Rebecca Paul MP: written questions
4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026
How these years work
Our reporting years run from 4 July to 3 July, starting with the 2024 general election. They are not official parliamentary sessions. Office costs keep IPSA’s April–March financial years. Records may cover only part of a year; a missing record does not mean no work was done.
Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.
32 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Offences against Children: Convictions and ProsecutionsMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7027More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for sexual offences committed in nursery, pre-school or other early years settings, broken down by (i) sex of the offender, (ii) offence type and (iii) a
Answer: This Government is resolutely committed to delivering meaningful change for victims of child sexual abuse and will do everything in its power to prevent the horrors of these appalling crimes. Cases of such abuse committed in nurseries and early years sett...
Answered 11 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisons: ConstructionMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 5027More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the impact of delays to prison construction projects on the delivery of the Government’s target of 14,000 additional prison places by 2031.
Answer: Following the collapse of ISG Construction Limited, the Ministry of Justice activated contingency plans for affected projects. We remain committed to continuing the prison build programmes and to continuing to invest in prison maintenance so that existing...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisons: ConstructionMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 5026More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for each prison construction project affected by the administration of ISG Construction and related contractors, what the expected completion date was before those administrations; and what the latest expected co
Answer: Following the collapse of ISG Construction Limited, the Ministry of Justice activated contingency plans for affected projects. We remain committed to continuing the prison build programmes and to continuing to invest in prison maintenance so that existing...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisons: ConstructionMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 5025More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for each prison construction project affected by the administration of ISG Construction and related contractors, whether a replacement contractor has been appointed and what the expected date is for construction
Answer: Following the collapse of ISG Construction Limited, the Ministry of Justice activated contingency plans for affected projects. We remain committed to continuing the prison build programmes and to continuing to invest in prison maintenance so that existing...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisons: ConstructionMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 5024More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prison construction projects have been delayed as a result of the administration of ISG Construction and related contractors.
Answer: Following the collapse of ISG Construction Limited, the Ministry of Justice activated contingency plans for affected projects. We remain committed to continuing the prison build programmes and to continuing to invest in prison maintenance so that existing...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSuicide: ChildrenMinistry of JusticeTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110252More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what consideration his Department has given to the potential merits of allowing inquests into the death of a child by suicide to be conducted in private.
Answer: As I confirmed in my response the Honourable Member’s question on this issue on 23 July 2025 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament), the Government is committed to putting the bereaved at the heart of t...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Transgender PeopleMinistry of JusticeTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110251More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many biologically male prisoners were held in E Wing of HMP Downview as at 1st February 2026.
Answer: As of 1 February 2026, seven biologically male prisoners were being held on E Wing.
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDebt Respite SchemeMinistry of JusticeTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96329More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department provides to county courts on (a) the verification of documents submitted in support of Mental Health Breathing Space applications and (b) instances in which concerns have been raised
Answer: When a Breathing Space is cancelled, the creditor will be automatically notified by the Insolvency Service. They should provide a copy of this notification to the county court when they apply for any further enforcement action.The decision on whether some...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordDebt Respite SchemeMinistry of JusticeTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96328More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that county courts update their records to reflect the cancellation of Breathing Space certifications.
Answer: When a Breathing Space is cancelled, the creditor will be automatically notified by the Insolvency Service. They should provide a copy of this notification to the county court when they apply for any further enforcement action.The decision on whether some...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Transgender PeopleMinistry of JusticeTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92334More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many transgender young people are currently held in mixed gender settings within the Children and Young People Estate at HMP & YOI Downview.
Answer: HMP & YOI Downview is not part of the Children and Young People Estate. No children or young people are accommodated there.
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Sexual OffencesMinistry of JusticeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91837More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sexual assaults of female prisoners by biologically male prisoners took place in HMP Downview in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (c) 2018 and (d) 2019.
Answer: There were no recorded sexual assaults of female prisoners by biologically male prisoners at HMP & YOI Downview, during the specified periods.
Answered 20 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisoners: Transgender PeopleMinistry of JusticeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91829More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what decisions his Department has made on the (a) scope and (b) timeline of the review of transgender prisoner policy following the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.
