Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference his oral statement of 16 October 2023 on Prison Capacity, Official Report, columns 59-60, what steps his Department plans to take monitor the reoffending rates of offenders who (a) are released early from custodial sentences and (b) receive non-custodial sentences.

This Government is driving down reoffending by investing in a wide range of rehabilitative interventions to help prison leavers secure accommodation, employment, and substance misuse treatment on release. The overall proven reoffending rate for England and Wales was 24.4% in 2020/21, down from 31.6% in 2010/11.

The Ministry of Justice will continue to publish quarterly proven reoffending rates, including breakdowns by non-custodial sentences. For those moved onto licence conditions before their automatic release point, robust licence conditions will apply in every case, with offenders supervised by probation officers. Breach of these licence conditions can result in recall.