Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of people who were in employment six months after they have been released from prison in the last twelve months.

I am pleased to say that the proportion of prisoners released from custody who were employed at six months from their release has increased by nearly a third between April 2022 and March 2023, from 23.2% to over 30.4%.

We are determined to increase the number of prison leavers securing employment on release to cut their chances of reoffending and so we can keep the public safe.

We are offering more offenders the chance to work in prison and on release from custody, supported by our new, dedicated Prison Employment Leads, who are now in post at 92 prisons including all resettlement prisons.

They provide case-level employment support and match prisoners to roles on release and head up our new Employment Hubs where prisoners can access support with job applications and CVs.

We are building stronger links with employers, including through our prison Employment Advisory Boards which are chaired by local business leaders. They will provide challenge and advice on how to align the skills delivered in prisons with labour market demand, with Chairs now appointed in 92 prisons.

Data on the number and proportion of people in employment after release from prison is published regularly and can be found on the Gov website at Employment Rates following Release from Custody - Ad Hoc - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).