Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of crimes committed by ex-prisoners.

Despite investment, reoffending rates have remained stubbornly high. We are fundamentally reforming rehabilitation services by opening up the market to new providers and incentivising them to focus relentlessly on reducing reoffending. For the first time in recent history virtually every offender released from custody will receive statutory supervision and rehabilitation in the community. We remain on track to deliver these key reforms by 2015.