Answer: We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy following the For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling. Alongside this, the Office for Equality and Opportunity is currently reviewing the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s draft updated Code of Practice on...
Answered 20 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordYoung Offender Institutions: Transgender PeopleMinistry of JusticeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91828More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what criteria his Department uses to determine placement of transgender young people within the Children and Young People's Estate.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 November 2025 to Question 85613.
Answered 20 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI DownviewMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 8 of the Independent Monitoring Board's report entitled Annual report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Downview, published on 3 September 2025, when he plans to respond to the
Answer: My noble friend Lord Timpson wrote to the Chair of the IMB on 27 October 2025, setting out the Ministry of Justice’s response to the report. It can be accessed at: Downview 2024-25 annual report - ministerial response - Independent Monitoring Boards.
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons and Young Offender Institutions: Transgender PeopleMinistry of JusticeTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85613More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Independent Monitoring Board's report entitled Annual report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Downview, published on 3 September 2025, what steps he is taking to safeguard biol
Answer: Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP & YOI Downview. They may only access the regime of the wider prison if risk assessed as being safe to do so, and under the supervision of prison staff.Transgender prisoners at all pri...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Sexual OffencesMinistry of JusticeTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on whether any female prisoners held at HMP Downview have been sexually assaulted by biological male prisoners.
Answer: Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP & YOI Downview. They may only access the regime of the wider prison if risk assessed as being safe to do so, and under the supervision of prison staff.Transgender prisoners at all pri...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Sexual OffencesMinistry of JusticeTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sexual assaults of female prisoners by biological male prisoners have taken place in HMP Downview in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answer: Prisoners on E Wing are held separately from other prisoners at HMP & YOI Downview. They may only access the regime of the wider prison if risk assessed as being safe to do so, and under the supervision of prison staff.Transgender prisoners at all pri...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisoners: Transgender PeopleMinistry of JusticeTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the HMPPS Offender Equalities Annual Report 2022-2023, published on 30 November 2023, how many of the 225 transgender prisoners who reported their legal gender as male were convicted of a sexual
Answer: Of the 225 transgender prisoners who reported their legal gender as male, 126 had been convicted of a sexual offence: this includes both contact and non-contact sexual offences. Offence data were not available for ten individuals.HMPPS’s allocation policy...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Prisoner EscapesMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82591More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of staff training and management at HMP Downview, in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.
Answer: There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.The Prison Group Director has commissioned an invest...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Prisoner EscapesMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82590More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the security breach in October 2025 involving an unauthorised prisoner departure at HMP Downview involved a prisoner housed in the prison’s E Wing.
Answer: The incident referred to did not involve a prisoner on E Wing, and does not affect the management of the unit.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Prisoner EscapesMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82589More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of whether HMP Downview is capable of effectively keeping the female prisoners safe from the biological male prisoners sharing the same facilities and services, in the cont
Answer: The incident referred to did not involve a prisoner on E Wing, and does not affect the management of the unit.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Prisoner EscapesMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82588More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will take steps to review systems of prisoner management in place at HMP Downview in the context of the security breach involving an unauthorised prisoner departure in October 2025.
Answer: There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.The Prison Group Director has commissioned an invest...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: Prisoner EscapesMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82587More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions in the last 24 months have prisoners at HMP Downview left the secure perimeter without formal authorisation.
Answer: There has been one instance in the last 24 months of a prisoner at HMP/YOI Downview leaving the secure perimeter without formal authorisation. Swift action was taken by other staff to correct the breach.The Prison Group Director has commissioned an invest...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI DownviewMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72906More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62454 on HMP/YOI Downview, whether E Wing at HMP Downview is part of the women's estate.
Answer: As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate unde...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP/YOI Downview: CostsMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72902More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the annual cost to the public purse is of housing a prisoner in (a) E Wing of HMP Downview and (b) the general women's estate within HMP Downview.
Answer: As of 1 August 2025, five biologically male prisoners were held at HMP/YOI Downview. All were accommodated on E Wing. Since 4 July 2024, seven prisoners have been placed in the unit. No prisoners have moved from E Wing into the general women's estate unde...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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