Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how the pilot temporary accommodation service for prison leavers will ensure vulnerable female prison leavers with complex needs (a) receive appropriate support from local services and (b) are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks emergency accommodation.

We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation for up to 12 weeks, giving them the foundation for a crime-free life. Launching in five of the 12 National Probation Service regions; East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West, Greater Manchester and Kent, Surrey and Sussex the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year. This service will be in operation during the next financial year 2021-22, with a view to rolling out nationally, and funding will be allocated according to the number of people we forecast being released homeless in each of the five areas, and will reflect the learning gathered from both the Covid-19 emergency scheme and the offender accommodation pilot.

The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs, and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. It is the responsibility of the Community Offender Manager, working together with local partners, to ensure vulnerable female prison leavers with complex needs receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks emergency accommodation. The temporary accommodation service provider will work with the Community Offender Manager to support the vulnerable female prison leaver move on into settled accommodation.