Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has he made of the effectiveness of outsourcing maintenance works in prisons.

I refer the honorable member to the answers given to PQs 123262 and 123441 answered on 25 January 2018 regarding the effectiveness of prison maintenance services. An independent review of the service was undertaken in early 2017, which was used to support several improvement initiatives. We are currently working with our suppliers, including Gov Facility Services Limited, to continue the provision of prison maintenance services to ensure our prisons remain a safe, secure and decent environment.