Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases of covid-19 have been recorded among inmates at each prison in Wales in each month since 1 October 2021.

The information requested is provided in the attached spreadsheet.

We have well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks and infectious diseases. This means prisons and probation services are well prepared to take immediate action whenever cases or suspected cases are identified. These measures so far have included restricting regimes, minimising inter-prison transfers, compartmentalising our prisons into different units to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals, and introducing an extensive testing programme to test staff and prisoners.

The vaccination programme is managed by the NHS. In line with the community, prisoners have been vaccinated in order of priority based on the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) advice. We continue to support healthcare colleagues to vaccinate prisoners and to encourage prisoners to accept the offer of the vaccine. Our plans for easing re-introducing and restrictions in prisons and probation will be guided by public health advice alongside an operational assessment of what can be safely implemented, whilst ensuring we can keep staff and prisoners safe.