Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 4 July 2019 (HL16560), what is the number of prison chaplains for each recognised faith or belief.

The statutory duties of a prison chaplain are set out in the Prison Act 1952.

We recognise and respect the right of prisoners to register and practice their faith or belief while in custody. Chaplaincy plays a critical and unique role in the work of prisons and the life of prisoners. It not only provides advice on faith/belief matters, but also offers pastoral care, in support of HM Prison and Probation Service’s commitment to decency, safety and rehabilitation. Chaplains may work on an employed basis (either full-time or part-time), or be engaged on a contracted, sessional or voluntary basis.

The number of prison chaplains in prisons in England and Wales by faith or belief (as of 2 September 2025) is set out in the following table:

Data sources and quality:

The figures in the table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.