Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to address increases in deaths by suicide among women in prison.

The figures for deaths in custody across the prison estate, including the increase in self-inflicted deaths among female prisoners, are extremely concerning

Our hard-working prison staff provide support to prisoners at risk of self-harm and suicide every day. All deaths in custody are fully investigated by the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and subject to a Coroner’s inquest, and we work hard to learn the lessons from these investigations

Safety in our prisons is fundamental to the proper functioning of our justice system and a vital part of our reform plans. We are determined to make sure our prisons are safe and are places of rehabilitation. The National Offender Management Service recently reviewed the operation of Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork processes, including in women’s prisons, and is implementing the recommendations as part of its suicide and self-harm reduction project.