Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of converting decommissioned prison facilities to (a) schools, (b) hospitals, (c) housing and (d) other public uses.

We are committed to exploring all options for prison build and the expansion and maintenance of the prison estate. Where facilities are not currently suitable or in use as part of the prison estate, we aim to work collaboratively with other Departments to establish a viable next step for the sites.

At this time, we have two decommissioned prison sites, HMP Camp Hill and HMP Blantyre House. A decision has not yet been made on the future of these sites.