Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 904751, what steps he is taking to make whistleblowing a (a) safe and (b) meaningful exercise for all prison staff.

The existing Ministry of Justice (MoJ) whistleblowing policy is currently being reviewed by the MoJ HR Policy team. The changes being looked at are primarily extra resources and language changes to further encourage individuals to raise any concerns. We are aiming to conclude this and launch the new policy in the Autumn.

Any Ministry of Justice employee who raises a concern using the Whistleblowing policy will be supported and will not suffer any unfair or negative treatment as a result. Where a protected disclosure is made the individual also has a legal entitlement to protection. All concerns raised in good faith will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, sensitively and as quickly as possible.

Any disclosures made under the MoJ whistleblowing procedure will be treated in a sensitive manner. Details of individuals will only be shared with those who need to know, in order to investigate and progress the matter.