Oral Answers to Questions

Pauline Latham Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

8. What steps the Government are taking to improve access for offenders to employment and literacy education.

[Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)]

12. What steps the Government are taking to improve access for offenders to employment and education.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Rory Stewart)]

We have been doing three things on education: first, we have been making sure that governors are empowered to bring in their own education providers; secondly, we have been setting minimum standards, particularly on English language learning; and thirdly, through the new futures network, we have been connecting people to jobs.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

It was a gentle exhortation, I would say.

[Mrs Latham]

Can the Minister say anything more about the steps the Government are taking further to empower governors to deliver effective education and training in prisons?

[Rory Stewart]

Yes. We have empowered governors by having in place a new procurement contract, which means that we in the Ministry are going to do the central procurement bureaucracy, but the governors will be able to choose who they use to train and educate the prisoners. I saw a good example in Altcourse Prison in Liverpool of how governors are also going to be able to choose which companies to pair with. The excellent work on metal welding that I saw in Altcourse will really contribute to those prisoners getting jobs in the community.