Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to increase prison capacity.

The Prime Minister has made clear his focus on tackling crime and recently announced an investment of up to £2.5 billion to transform the prison estate and provide 10,000 additional prison places.

The 10,000 places are additional to the 3,500 places already announced, with construction already underway at Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, a new houseblock at HMP Stocken in Rutland, which was opened in June, and works at Glen Parva in Leicestershire, due to commence next year.

Our recent Spending Review settlement provides the funding for the Ministry of Justice to begin delivering the 10,000 additional places, with outline planning permission approved in September for a new prison at Full Sutton in East Riding of Yorkshire.