Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to review the level of compliance with prison service instructions on prisoner escort.

The instructions on the external escort of prisoners is set out in Prison Service Instruction 33/2015. This provides comprehensive security procedures to be applied when a prisoner is to be escorted outside the establishment. These procedures are subject to local monitoring and approval. In addition to this, all security compliance is monitored through a central programme of audit and assurance. All serious breaches of security during escort (including prisoner escape) are investigated, and any resulting recommendations carefully considered.

Prisoners are only moved outside the security of the prison when necessary and where the purpose of the escort cannot be met within the prison. The overwhelming majority of escorts pass without incident.