Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent comparative assessment he has made of trends in the levels of violence in (a) public and (b) private prisons.

Public and private prisons are subject to the same performance monitoring of safety outcomes. Safety data is used in contract management, including as a contractual lever to address poor performance.

We are committed to a mixed market in custodial services. Private sector companies continue to have an important role to play in the justice system, bringing innovation and expertise.

There is evidence of good performance across the privately-run prison estate, and some outstanding performance in areas such as security, respect and preparation for release. Performance varies by prison and area of assessment.