Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he plans to take to tackle innumeracy in prisons.

Since coming into office, I have received a large volume of correspondence and representations from individuals and organisations relating to education in prisons, much of which references both numeracy and literacy

We are committed to improving education in prisons including numeracy, this is why we have introduced mandatory assessment of Maths and English for all newly received prisoners.
The Secretary of State for Justice announced on 8th September a review of the quality of education in prisons, chaired by Dame Sally Coates. The review will examine the scope, quality and effectiveness of current provision. It will consider the scope and range of the current curricula and identify the most effective teaching and delivery models. Stakeholders are being consulted and a Call for Evidence has been issued. The review is expected to report in the spring of 2016. A copy of the terms of reference are lodged in the library of the House and at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-prison-education-terms-of-reference