Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his speech to the Royal Society of Arts on 6 March 2018, how much of the £14m investment to tackle serious and organised crime in prisons, will be spent on (a) establishing teams within prisons and (b) the National Crime Agency.

Answer (Rory Stewart)

We are committed to making sure that prisons are safe, decent and support rehabilitation. That is why we have invested £14m to tackle serious and organised crime, which impacts on the community and is one of the major root causes of instability in prisons.

£3m will fund the Serious Organised Crime Unit, made up of a national unit and regional teams that will relentlessly undermine and disrupt serious and organised crime by providing support to local prisons and probation teams, and working closely with law enforcement.

£3m will fund the National Intelligence Unit, which is already in place, working through regional teams and with law enforcement. Through better use of intelligence about the risks presented to prison security and public protection by Serious and Organised Crime Groups, HMPPS will deliver proactive, targeted and robust operational responses.

Over £8m will be invested locally to allow more analysis of local intelligence, which can support intelligence led tactical searching to address identified risks and threats.

We are also working closely with law enforcement partners, including the National Crime Agency, whose funding is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. Through this work we can deliver a robust joint response to those serious and organised criminals operating in prisons.