Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Goldie on 22 November (HL Deb, col 1839) concerning the revision of the statutory Parole Board Rules so that parole panels can release imprisonment for public protection prisoners without progressing to an oral hearing, what other measures have been introduced to ensure that prisoners get a thorough assessment<i>.</i>

Public protection remains our key priority; however, the recent HMIP report rightly highlights concerns around the management of IPP prisoners.

We have set up a new unit within the Ministry of Justice to improve progression for all IPP prisoners and are working with the Parole Board to improve the efficiency of the parole process.

Examples of the initiatives being taken forward as part of the action plan include the need for other Progression Regimes, in addition to the one at HMP Warren Hill; central case reviews led by psychologists and policy specialists of IPP cases where there has been no progression to open conditions despite two or more post tariff parole reviews; and enhanced case management approaches within both NOMS and the Parole Board.