Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking in response to the Independent Monitoring Board report on HMP Parc.

I have written to the Chair of the Independent Monitoring Board to express my gratitude for their hard work and observations.

I was encouraged by the comments that HMP/YOI Parc remains a well-managed prison where prisoners are treated respectfully and their safety is of paramount importance. The new initiatives including the introduction of mental health pathways aimed at prioritising referrals and improving support, and the regular Healthcare Newsletter are to be applauded.

HMPPS has taken decisive action to combat the threat of drugs on prisons and has formed a Drugs Taskforce, working with law enforcement and health partners across government, to restrict supply, reduce demand and build recovery. The Taskforce is providing support across the estate but is focused on the prisons with the worst drug problems.

Locally at HMP/YOI Parc, a dedicated group of staff have been recruited to cover the visits CCTV and visitor searching; this has provided greater continuity of cover and has led to an improvement in the quality of searching. The prison continues to work closely with South Wales Police and other National Crime Agencies gathering intelligence in order to disrupt organised crime both within the prison and outside. G4S are also in the process of recruiting 35 new officers as part of the HMPPS Offender Management in Custody (OMIC) Model.

It is recognised that levels of violence remain too high, with a disproportionate percentage still taking place across the Youth Secure Estate. As the Board has observed, one factor which exacerbates this is the ever-changing population of challenging children and young people, many from further afield than the local catchment area. However, from July 2017 to June 2018, only 25.2% of placements into Parc YOI on average were young people who did not belong to Welsh or South Western Youth Offending teams.

A Behaviour Management Strategy is being developed, which aims to address risks and needs at the lowest possible level through early intervention and an initial universal approach, with increasing levels of intensity and specialisation based on individual need to prevent further deterioration in behaviour. In addition to this, HMP/YOI Parc is developing a Behaviour Management Strategy in conjunction with the University of South Wales and working with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales to embed the Rights of the Child into the Strategy.