Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the number of people supervised under post-licence in Wales in (a) March, (b) June, (c) September, and (d) December of 2025, by ethnic group.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The number of offenders supervised by the Probation Service in 2025 in Wales and England, by offence group and ethnic group, as well as the number of offenders under post-release supervision by the Probation Service in Wales by ethnic group, can be found in the attached spreadsheets.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) reasons for and (b) outcomes of complaints made through the new independent reporting channel in HMPPS were.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS’s) Independent Review, Resolution and Investigation Service (IRRIS), which supersedes the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU), was launched on 26 January 2026.
IRRIS continues to deliver all TUBU services: a helpline, mediation, investigation support and Climate Assessments. In addition, pending changes to HMPPS’s Grievance Policy, IRRIS operates an Interim Grievance Process.
The Interim Grievance Process, which operates in accordance with the current HMPPS Grievance Policy, was agreed with HMPPS’s recognised Trades Unions as a temporary measure to enable any member of HMPPS staff raising a bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation grievance to have their complaint handled by an independent decision maker, outside of their own management line.
TUBU and IRRIS led or supported 303 investigations in 2025-26. We are expanding IRRIS’s investigation capacity through role restructure and recruitment to enable the team to deliver the independent channel’s strengthened remit.
HMPPS is working closely with Ministry of Justice HR Policy colleagues to update its Grievance and Conduct & Discipline Polices to take account of the recommendations of the Rademaker Review. Those policies are close to being finalised and HMPPS will continue to run the interim grievance process until they are.
Based on management information available from our case management system, the total number of grievances received through the Interim Grievance Process since it began in November 2025 is 578. Of these, 387 were raised by prison staff and 170 by probation staff (including approved premises staff). The remaining 21 grievances were raised by headquarters staff. The concerns raised relate to harassment, discrimination, bullying and victimisation. Outcomes via the independent process include upheld, rejected and partially upheld decisions.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prison and (b) probation workers have made complaints through the new independent reporting channel in HMPPS.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS’s) Independent Review, Resolution and Investigation Service (IRRIS), which supersedes the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU), was launched on 26 January 2026.
IRRIS continues to deliver all TUBU services: a helpline, mediation, investigation support and Climate Assessments. In addition, pending changes to HMPPS’s Grievance Policy, IRRIS operates an Interim Grievance Process.
The Interim Grievance Process, which operates in accordance with the current HMPPS Grievance Policy, was agreed with HMPPS’s recognised Trades Unions as a temporary measure to enable any member of HMPPS staff raising a bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation grievance to have their complaint handled by an independent decision maker, outside of their own management line.
TUBU and IRRIS led or supported 303 investigations in 2025-26. We are expanding IRRIS’s investigation capacity through role restructure and recruitment to enable the team to deliver the independent channel’s strengthened remit.
HMPPS is working closely with Ministry of Justice HR Policy colleagues to update its Grievance and Conduct & Discipline Polices to take account of the recommendations of the Rademaker Review. Those policies are close to being finalised and HMPPS will continue to run the interim grievance process until they are.
Based on management information available from our case management system, the total number of grievances received through the Interim Grievance Process since it began in November 2025 is 578. Of these, 387 were raised by prison staff and 170 by probation staff (including approved premises staff). The remaining 21 grievances were raised by headquarters staff. The concerns raised relate to harassment, discrimination, bullying and victimisation. Outcomes via the independent process include upheld, rejected and partially upheld decisions.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress he has made on the new independent reporting channel in HMPPS.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS’s) Independent Review, Resolution and Investigation Service (IRRIS), which supersedes the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU), was launched on 26 January 2026.
IRRIS continues to deliver all TUBU services: a helpline, mediation, investigation support and Climate Assessments. In addition, pending changes to HMPPS’s Grievance Policy, IRRIS operates an Interim Grievance Process.
The Interim Grievance Process, which operates in accordance with the current HMPPS Grievance Policy, was agreed with HMPPS’s recognised Trades Unions as a temporary measure to enable any member of HMPPS staff raising a bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation grievance to have their complaint handled by an independent decision maker, outside of their own management line.
