Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the outbreak of covid-19, for what length of time his Department plans to delay prison visits.

As of 24 March, prisons in England and Wales are temporarily closed to visitors to enable us to ensure the safe and secure functioning of our prisons, while enforcing social distancing. These measures are part of the nationwide efforts to fight coronavirus and we will review the restrictions in line with updates to public health advice.

In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family and to ensure stability in our jails, the Government has moved quickly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members. This includes the provision of 900 locked mobile phones to establishments that do not yet have in-cell telephony.