Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report of the Independent Monitoring Report published in June 2020, if he will provide the financial and other resources required to improve the accommodation at HMP Lewes to a decent standard.

HMPPS and the Governor of HMP Lewes are committed to making improvements to accommodation standards at the prison.

At HMP Lewes, around £188,000 has been allocated to the plastering of cells in the healthcare wing and around £150,000 has been committed for shower refurbishments on A and K wings levels two and three.

As was noted in the Independent Monitoring Board report improvements have already been made to the decoration of cells, doors, railings and walls. This was considered to be ‘a very considerable improvement’ by the Board.

In addition, trained prisoners now work on every residential unit to keep landings decorated, and to repaint vacant cells or those cells highlighted as requiring improvements.

To tackle cleanliness issues the use of cleaning products has been reviewed, and additional items such as descaling agent, steam cleaners, pressure washers and wet-vacs been ordered to for use in landings, cells, serveries and showers. Significant efforts are being made across all residential units during 2019, including the introduction of daily cleanliness checks by the Heads of Residence and decency checks carried out by the whole Senior Leadership Team, with a focus on décor, graffiti, cleanliness, equipment and facilities. Funds have been allocated for the deep clean completed in December 2019 to be repeated annually.

Cleanliness remains a particularly key focus in responding to the Covid-19 outbreak, but is limited due to social distancing requirements. Serveries and showers are cleaned before and after use to minimise the spread of infection, and all door handles, handrails, and commonly touched areas are cleaned throughout the day.

In regard to the Board’s comments on damage to cells or lack of prisoner equipment, any issues are logged and reported to the facilities management provider and repairs are tracked. These are reported to the Governor and senior managers on a daily basis. This includes issues with a lack of furniture, and orders are placed regularly to try to maintain sufficient stock levels to deal with damage or wear and tear to in-cell furniture.