Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Table B.2 of Budget 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the Ministry of Justice’s capital budget from £2.3 billion in 2028-29 to £1.9 billion in 2029-30 on the delivery of new prison places; and what the projected prison population and operational capacity are for each year to 2029-30.

The Ministry of Justice's capital budget covers a range of capital projects, including prison supply, maintenance, fire safety works, digital and courts. We are delivering 14,000 additional prison places and aim to do so by 2031, as set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy. We have committed a further investment of £4.7 billion over the spending review period (26/27 to 29/30) to deliver these places. This remains unchanged following the Budget 2026.

The Ministry of Justice's Annual Statement on Prison Capacity 2025 sets out the latest published projections for prison population demand and supply. This is available at Annual Statement on Prison Capacity: 2025 - GOV.UK. The central projection for the adult prison population is 87,200 in November 2027, 89,700 in November 2028, and 91,700 in November 2029. The corresponding projected supply of places in the adult prison estate is 88,300, 90,900, and 95,100, respectively. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.