Written questions by Johnson.

How many and what proportion of Parole Board recommendations on moving (a) prisoners serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence and (b) other prisoners to open conditions were rejected by his Department in each of the last 12 months.

For many years, the Secretary of State has asked the independent Parole Board for advice on whether a prisoner serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) or a life sentence is suitable for transfer to open conditions. Where the Parole Board recommends that a prisoner is suitable, the Secretary of State is not bound to accept the recommendation, and it is the Secretary of State who is ultimately responsible for determining whether a life or IPP prisoner is safe to be managed in an open prison. In making that decision, the Secretary of State takes account of the Parole Board’s recommendation and needs evidence to justify rejecting the recommendation.The following tables provide the number and proportion of recommendations made by the Parole Board which were rejected in each month between 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 for prisoners serving (a) an IPP sentence and (b) a life sentence.Number and proportion of rejected open condition recommendations involving IPP prisoners, 1 April 2024-31 March 2025Table 1: YearMonthAcceptedRejected% Rejected2024April8111%2024May9431%2024June10533%2024July17935%2024August8433%2024September19521%2024October17935%2024November14836%2024December12737%2025January10217%2025February7750%2025March6225% Number and proportion of rejected open condition recommendations involving life prisoners, 1 April 2024-31 March 2025Table 2: YearMonthAcceptedRejected% Rejected2024April14733%2024May15317%2024June1019%2024July4836%2024August34717%2024September25311%2024October20829%2024November17832%2024December27618%2025January19727%2025February23312%2025March23312% These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Data has been provided for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 to align with the publication of the Parole Board’s data on recommendations for open conditions.Public protection remains the priority and prisoners will only be approved for a move to open conditions if it is assessed that it is safe to do so.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the requirements relating to equality, diversity and inclusion in the Competence and Conduct standards for social landlords on tenants in social housing that have submitted complaints about race-based discrimination.

A Public Sector Equalities Assessment was published as part of our consultation on the detailed policy supporting the competence and conduct standard for social housing staff. It can be found here.It considered the impact the new standards might have for people with protected characteristics. This assessment was then reviewed in light of feedback received through the consultation.The Competence and Conduct standard requires senior housing managers and executives to undertake qualifications which develop their knowledge and skills of housing management and engagement with tenants in relation to: equality, diversity and inclusion; awareness of a range of needs and vulnerabilities; effective engagement with tenants; and delivering respectful and professional housing services.These criteria are designed to improve the experience of social housing tenants by ensuring senior staff can understand and respond to the diverse needs of tenants, including those related to age, disability, race, gender, and other protected characteristics.The Regulator’s Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, which came into force in April 2024, also places clear requirements on landlords to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for their tenants and prospective tenants. This includes using relevant information and data to understand the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics to deliver more inclusive services.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of including anti-racism measures in the Competence and Conduct Standard for social landlords on the levels of homelessness amongst people from Black ethnic groups.

A Public Sector Equalities Assessment was published as part of our consultation on the detailed policy supporting the competence and conduct standard for social housing staff. It can be found here.It considered the impact the new standards might have for people with protected characteristics. This assessment was then reviewed in light of feedback received through the consultation.The Competence and Conduct standard requires senior housing managers and executives to undertake qualifications which develop their knowledge and skills of housing management and engagement with tenants in relation to: equality, diversity and inclusion; awareness of a range of needs and vulnerabilities; effective engagement with tenants; and delivering respectful and professional housing services.These criteria are designed to improve the experience of social housing tenants by ensuring senior staff can understand and respond to the diverse needs of tenants, including those related to age, disability, race, gender, and other protected characteristics.The Regulator’s Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, which came into force in April 2024, also places clear requirements on landlords to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for their tenants and prospective tenants. This includes using relevant information and data to understand the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics to deliver more inclusive services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 37323 on Prison Sentences, how many people serving imprisonment for public protection sentences in Category A prisons on 1 January 2026 were classified as Category (a) A, (b) B, and (c) C prisoners.

Data on the prison population are published as part of the Department’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ) release. The most recent publication includes prison population data as at 30 September 2025.The information requested—relating to the prison population as at 1 January 2026—cannot be provided at this time, as doing so would provide an early indication of the data underpinning a future iteration of these Accredited Official Statistics, scheduled for publication on 30 April 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, how many stops were made under the power during the pilot.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, when she will publish the independent evaluation.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, what assessment was made by the independent evaluation of (a) the use of the SVRO stop and search power, (b) the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending, and (c) the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing knife carrying.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, what was the highest number of stops of one individual during the pilot.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, how many weapons were found as a result of the stops during the pilot.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.

How many people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences linked to supporting Palestine Action by (a) date, (b) police force area, (c) section of the Terrorism Act used, and (d) outcomes (charged, released without charge, released under investigation, bailed) for each arrest since 5 July 2025.

The Home Office does not hold data breaking down arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 by date or by police force area. Data on arrests, charges and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000, including under different sections of the Terrorism Act, are published in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ and can be accessed on GOV.UK.The most recent publication covering the year ending 30 September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025 and can be accessed here : Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In this data, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action have been shown separately.The next quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ is due to be published on 12 March 2026 and will cover the period up until the 31 December 2025.

How many people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for allegedly showing support for Palestine Action at demonstrations since its proscription; and what proportion of those arrests relate to people taking part in non-violent protest.

The Home Office does not hold data breaking down arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 by date or by police force area. Data on arrests, charges and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000, including under different sections of the Terrorism Act, are published in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ and can be accessed on GOV.UK.The most recent publication covering the year ending 30 September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025 and can be accessed here : Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In this data, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action have been shown separately.The next quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ is due to be published on 12 March 2026 and will cover the period up until the 31 December 2025.

