Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his Department's definition is of a satisfactory accommodation outcome for women released from prison.

The challenges facing women released from prison seeking accommodation are fully recognised. Our Prisons Strategy White Paper sets out our vision that no-one subject to probation supervision, including female offenders, is released from prison homeless.

To achieve this, HMPPS launched a new transitional accommodation service providing up to 12 weeks accommodation and support for those leaving prison at risk of homelessness. The service was initially launched last July in five probation areas in England. By 2024-5, we will spend £200m per year to reduce reoffending, including expanding the provision to support the thousands of people, male and female, across England and Wales who leave prison each year without accommodation. The service takes account of the needs of women with accommodation provision dedicated to single gender usage as required.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) launched their Accommodation for Ex-Offenders (AFEO) scheme on 28 July 2021 to support offenders at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Overall, this financial year, £13 million has been allocated to 87 schemes across 145 local authorities. Combined with our temporary accommodation service, this builds a pathway from prison to settled accommodation.