Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 56664 on Prisoners' Transfers: Transgender People, what is the definition of general female estate.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The general female estate comprises the establishments in which female prisoners are accommodated. E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview is a special unit: it is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are located separately from all other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview. They may receive supervised access to activities in the main prison’s regime, such as visits, education, work and faith services. Such access is provided only where a local risk assessment has determined this to be appropriate.
As of 1 July, seven prisoners were being held on E Wing.
We are reviewing all relevant policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) facilities and (b) services the biological males held in HMP Downview share with women prisoners simultaneously.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The general female estate comprises the establishments in which female prisoners are accommodated. E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview is a special unit: it is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are located separately from all other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview. They may receive supervised access to activities in the main prison’s regime, such as visits, education, work and faith services. Such access is provided only where a local risk assessment has determined this to be appropriate.
As of 1 July, seven prisoners were being held on E Wing.
We are reviewing all relevant policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many biological males were held in HMP Downview on 1 June 2025.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The general female estate comprises the establishments in which female prisoners are accommodated. E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview is a special unit: it is not part of the general women's estate. Prisoners on E Wing are located separately from all other prisoners at HMP/YOI Downview. They may receive supervised access to activities in the main prison’s regime, such as visits, education, work and faith services. Such access is provided only where a local risk assessment has determined this to be appropriate.
As of 1 July, seven prisoners were being held on E Wing.
We are reviewing all relevant policy in light of the Supreme Court ruling and will set out any changes to our approach in due course.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 56158 on Prisons: Research, when she expects the research findings process for that Ipsos MORI research project to conclude.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ministry of Justice officials received research findings from Ipsos MORI in November last year (2024) and are currently considering the implications of the work.
Research findings are published in accordance with Government Social Research guidelines, following a peer review process to ensure the quality and robustness of the work. Until that has taken place findings cannot be published.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 30 October 2024 (HL1966), what actions they have considered to compensate contractors who have not received payments due to them as a result of failures in the procurement process.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
ISG Construction Limited entered administration on 20 September 2024 and was caused by the financial health of the overall ISG group. The Ministry of Justice awards contracts in line with the relevant procurement regulations including undertaking appropriate due diligence.
Subcontractors have been made aware that the Department is not able to underwrite debt owed by ISG as a result of their administration, and that they should engage with the Joint Administrators (Ernst & Young) with regard to any claims arising from their contracts with ISG.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to review the Sentencing Council's remit on young offenders convicted of (a) murder and (b) manslaughter.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has no current plans to ask the Council to consider reviewing the guidelines in relation to this cohort.
The law is clear that those who commit murder as children must receive a life sentence. There is no mandatory sentence for a child convicted of manslaughter, but the court may impose a life sentence, depending on the circumstances of the case.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much her Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to tackle smuggling in prisons.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Prisons in England and Wales have a range of specialist staff and equipment to tackle the smuggling of drugs, mobile phones, weapons and other contraband into prisons. This includes X-ray body scanners, airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, X-ray baggage scanners, detection dogs, and other specialist equipment to alert staff to the potential presence of drugs on a range of items and materials.
We are also working hard to deter, detect and disrupt drones being used to smuggle contraband into prisons. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes physical security countermeasures, exploring additional legislation and working across Government and with international partners on this global issue.
We are investing over £40 million in physical security across 34 prisons in this financial year. This includes around £10 million on anti-drone measures such as secure windows and improved netting at 15 prisons.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 58502, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of chess in prisons on reducing offending behaviour.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Ministry of Justice is aware of research that is in progress in relation to regular chess sessions across the prison estate. To date, no formal assessment has been made of any effect on re-offending.
As chess is not a structured physical activity, it is not included in the management information that is collected centrally. To determine how many prisons hold regular chess sessions, it would be necessary to consult each individual establishment, and this could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 58502, how many prisons currently hold regular chess activity sessions.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Ministry of Justice is aware of research that is in progress in relation to regular chess sessions across the prison estate. To date, no formal assessment has been made of any effect on re-offending.
As chess is not a structured physical activity, it is not included in the management information that is collected centrally. To determine how many prisons hold regular chess sessions, it would be necessary to consult each individual establishment, and this could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.