Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of self-inflicted deaths of prisoners in HMP Wandsworth.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners.
HMP Wandsworth entered the HMPPS cluster death support process in 2023, and a task force chaired by the Prison Group Director for London has been overseeing the implementation of an action plan to address the issues arising from self-inflicted deaths. Ligature-resistant cells have been provided to Wandsworth as part of this process, among other actions including strengthening the local safety team and increasing the number of Samaritans trained Listeners who provide emotional support to fellow prisoners.
Each death is the subject of an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) and a Coroner's inquest, and action is being taken to address the findings and recommendations from these investigations to help improve safety outcomes at Wandsworth.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the procedures of the Prisoner Escort and Custodial Service at HMP Wandsworth on prisoners' (a) mental and (b) physical health.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The PECS (Prisoner Escort and Custody Services) contract management team scrutinises supplier performance, ensures adherence to all applicable HMPPS policies, and assures that the care, welfare, and decency of prisoners in PECS custody is at the very core of service delivery. This commitment is further reinforced through the quarterly Welfare Partnership Board meetings, where all key stakeholders convene to collaboratively review welfare standards, share insights, and drive continuous improvement across the service.
Before any transfer, prisoners are medically assessed and cleared for travel by HM Prison healthcare professionals, ensuring they are fit for the journey.
Additionally, Enhanced Court Healthcare services delivered through the PECS contract offer timely medical assessments and interventions to support PECS supplier teams. These services, provided by paramedics and doctors either virtually or in person, ensure that any emerging health concerns during attendance at court are promptly addressed.
Collaboration with HMCTS Liaison and Diversion teams at court also provides support for individuals with vulnerabilities such as mental health conditions or learning disabilities.
Contractual delivery to HMP Wandsworth over the past three months has exceeded performance targets for timely delivery from court.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of prisoner phone call charges included in current contracts for HMP Wandsworth on prisoners..
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government is aware of the importance of allowing prisoners to maintain contact with family and other positive relationships, and the positive influence this can have on their wellbeing and rehabilitation. Provision of in-cell telephony is one of several ways that we enable that contact to take place and we aim to make this affordable for prisoners.
We have negotiated a 20% reduction in call costs to all UK landline and UK mobile numbers which came into effect from 1 April 2025, which will make communication more affordable.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of healthcare provision in HMP Wandsworth.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Healthcare services at HMP Wandsworth underwent inspection, jointly undertaken by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and the Care Quality Commission, in May 2024. The joint inspectorate noted that improvements had been made across the provision of healthcare since the last inspection. The full report is available at the following link:
https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_reports/hmp-wandsworth-3/
NHS England continues to monitor service provision and the quality of the healthcare service, meeting with the healthcare provider on a quarterly basis to discuss quality and assurance matters. Quality and assurance visits to the service are also taking place, attended by the Lead Commissioner and Clinical Quality Lead.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the correspondence of 12 and 26 September 2024 from the Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending to the hon Member for Tooting on HMP Wandsworth, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of installing protective netting in HMP Wandsworth to prevent drone incursions.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Additional netting is one of a number of measures that HMP Wandsworth is seeking to progress in the coming months, in order to address the shortcomings that have been identified by HM Inspectorate of Prisons
HM Prison & Probation Service is continuing to work collaboratively with the Metropolitan Police to ensure appropriate sharing of intelligence to support the apprehension of those involved in drone use.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her planned timetable is to publish her Department's response to the Chief Inspector of Prison's Urgent Notification letter of 8 May 2024 on HMP Wandsworth.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons’ findings at HMP Wandsworth are deeply concerning. My right Hon. Friend, the Lord Chancellor, is determined to drive improvement at the prison and will publish her response to the Urgent Notification as soon as possible.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the secondment of police officers to cover shifts in Wandsworth Prison in the last 30 days.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
No police officers have been seconded to cover shifts in HMP Wandsworth in the last 30 days.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of cell fires there have been in HMP Wandsworth in each year since 2010.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The number of fire incidents at HMP Wandsworth in each year since 2015 are shown in the table below. Information on fire incidents before 2015 is not available, because the records have been destroyed in line with our retention policy.
HMP Wandsworth Fire Incidents | ||
Calendar Year | Fires |
|
2015 | 53 |
|
2016 | 66 |
|
2017 | 105 |
|
2018 | 36 |
|
2019 | 45 |
|
2020 | 47 |
|
2021 | 52 |
|
2022 | 103 |
|
2023 | 78 |
|
The overwhelming majority of the cell fires were considered ‘minor’ and quickly dealt with by staff, and medical assessment is provided for anyone who may have been exposed to smoke or heat. Since 2015, in most years 100% of the fires were considered as minor, and in all years over 95% were considered as minor. Where it is found that a fire is the result of arson, or of recklessness, the prisoner responsible will face robust punitive action, which can include further criminal charges.
All operational staff receive Respiratory Protective Equipment training. Prison officers receive it as part of their Prison Officer Entry Level Training.
To promote staff awareness and proficiency, the Governor of HMP Wandsworth has arranged for an additional refresher training session to be delivered each week.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the percentage of prison officers at HMP Wandsworth trained in the use of respiratory protective equipment.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The number of fire incidents at HMP Wandsworth in each year since 2015 are shown in the table below. Information on fire incidents before 2015 is not available, because the records have been destroyed in line with our retention policy.
HMP Wandsworth Fire Incidents | ||
Calendar Year | Fires |
|
2015 | 53 |
|
2016 | 66 |
|
2017 | 105 |
|
2018 | 36 |
|
2019 | 45 |
|
2020 | 47 |
|
2021 | 52 |
|
2022 | 103 |
|
2023 | 78 |
|
The overwhelming majority of the cell fires were considered ‘minor’ and quickly dealt with by staff, and medical assessment is provided for anyone who may have been exposed to smoke or heat. Since 2015, in most years 100% of the fires were considered as minor, and in all years over 95% were considered as minor. Where it is found that a fire is the result of arson, or of recklessness, the prisoner responsible will face robust punitive action, which can include further criminal charges.
All operational staff receive Respiratory Protective Equipment training. Prison officers receive it as part of their Prison Officer Entry Level Training.
To promote staff awareness and proficiency, the Governor of HMP Wandsworth has arranged for an additional refresher training session to be delivered each week.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what percentage of prison officers have received respiratory protective equipment training at HMP Wandsworth.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The number of fire incidents at HMP Wandsworth in each year since 2015 are shown in the table below. Information on fire incidents before 2015 is not available, because the records have been destroyed in line with our retention policy.
HMP Wandsworth Fire Incidents | ||
Calendar Year | Fires |
|
2015 | 53 |
|
2016 | 66 |
|
2017 | 105 |
|
2018 | 36 |
|
2019 | 45 |
|
2020 | 47 |
|
2021 | 52 |
|
2022 | 103 |
|
2023 | 78 |
|
The overwhelming majority of the cell fires were considered ‘minor’ and quickly dealt with by staff, and medical assessment is provided for anyone who may have been exposed to smoke or heat. Since 2015, in most years 100% of the fires were considered as minor, and in all years over 95% were considered as minor. Where it is found that a fire is the result of arson, or of recklessness, the prisoner responsible will face robust punitive action, which can include further criminal charges.
All operational staff receive Respiratory Protective Equipment training. Prison officers receive it as part of their Prison Officer Entry Level Training.
To promote staff awareness and proficiency, the Governor of HMP Wandsworth has arranged for an additional refresher training session to be delivered each week.