Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, COVID-19 PPO Fatal Incident Investigations, published on 23 February 2021, what steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations of that report.

We will carefully consider the report’s findings, which are based on investigations into the first wave of Covid-19 related deaths in prisons, as we continue to review and learn from our response throughout the pandemic. We will carry on working hard to protect the lives of staff and prisoners and cut crime behind bars. All our actions have been informed by the advice of experts from PHE and will be kept under constant review.

While the reports highlights some areas where responses could be improved, we note that the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman acknowledges the care and compassion prisoners and family members received from prison and healthcare staff.