Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to children with a parent in prison.

We are working to improve our understanding of the impact that parental imprisonment can have on children’s wellbeing, outcomes and opportunities, where the gaps in support lie and what support is most effective in helping children thrive. We appreciate that support is currently inconsistent and that the needs of children and families are often hidden.

The government is delivering a joint programme between the Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice to improve how children with a parent in prison are recognised and supported. As part of its manifesto commitment, the government is testing new data-sharing and focused support pilots, through local authorities and effective multi-agency work, to help recognise children earlier, enable individualised and voluntary support for children and families, and build an evidence-based support model. This pilot programme is generating evidence to inform decisions about how this work should be developed to help achieve the best outcomes