Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the provisions of the Courts Bill as introduced will include measures on (a) new standards and league table for prisons, (b) a new commissioning structure for prisons and (c) new powers for prison governors.

The Government remains absolutely committed to continuing to reform our prisons, delivering the commitments set out in our white paper to make them places of safety and reform.

The most pressing priorities can be delivered through operational changes, without legislation.

The white paper set out new standards, performance tables and a new commissioning structure for prisons, as well as new powers for prison governors. All these measures can be delivered without primary legislation and so these measures will not be in the Courts Bill.