Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2025 to Question 34243, Prisons: Education, whether her Department has made any assurances to private-sector providers of prison education in the event that applications to relevant public-sector pension schemes to seek admitted body status as a result of new Prison Education Service contracts are unsuccessful.

The Department has not made any such assurances to private-sector providers of prison education. Instead, as the scheme employer, the Department works collaboratively with suppliers to assist in the completion of their Admissions Agreement(s) to the appropriate pension fund. Furthermore, the Department provides a scheme guarantee from the Secretary of State in the Admissions Agreement.