Question to the Ministry of Justice:

What steps he is taking to ensure that private (a) prisons and (b) probation contractors are taking appropriate measures in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Some contracted prisons are among our best performing establishments and I would like to thank Directors of private prisons for their resolute cooperation during this challenging time. All public and private prisons are aligned and working together during the COVID-19 pandemic, which gives testament to the good function of a mixed economy in prisons.

As with prisons, contracted probation services are running more streamlined delivery models, aligned with the models used by public probation services during the COVID-19 crisis. And we must not forget the good work of other contracted services such as the Electronic Monitoring Service and Prisoner Escort and Custody Service.