How many conditions have been imposed on pro-Palestine protests by police forces in the last 12 months under section 12 or section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986; and in how many cases cumulative disruption was cited as the justification.

The Home Office publishes data on police use of conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, including how many public processions and public assemblies have conditions placed on them, the triggers for the conditions, and the type of condition. The latest published data is to March 2024 Home Office – Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024, England and Wales – December 2024, and the next release of data is provisionally scheduled for 5 February 2026.Forces routinely publish where they apply conditions on demonstrations under Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 via their websites and social media.Decisions on how to police demonstrations are an operational matter for the police, working within the legal framework of the Public Order Act 1986.  Under sections 12 and 14 the police can place conditions on demonstrations to manage risks of serious public disorder, serious disruption to the life of the community or serious damage to property. Police can currently take cumulative disruption into account when considering placing conditions on a protest under the 1986 Act.Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are amending sections 12 and 14 of the 1986 Act to introduce a duty for senior police officers to take cumulative disruption into account when assessing whether the serious disruption to the life of the community threshold is met. This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests and is an important step in ensuring everyone feels safe in this country, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.

How many protests have resulted in (a) restrictions and (b) conditions imposed by the police under the doctrine of cumulative disruption since May 2025.

The Home Office publishes data on police use of conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, including how many public processions and public assemblies have conditions placed on them, the triggers for the conditions, and the type of condition. The latest published data is to March 2024 Home Office – Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024, England and Wales – December 2024, and the next release of data is provisionally scheduled for 5 February 2026.Forces routinely publish where they apply conditions on demonstrations under Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 via their websites and social media.Decisions on how to police demonstrations are an operational matter for the police, working within the legal framework of the Public Order Act 1986.  Under sections 12 and 14 the police can place conditions on demonstrations to manage risks of serious public disorder, serious disruption to the life of the community or serious damage to property. Police can currently take cumulative disruption into account when considering placing conditions on a protest under the 1986 Act.Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are amending sections 12 and 14 of the 1986 Act to introduce a duty for senior police officers to take cumulative disruption into account when assessing whether the serious disruption to the life of the community threshold is met. This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests and is an important step in ensuring everyone feels safe in this country, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.

What steps he is taking to grow the children’s health workforce.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. A child health workforce that is fit for the future will be critical to delivering on this ambition.In spring, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan, to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. The plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including children, when they need it. We will also be publishing a new strategy to set the long-term professional direction for nurses, midwives, and nursing associates, which all form an important part of the children’s health workforce.

What steps she is taking to ensure that ICBs prioritise the health needs of children and young people.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and ensuring that all children can access timely support that meets their health needs.We are delivering on the vision for neighbourhood health set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to babies, children, and young people. Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges so that children get support quickly, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the diverse needs of their local populations, including children. All ICBs in England are required to have an Executive Lead for Children and Young People, to ensure the interests of children are reflected in decision-making.ICB funding allocations were issued alongside the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, which set out targets to improve children’s experiences of the health system. The framework also states that National Health Service organisations should explicitly consider the needs of children and young people in integrated plans. The priorities set out in the framework should be reflected in ICBs’ spending plans for coming financial years. The framework can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

What steps he is taking to ensure that the health service meets children and young people’s distinct health needs.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and ensuring that all children can access timely support that meets their health needs.We are delivering on the vision for neighbourhood health set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to babies, children, and young people. Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges so that children get support quickly, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the diverse needs of their local populations, including children. All ICBs in England are required to have an Executive Lead for Children and Young People, to ensure the interests of children are reflected in decision-making.ICB funding allocations were issued alongside the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, which set out targets to improve children’s experiences of the health system. The framework also states that National Health Service organisations should explicitly consider the needs of children and young people in integrated plans. The priorities set out in the framework should be reflected in ICBs’ spending plans for coming financial years. The framework can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

What steps he is taking to increase the share of NHS expenditure directed towards children and young people.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and ensuring that all children can access timely support that meets their health needs.We are delivering on the vision for neighbourhood health set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to babies, children, and young people. Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges so that children get support quickly, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the diverse needs of their local populations, including children. All ICBs in England are required to have an Executive Lead for Children and Young People, to ensure the interests of children are reflected in decision-making.ICB funding allocations were issued alongside the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, which set out targets to improve children’s experiences of the health system. The framework also states that National Health Service organisations should explicitly consider the needs of children and young people in integrated plans. The priorities set out in the framework should be reflected in ICBs’ spending plans for coming financial years. The framework can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its business rates policies on small hospitality businesses.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The Government is paying for this tax cut through higher rates on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. Large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants, will pay around £100m more in 2026/27, with this going directly to lower bills for in-person retail. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. The Call for Evidence, published at Budget, focuses on how reform of the business rates system can be used to incentivise and secure more investment by Britain’s businesses. This Call for Evidence builds on the findings of the Transforming Business Rates: Discussion Paper and asks stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions.

What information his Department holds on the number of people aged 16 to 24 who started employment in the hospitality sector in (a) October 2024, (b) April 2025 and (c) October 2025.

The Department does not hold this information. HMRC holds data on UK payrolled employment by age and industry and should be able to provide the information requested.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending support for adopted children up to the age of 25.

When a young person has an education, health and care plan, they are eligible for the adoption and special guardianship support fund up to the age of 25. This is on the basis that these young people are likely to be in the greatest longer-term need. Otherwise, young people are eligible up to the age of 21.