Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Berwyn, published on 28 September 2021, what steps he is taking to ensure that remedial work to serious paint defects and ineffective heating systems is carried out in a timely manner; and when he expects that those defects will be resolved.

A trial recently began in three cells at the prison to test different types and specification of paint. The pilot, which will run until April 2022, will identify the best solution to resolve the defective paint issues which will then be used to decorate the rest of the accommodation blocks.

Exploratory works have begun to look at the existing distribution system and work on the distribution pipework system will commence in January 2022 and is expected to be completed by the end of August 2022.

The CHP system is running effectively and being switched off during evening hours to ensure there is no over capacity in the system. We will shortly be making an application to connect the CHP boilers to the national grid so that they are able to run correctly with excess power to be exported to the grid when required. Approval is anticipated early in the New Year.