Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2021 to Question 77407 on Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients: Coronavirus, what his timetable is for the work underway to explore (a) the use of prison as a place of safety, (b) whether it is used solely in respect of concerns over mental health, or in conjunction with other factors such as the offending history of the individual, (c) how that information is recorded and (d) the extent to which that information can be quantified.

My department are working with officials in the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England and Improvement to improve our understanding of, and develop solutions to these operational challenges. In January 2022, we will be publishing an action plan in response to the recommendations in the Joint Thematic Inspection of the Criminal Justice Journey of Individuals with Mental Health Needs and Disorders. This includes a recommendation to end the use of prison as a place of safety and ensure that alternatives to prison are available for sentencers in line with the Mental Health Act White Paper.