Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lucy Frazer and Henry Smith

Tuesday 3rd November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s question, but I would like to challenge her position, because we already have an action plan. We have had the roll-out of a national framework to position 3—many prisons are already operating that. It rolls out the lifting of a number of restrictions, so that we have increased social visits across the estate, as well as offender management and a number of other measures. We are, of course, now reassessing the position and we will be having an action plan, following the imposition of further national restrictions on Thursday.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

What steps he is taking to improve the capability of prisons to test for the use of illicit substances among prisoners.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lucy Frazer)]

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the impact of drugs in our prisons, because there is a link between drugs and violence and assaults. That is why we in Government are supporting the Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill, promoted by my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Dame Cheryl Gillan). The Bill had its Second Reading last month and will ensure that we can extend the range of substances that can be tested automatically, so that we can respond quicker to new formulations of psychoactive substances.

[Henry Smith [V]]

I am grateful for that answer. What support can be provided for prisoners to ensure that they can recover permanently from drugs misuse?

[Lucy Frazer]

We are taking a number of approaches, of which I shall name just one: the rolling out of the NHS Reconnect service, which ensures that those having treatment in prisons can continue that treatment when they go into the community on release. The service includes assistance in making referrals and also provides peer mentoring services. It will ensure that, as my hon. Friend said, offenders permanently stay off drugs on their release.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lucy Frazer and Henry Smith

Tuesday 13th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

Domestic violence is a huge issue on which the Government have taken several steps, including by widening the scope of abuse that is caught by the law on coercive control and by the requirements for legal aid. I am pleased to have met the hon. Lady already to discuss the issue that she mentions, and we are looking into it.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

3. What progress his Department has made on recruiting 2,500 prison officers.