Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the impact of safer custody teams on (a) mental health support in prisons and (b) the welfare of prisoners.

We have a continued commitment to ensure that the safety of staff and prisoners is a priority. Each prison has a safer custody team that takes the lead on implementing safer custody policy and plays a major role in positively promoting the welfare of prisoners, but this is also the responsibility of every member of staff within the prison. Safer custody teams vary between prisons according to the function, population and size of the prison. The teams have responsibilities including analysing data on violence and self-harm, responding to investigations into deaths in custody and implementing or disseminating learning from them, and supervising peer support schemes. They also have oversight of the key systems for managing safety risks, including the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork process for those at risk of self-harm and suicide and the Challenge, Support and Intervention Plan for those at risk of violence.

Mental health is a priority for this Government and we recognise that providing the right support and treatment at the right time is vital to improving outcomes for people in the criminal justice system. All prisoners have access to a range of mental health services which are commissioned by NHS England. Together, we are committed to ensuring that people in prison have access to an equivalent standard of health care as is available for people in the community.