Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Selous and Seema Kennedy

Tuesday 18th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Seema Kennedy]

I have set out to the hon. Member for Sheffield Central (Paul Blomfield) the measures we have taken. Through the childhood obesity trailblazer programme, we are working with local authorities—I am hoping to visit one in Blackburn later this week—that want to see how they can use their powers to best effect, doing things such as limiting new fast-food outlets. We have spent billions of pounds over the past five years. The public health grant will be subject to the spending review.

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

Given that 46% of food and drink advertising is spent on unhealthy food—and unhealthy foods are three times cheaper than healthy food—will the Minister follow in the footsteps of her predecessor, and go to the Netherlands to look at the Marqt supermarket, which has 16 stores around Amsterdam and does not market any unhealthy food to children? It is a profitable business and a model for our supermarkets, so will she go and look at it?

[Seema Kennedy]

I thank my hon. Friend for his interest in this area. The Amsterdam model has been very successful, but it is not just about food—it is about place and culture. I would hope to be able to visit the model very shortly.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Selous and Seema Kennedy

Tuesday 14th June 2016 Commons Chamber

[Seema Kennedy (South Ribble) (Con)]

17. What steps his Department is taking to improve education in prisons.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Andrew Selous)]

We want prisons to be places of rigorous education and high ambition. Dame Sally Coates’s review “Unlocking potential” was published last month, and we have accepted all its recommendations in principle. We will be giving control of education budgets to prison governors, so that they can choose their education providers and hold them to account for the service that they give.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Selous]

Again, my hon. Friend is absolutely right. Giving prisoners a second chance to learn to read, become more numerate and get the skills to hold down a job is central to rehabilitation.

[Seema Kennedy]

What plans are there to enhance the educational programmes at Garth and Wymott prisons in my constituency?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Selous and Seema Kennedy

Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Andrew Selous)]

Providing prisoners with employment is an important factor in preventing reoffending. In the Employers Forum for Reducing Reoffending, we have around 200 employers who are positive about employing ex-offenders. Working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, we are developing plans to increase the involvement of businesses locally and nationally, and community rehabilitation companies should play an important role in making those links with businesses locally to help ex-offenders to get jobs.

[Seema Kennedy]

My constituent Renee Blow, who volunteered with offenders for 15 years, emphasises that education is the most important part of rehabilitation. Does the Minister agree that making poorly educated offenders literate and numerate makes them more employable?

[Andrew Selous]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I thank and commend her constituent for volunteering in her local prison for 15 years. Her point is absolutely correct: we need good numeracy and literacy, and a good level of qualifications that employers respect and value.