Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the impact of the use of short custodial prison sentences on people's ability to maintain tenancies and housing.

We are clear that sentencing must match the severity of a crime, and public protection is our priority. Sentencers should therefore have the option of imposing a short custodial sentence, where appropriate and necessary. However, custody should always be a last resort. If we are able to break the cycle of reoffending, solutions will often lie in robust and effective community sentences, which we are legislating to strengthen.

On arrival in custody, urgent housing needs are identified and support provided to maintain a tenancy or other housing, where appropriate and possible.

For individuals in custody for short periods of time it is possible to continue to receive the housing element of Universal Credit for up to six months if they are expected to spend less than six months in prison and were receiving the housing element prior to entering custody. If receiving Housing Benefit rather than Universal Credit, payments may continue if an individual is held on remand in custody for less than 52 weeks, or likely to be in prison for less than 13 weeks (sentenced or remand).