Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve mental health care for prisoners with IPP sentences.

We have agreement with our health partners to ensure that prisoners, including those serving a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP), have access to an equivalent standard, range and quality of health care in prisons to that available in the wider community. This includes access to a range of treatments and interventions within prison as set out in the national service specification for mental health care in prisons. We are also committed to improving services in prison to ensure that prisoners have access to timely and effective mental health care, tailored to their needs, as set out in our National Partnership Agreement with DHSC and NHS England.

More broadly, the Government remains determined to support the rehabilitation of IPP prisoners, through a refreshed IPP Action Plan, which we published on 17 July 2025. The Plan puts an important emphasis on effective frontline delivery in our prisons and the Probation Service, to ensure that those serving IPP sentences have robust and effective sentence plans and that they are in the location most appropriate to their needs. It also includes a commitment to explore ways to better identify and support IPP prisoners with mental health needs, ensuring they can access appropriate treatment and interventions as part of their sentence progression. The steps set out in the IPP Action Plan offer the most effective and responsible way to support the safe and sustainable release of those serving the sentence.