Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the work of Official Prison Visitors; and if he will make a statement.

Official Prison Visitors (OPVs) help maintain important links between prisoners and the community by visiting and offering friendship. This is often, but not always, where prisoners have no other visitors.

OPVs are appointed locally by Governors, and Directors of contracted prisons, and their training is also a local matter. There are no plans to change this approach. It is open to OPVs to join the National Association of Official Prison Visitors, which is an independent organisation that promotes, maintains and supports Official Prison Visiting. It also helps to encourage and co-ordinate the work of OPVs both at local and national level.