Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to maximise the use of voluntary sector expertise within the new Prison Education Specification.

On 8 February, we published our invitation to tender to procure successor prison education contracts. We are empowering our governors, giving them the power to tailor education and training to the needs of their prisoners, including improving English and maths skills. The new contracts mean governors will choose which contractors to commission to provide this.

Alongside this framework, governors will be able to commission specialist providers to complement the main educational provision. We will engage widely with prospective providers to encourage them to consider participating in this new arrangement. We will ensure voluntary sector organisations are included in the engagement activity.