Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lewis Atkinson and Nicholas Dakin
Tuesday 11th March 2025

(4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nicholas Dakin Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Sir Nicholas Dakin)
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This Government inherited a prison system on the verge of collapse. Under the last Government, in 14 years only 500 prison places were produced. Under the last Labour Government, there was a net increase of 27,830 prison places in 13 years. We are redoubling our efforts to match that number.

Lewis Atkinson Portrait Lewis Atkinson
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The prison capacity crisis that this Government inherited has resulted in persistent offenders not feeling the deterrent effect of a custody option being realistically available. Can the Minister tell us how this Government’s prison building plans will restore a level of deterrence to the system and ensure that capacity is available in time to remove active offenders from the streets?

Nicholas Dakin Portrait Sir Nicholas Dakin
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Where they were blocking, we are building, building, building. HMP Millsike, the UK’s first all-electric prison, will open in just a few weeks and deliver 1,500 places. Just last week, the Prisons Minister in the other place attended a groundbreaking at HMP Highpoint, and we have already secured full planning permission for a new prison in Leicestershire and outline planning permission for a new prison in Buckinghamshire. We are getting on with the job.