Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications the board of the Prison and Probation Ombudsman received during its last intake.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman does not have a publicly appointed Board. The Ombudsman is the only public appointee. The current Ombudsman, Nigel Newcomen, was appointed in September 2011 for a period of five years. His tenure has been extended until July 2017 and the recruitment process for his successor is underway. An Advisory Assessment Panel will assess candidates and then ministers will put forward a preferred candidate for pre-appointment scrutiny by the Justice Select Committee prior to announcement.