Written questions by Johnson.

If she will hold discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the steps it is taking to ensure that data shared with third parties from the gang violence matrix is not (a) misused and (b) further disseminated.

The Gang Violence Matrix (GVM) was an operational intelligence tool used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and risk-assess individuals involved with gangs across London.The deletion of the data held on the GVM is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police as the data controller, and it is their sole responsibility to exercise their retention policies in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. The Metropolitan Police’s use of the GVM is subject to an enforcement notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We understand that since the enforcement notice the names on the GVM have been under regular review, and since its inception in 2012 over 4,000 names have been removed.Following the enforcement notice from the ICO, the Metropolitan Police made a decision that GVM data would be retained for a period of 12 months, from the date of decommission (13 February 2024), as there was no policing purpose to justify the continued retention of the data. This means that all data will permanently be destroyed on 13 February 2025. This decision was taken in order to satisfy Right of Access requests from persons seeking clarity on their inclusion on the GVM. Any individual that considers they may have been included on the GVM is therefore entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the Metropolitan Police by 13 February 2025, and the Metropolitan Police advise the public of this on their website.Additionally, the ICO’s enforcement notice already requires that the Metropolitan Police review their sharing of information with third parties and, as the relevant supervisory authority, the ICO have the necessary powers to enforce compliance with said notice.The Home Office does not hold any data on individuals being charged, prosecuted or incarcerated based on information held on the GVM.In relation to the transparency of the process by which the Police collect retain and use data, the Police are subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 and authorised professional practice from the College of Policing. However, as part of the Home Office’s police reform agenda we will explore how best to support policing in the collection, use and management of their data for a range of operational and analytical purposes.

What estimate she has made of the number of people who have been (a) charged, (b) prosecuted and (c) incarcerated based on information obtained from the Gang Violence Matrix since 2011.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on defendants prosecuted and sentenced to immediate custody in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, data held centrally does not include information on whether defendants were prosecuted or sentence to immediate custody based on information obtained from the Gang Violence Matrix.This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of deleting the Gang Violence Matrix on the ability of wrongfully convicted people to appeal their convictions.

The now decommissioned Gang Violence Matrix was an operational risk assessment tool used by the Metropolitan Police. As a risk assessment tool, it was not used to provide evidence on which a person could be convicted. The deletion of the Gang Violence Matrix will not have any bearing on a person’s ability to appeal their convictions.In order to be convicted of an offence, evidence must be provided such that the court or jury is sure beyond reasonable doubt that the person committed the offence. There is the right to seek leave to appeal against conviction or sentence.If someone has had their application for permission to appeal refused, or had their conviction upheld on appeal, and they believe they have been wrongfully convicted, it remains open to them to apply to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

What recent estimate she has made of the annual cost to the public purse of people serving imprisonment for public protection sentences.

It is right that the sentence was abolished. The Government is determined to make further progress towards a safe and sustainable release for those serving the IPP sentence, but not in a way that impacts public protection.For 2022/23, the average Overall Resource Expenditure cost per prisoner was £51,108. The annual cost for IPP prisoners is not collected or published.To improve the prospects of release for the unreleased cohort of IPP Prisoners, we published the updated IPP Action Plan on 15 November 2024. The Updated Plan puts stronger emphasis on effective frontline delivery in our prisons ensuring that those serving IPP sentences have a sentence plan tailored to their needs, and that they have access to the right interventions or services to address their offending behaviour.

How many and what proportion of people serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence have been recalled to prison due to criminal allegations made against them which did not result in further polic

Data on the number of offenders recalled to custody after becoming homeless are not held centrally and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Information about the number of IPP recalls is published in quarterly offender management statistics - O...

How many and what proportion of people serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence have been recalled to prison by (a) category and (b) reason for recall, in each of the past eight quarters.

Data on the number of offenders recalled to custody after becoming homeless are not held centrally and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Information about the number of IPP recalls is published in quarterly offender management statistics - O...

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2024 to Question HL3055, Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance, whether the public sector will be allowed to bid for new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for pr

The Ministry of Justice will not be inviting public sector bids for the provision of maintenance services for prisons. A 2023 assessment undertaken in partnership with the Cabinet Office determined that a privatised solution was the preferred option for m...

How many people serving an IPP sentence have been recalled to prison because of homelessness in each of the last 12 months.

Data on the number of offenders recalled to custody after becoming homeless are not held centrally and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Information about the number of IPP recalls is published in quarterly offender management statistics - O...

How many people have been recalled to prison because of homelessness in each of the last 12 months.

Data on the number of offenders recalled to custody after becoming homeless are not held centrally and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Information about the number of IPP recalls is published in quarterly offender management statistics - O...

If she will bring forward legislation to allow the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region to appoint a public sector operator to run Merseyrail services.

The Mayor of the Liverpool City Region already has the power to appoint a public sector operator to run Merseyrail services. There are no plans to change this.

Whether the needs of the palliative and end of life care sector will be represented in the upcoming NHS workforce plan.

The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan will deliver the transformed health service that we will build over the next decade and will ensure that patients get the treatment they need, when and where they need it, including those at the end of their lives. I...

Whether palliative and end of life care will prioritised in the new NHS 10-year plan.

We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, p...

With reference to the report entitled Dying in Poverty, published by Marie Curie in November 2024, what steps she is taking to tackle the levels of people dying in poverty in Liverpool.

The Department has noted the recommendations made in the report, and values Marie Curie as a key stakeholder which engages with us constructively in this area. The primary way the Department supports people nearing the end of life is through special benef...

With reference to the Marie Curie report Dying in Poverty, published on 12 November 2024, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) tackle fuel poverty and (b) reduce the number of peop

The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives, reducing pres...

Communities and Local Government, what steps she (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to communicate to eligible (i) EU, (ii) migrant and (iii) other voters the provisions of the Elections Act 2022.

The Electoral Commission has a statutory duty to raise public awareness of all elements of the democratic process, including changes made to it, to ensure voters can participate. The Government will continue to support the Commission in communicating the ...

Communities and Local Government, what support her Department provides to (a) voter groups and (b) civil society organisations on changes to voter eligibility requirements under the Elections Act 2022.

The Electoral Commission, as the independent electoral regulator, holds responsibility for issuance of guidance and support for candidates, agents and local authorities on electoral registration and voting.This can be found at: Our guidance | Electoral Co...

Communities and Local Government, what (a) guidance and (b) support her Department provides to local (i) councillors and (ii) authorities on voter eligibility requirements.

The Electoral Commission, as the independent electoral regulator, holds responsibility for issuance of guidance and support for candidates, agents and local authorities on electoral registration and voting.This can be found at: Our guidance | Electoral Co...

If she will publish (a) staff turnover, (b) the number of new recruits and (c) the number of vacancies in her Department in each of the last three months.

a) The annual turnover rate for DWP ending in the last three months is 7.0% in September, 6.8% in October and 6.6% in November. Annual end of year turnover rates are published in the DWP Annual Report and Accounts.b) DWP has had 2,063 new recruits between...

How many staff in her Department are on sponsored visas; and how many will not meet the skilled worker visa salary threshold at the end of their visa term.

DWP currently sponsors 169 employees. The number of DWP staff that are currently sponsored by the department who will not meet the salary threshold at the end of their current visa is unknown. Each case will depend on the individuals’ specific circumstanc...

In which of her Department's offices there are staff employed on sponsored visas who will not meet the salary threshold at the end of the current visa term.

DWP currently sponsors 169 employees. The number of DWP staff that are currently sponsored by the department who will not meet the salary threshold at the end of their current visa is unknown. Each case will depend on the individuals’ specific circumstanc...