Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the Prison Education Service on the future prospects of prisoners.

The Ministry of Justice and HMPPS are committed to improving the future prospects of prisoners through comprehensive education and skills provision. Last year, a new Prisoner Education Service was launched which is designed to improve the literacy, numeracy and wider skills of all prisoners who need it and support them to gain qualifications that will increase their employment prospects on release. New contracts include a strengthened specification for high-quality delivery, improved screening and assessment, clearer requirements for support for additional learning needs, and a new Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance service. These new contracts are underpinned by improved digital infrastructure, including the Learning & Work Progress Service and new screening and assessment tools which will help prisoners by reducing repeated assessments and ensuring that information about their progress follows them across the estate.

Education activities in each prison are planned by Heads of Education, Skills and Work who bring teaching expertise into prison leadership to ensure provision meets the needs of the local cohort. Prisoners can access a comprehensive curriculum including reading support, functional skills, digital skills, vocational and technical training, and opportunities to progress to higher-level learning. Governors can use the Dynamic Purchasing System to commission specialist provision that reflects local labour market needs and the requirements of their population. The Ministry of Justice is undertaking a full evaluation of the new Prisoner Education Service.