Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the Government's estimate of (a) baseline certified normal accommodation and (b) operational capacity in England and Wales following the completion of the new for old prison regeneration and building plan.

Following completion of the population build up at HMP Berwyn and delivery of a new houseblock at HMP Stocken, the capacity of the prison estate is currently forecast to remain stable at approximately 80,300 certified normal accommodation and 88,300 operational capacity from 2019 onwards.

The Government set out its ambition for a reformed prison estate in the November 2016 Prison Safety and Reform White Paper. Our reforms will close down ageing and ineffective prisons and replace them with buildings fit for today’s demands. The new prison estate will create the physical conditions for Governors to achieve better educational, training and rehabilitation outcomes.

The delivery dates for this programme have not yet been set, so the impact is not yet included in capacity forecasts.