Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require prisoners or their families to pay for secure video calls; and if so, (1) from when, and (2) what the charge for a call will be.

We have introduced a temporary emergency video calling solution in recognition of the importance of maintaining family contact while social visits have been temporarily suspended in prisons in England and Wales. We have committed to the fact that there will be no cost of video calls to either families or those in custody during this time. At the appropriate time, we will consider future options for video calling across the estate beyond Covid-19 restrictions, which may include a competition for such services.