope for the visa brake. These governments were threatened with the imposition of visa penalties last year specifically in order to improve co-operation in the return of individuals with no right to be in the UK, as provided for by sections 70-74 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. This is distinct from the visa brake.Since these threats, returns co-operation with all three governments has rapidly and significantly improved and returns that previously would not have been possible are now taking place. Each government now complies with the UK’s standard. Statistics on returns will be published on gov.uk as usual.The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take further action where needed.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of prison population in England and Wales.

On 29 January 2026, we published our second annual statement on prison capacity, which sets out the prison projections up to November 2032 and our assessment of them: Ministry of Justice – Annual Statement on Prison Capacity: 2025.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, how many illegal migrants have been deported to Namibia since 2025, and how many remain in the UK.

Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Namibia are not in scope for the visa brake. These governments were threatened with the imposition of visa penalties last year specifically in order to improve co-operation in the return of individuals with no right to be in the UK, as provided for by sections 70-74 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. This is distinct from the visa brake.Since these threats, returns co-operation with all three governments has rapidly and significantly improved and returns that previously would not have been possible are now taking place. Each government now complies with the UK’s standard. Statistics on returns will be published on gov.uk as usual.The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take further action where needed.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, how many illegal migrants have been deported to Angola since 2025, and how many remain in the UK.

Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Namibia are not in scope for the visa brake. These governments were threatened with the imposition of visa penalties last year specifically in order to improve co-operation in the return of individuals with no right to be in the UK, as provided for by sections 70-74 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. This is distinct from the visa brake.Since these threats, returns co-operation with all three governments has rapidly and significantly improved and returns that previously would not have been possible are now taking place. Each government now complies with the UK’s standard. Statistics on returns will be published on gov.uk as usual.The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take further action where needed.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, whether she plans to expand visa bans to more countries.

The visa brake will be kept under regular review and is not intended to be permanent; it will only be lifted when the Government considers it appropriate to do so. Since 2021, there have been over 5,300 asylum claims from nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, who originally arrived on student visas. It is estimated that the brake will prevent 4,300 study visas from being issued to the affected cohorts over an 18-month period. We do not rule out wider action to address visa linked asylum claims. The UK keeps its visa system under continuous review, with any future changes informed by evidence and a range of relevant factors.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of prison overcrowding on a) prison safety and b) rehabilitation outcomes.

The safety and decency of our prisons is paramount. We continually monitor prison conditions and take places on and offline depending on safety, stability, staffing levels and maintenance needs.We recognise that overcrowding can make it harder for prisons to deliver safe, stable and rehabilitative regimes and we will not take decisions that create unacceptable risks to prison safety.That is why we are increasing capacity at record rates, and our Sentencing Act will place the prison population on a more sustainable footing, paving the way for further reform of our prison systems so we can create better conditions and outcomes for our prisoners.We are also improving access to rehabilitative services and purposeful activity and are increasing staff capability to support improved rehabilitation outcomes. We are strengthening safety and security by investing around £15 million in protective equipment.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, what information her Department holds on the number of people on student visas from (a) Afghanistan, (b) Cameroon, (c) Myanmar and (d) Sudan who have attempted to obtain asylum and (i) succeeded and (ii) failed.

The visa brake will be kept under regular review and is not intended to be permanent; it will only be lifted when the Government considers it appropriate to do so. Since 2021, there have been over 5,300 asylum claims from nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, who originally arrived on student visas. It is estimated that the brake will prevent 4,300 study visas from being issued to the affected cohorts over an 18-month period. We do not rule out wider action to address visa linked asylum claims. The UK keeps its visa system under continuous review, with any future changes informed by evidence and a range of relevant factors.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, what cap will be applied to the number of asylum seekers who can use the Government’s pledged safe and legal routes.

As set out in the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government remains committed to the introduction of capped safe and legal routes for refugees and displaced people to come to the United Kingdom. Work is underway to develop these routes, including confirming the eligibility criteria and the number of places to be made available for each new safe and legal route.It is essential that any safe and legal routes are sustainable, well managed, and aligned with the United Kingdom’s capacity to welcome, accommodate and integrate refugees. Work is underway to operationalise these new routes and further details will be provided in due course.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of student visas that will not be issued as a result of the visa brake.

The visa brake will be kept under regular review and is not intended to be permanent; it will only be lifted when the Government considers it appropriate to do so. Since 2021, there have been over 5,300 asylum claims from nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, who originally arrived on student visas. It is estimated that the brake will prevent 4,300 study visas from being issued to the affected cohorts over an 18-month period. We do not rule out wider action to address visa linked asylum claims. The UK keeps its visa system under continuous review, with any future changes informed by evidence and a range of relevant factors.

What assessment he has made of trends in the cost of imprisonment in England and Wales.

The cost of running prisons has generally increased over the past decade, with particularly sharp changes during the Covid-19 period. Analysis of the published Prison Unit Costs series shows that average running costs per place have risen by around 5% per year over the period from 2014/15 to 2023/24. The trend is not linear, with the most pronounced volatility observed between 2020/21 and 2022/23, reflecting the exceptional operational impacts of the Covid19 pandemic.In assessing these trends, it is important to note that cost per place reflects both total running expenditure and the level of certified prison capacity in any given year. As a result, changes in the availability of prison places and population pressures can affect unit costs over time.The published statistics (Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK) do not provide a detailed breakdown of running cost components. However, accompanying official commentary has consistently noted that movements in prison unit costs over time reflect a combination of factors, including investment in frontline staffing and prison maintenance to support safety and the effective operation of the prison estate, alongside wider operational and capacity pressures.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, how long the visa brake on nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan is expected to remain in place.

The visa brake will be kept under regular review and is not intended to be permanent; it will only be lifted when the Government considers it appropriate to do so. Since 2021, there have been over 5,300 asylum claims from nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, who originally arrived on student visas. It is estimated that the brake will prevent 4,300 study visas from being issued to the affected cohorts over an 18-month period. We do not rule out wider action to address visa linked asylum claims. The UK keeps its visa system under continuous review, with any future changes informed by evidence and a range of relevant factors.