TUBU and IRRIS led or supported 303 investigations in 2025-26. We are expanding IRRIS’s investigation capacity through role restructure and recruitment to enable the team to deliver the independent channel’s strengthened remit.
HMPPS is working closely with Ministry of Justice HR Policy colleagues to update its Grievance and Conduct & Discipline Polices to take account of the recommendations of the Rademaker Review. Those policies are close to being finalised and HMPPS will continue to run the interim grievance process until they are.
Based on management information available from our case management system, the total number of grievances received through the Interim Grievance Process since it began in November 2025 is 578. Of these, 387 were raised by prison staff and 170 by probation staff (including approved premises staff). The remaining 21 grievances were raised by headquarters staff. The concerns raised relate to harassment, discrimination, bullying and victimisation. Outcomes via the independent process include upheld, rejected and partially upheld decisions.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department have to consult with young women and specialist women and girls’ organisations on the development of the Young Women's Strategy as recommended by the Women's Justice Board.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Women’s Justice Board report, published on 16 March 2026, sets out independent recommendations to reduce the number of women in prison, including a recommendation to develop a Young Women’s Strategy. The Government is carefully considering the report’s recommendations and how best to deliver reform in this area.
The Government has also established the Girls in Youth Justice Advisory Board, which is an independent advisory group focused on improving policy, practice and outcomes for girls who are under 18 in contact with the youth justice system.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the Women’s Justice Board’s recommendation to develop a Young Women’s Strategy including a focus on young women who have experienced VAWG.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Women’s Justice Board report, published on 16 March 2026, sets out independent recommendations to reduce the number of women in prison, including a recommendation to develop a Young Women’s Strategy. The Government is carefully considering the report’s recommendations and how best to deliver reform in this area.
The Government has also established the Girls in Youth Justice Advisory Board, which is an independent advisory group focused on improving policy, practice and outcomes for girls who are under 18 in contact with the youth justice system.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans does his Department have to develop a Young Women’s Strategy as recommended by the Women’s Justice Board’s report.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Women’s Justice Board report, published on 16 March 2026, sets out independent recommendations to reduce the number of women in prison, including a recommendation to develop a Young Women’s Strategy. The Government is carefully considering the report’s recommendations and how best to deliver reform in this area.
The Government has also established the Girls in Youth Justice Advisory Board, which is an independent advisory group focused on improving policy, practice and outcomes for girls who are under 18 in contact with the youth justice system.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Women’s Justice Board recommendations for reducing women’s imprisonment, published on 16 March 2026, what steps he is taking to establish a residential women’s centre in Wales.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Women’s Justice Board report, published on 16 March 2026, sets out independent recommendations, which the Government is now carefully considering.
We are continuing to consider how the Residential Women’s Centre in Swansea could be delivered.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) reasons for and (b) outcomes of complaints made through the new independent reporting channel in HMPPS were since its establishment.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The new independent reporting channel may consider allegations of bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment or assault, or cases where serious safeguarding concerns are raised. Complaints may be upheld, partially upheld or not upheld, or mediation between parties may be recommended.
A number of cases are still being investigated. As we are still in the process of putting in place a system for analysing data relating to complaints made through the new reporting channel, it is not possible to provide the requested information at this stage.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prison and (b) probation workers have made complaints through the new independent reporting channel in HMPPS.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
On 10 November 2025, as part of the work to implement the reforms recommended in the Rademaker Review, His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) instituted an interim grievance process through which members of staff can raise complaints about bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation outside of their management line. This complements the existing grievance policy. For the period up to 26 February 2026, 5 complaints were received from staff working in Headquarters, 79 from probation staff and 188 from prison staff.
On 26 January 2026, a new Independent Review, Resolution and Investigations Service (IRRIS) was launched in HMPPS, subsuming the work of the former Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit (TUBU). IRRIS will provide a fully independent route for bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation complaints within HMPPS, operating entirely outside line management structures. It will build upon TUBU’s strong work over the last five years, continuing to provide all the existing TUBU services while significantly enhancing its role.