Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the press release of 20 July 2021, Lord Chancellor sets out reform vision for justice, what steps he has taken to consult criminal justice sector organisations in relation to a forthcoming prisons white paper; and what further consultation he plans to undertake (a) in advance of and (b) following the publication of that white paper.

In July 2021 we announced our intention to publish a Prisons White Paper before the end of the year. Officials in MoJ and HMPPS led roundtables in July with criminal justice sector organisations to seek views on future reforms to the prison system, and stakeholders were invited to provide written feedback following the roundtables. A Ministerial roundtable chaired by the Minister for Prisons was held in November on potential policy proposals for the White Paper.

We are committed to continued stakeholder engagement. The White Paper includes consultation questions inviting views from stakeholders to which we will issue a response. We will also hold additional engagement with criminal justice sector organisations following publication.