Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential risk to public safety posed by prisoners who escape custody and remain at large for over 30 days.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Public protection is our top priority. The number of escapes from prison establishments and prisoner escorts is very low. If a prisoner escapes or absconds, the police are immediately notified and are responsible for locating the offender.
Those who escape or abscond face serious consequences including, in the case of absconders, being returned to closed prison conditions, where they may serve up to two additional years. Escapees face an additional sentence of imprisonment for which there is no statutory maximum term. Prisoners whose release is subject to a decision of the Parole Board are likely to spend a longer period in custody before the Board will agree to their release.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the gap between projected prison demand and planned prison capacity.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
On 29 January 2026, we published our second annual statement on prison capacity, which sets out the projected prison demand and planned prison capacity up to November 2032: Ministry of Justice – Annual Statement on Prison Capacity: 2025.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many stab vests have been issued to prison officers since 5 July 2024, broken down by individual prison.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Following a serious incident at HMP Frankland in April 2025, the Department acted quickly to review the use of protective body armour (PBA) across the estate. As a result, we have introduced a significant expansion in provision, with PBA now mandated for staff working in the highest-risk areas of the long-term high security estate, including Close Supervision Centres, Separation Centres and Segregation Units.
This builds on existing use in high-risk operational contexts such as planned use of force and national tactical deployments. Our approach is risk-based and evidence-led, ensuring that protective equipment is prioritised for those staff facing the greatest threat, while remaining practical and effective in operational environments.
We are committed to delivering the Deputy Prime Minister's pledge to equip up to 10,000 staff with PBA. As of 26 March, we have issued protective body armour to 514 named staff members and 264 spare sets for cross deployment. Information about the provision of PBA broken down by prison is shown in the table below.
Prison | Personal Issue | Spare |
Belmarsh | 22 | 12 |
Frankland | 71 | 36 |
Full Sutton | 73 | 36 |
Garth | 13 | 12 |
Gartree | 15 | 12 |
Isle of Wight | 13 | 12 |
Long Lartin | 26 | 12 |
Lowdham Grange | 19 | 12 |
Manchester | 51 | 24 |
Swaleside | 19 | 12 |
Wakefield | 50 | 24 |
Whitemoor | 48 | 24 |
Woodhill | 94 | 36 |
Total | 514 | 264 |
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has considered the potential merits of extending the range of offences that can be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme is an exceptional power. It includes all indictable-only offences (e.g. murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery) and certain triable-either way offences sentenced in the Crown Court (e.g. threats to kill, stalking, most child sex offences).
Parliament intended this to be an exceptional power, and any expansion of the scheme must be carefully considered. While we understand calls for expansion, it is important for both victims and offenders that there is finality in sentencing. The general rule is that a person should expect to serve the sentence a judge has imposed upon them.
The Law Commission is undertaking a review of criminal appeals and it held a public consultation inviting views on a range of reforms to the ULS scheme, including offences in scope. The consultation closed on 27 June 2025 and the Law Commission is expected to publish its report in 2026.
The Government will carefully and holistically consider the Law Commission review’s final recommendations on the wider reforms to the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme in due course.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have access to faith-based support services.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
All prisoners in England and Wales have access to faith-based and pastoral support services. His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service is required to make chaplaincy and faith provision available to prisoners of all faiths and beliefs, as well as to those who do not identify with a particular faith. This support is available on request in every establishment.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of marriages between uncle and niece legally contracted overseas by people now residing in England and Wales.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice does not collect data on overseas marriages.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many weapons have been confiscated by prison officers since 5 July 2024, broken down by individual prison.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
As data on the distinct number of weapons confiscated is not held centrally, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Statistics on the number of incidents of weapon finds in prison, which could include multiple weapons per incident, are, however, published. Information on finds of contraband, including weapons, are included as part of the HMPPS Annual Digest. The ‘Finds in Prison – Incidents Data Tool’ can be used to show the number of incidents of weapon finds by prison broken down by calendar month. The most recent release includes data to March 2025. The next publication will also include the period April 2025 to March 2026.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2024-to-march-2025
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
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of meat served in prisons has been (a) halal and (b) kosher in each year since 2020, broken down by individual prison.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
As this data is not held centrally the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Food in Prison Policy Framework requires that prisoners are provided with meals that meet an individual’s religious, cultural, and medical dietary needs. Prisons provide a multi-choice, pre-select menu for the lunchtime or evening meal which must reflect the diverse needs of the establishment’s population. When a Halal meat or poultry menu choice is offered, an alternative meat or poultry choice which is not Halal must be provided at the same meal.
All prisons across England and Wales provide prisoners with a choice of at least five meal options at both lunch and the evening meal. As a minimum, these options include: one meat dish, one vegan dish, one vegetarian dish, one Halal dish, and one additional alternative option.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list the organisations authorised to send religious and welfare packs to prisons in England and Wales for (a) Ramadan and (b) Eid.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Decisions on whether any external materials may be provided are taken by individual establishments. They are subject to governor approval, national policy on faith and pastoral care, security requirements, and extremism safeguards. All proposed materials are assessed by chaplaincy teams in conjunction with prison security staff, including scrutiny against the Inappropriate Materials Guidance and oversight by Prevent Leads and Chaplaincy headquarters, and may be refused or withdrawn where concerns arise.
HMPPS chaplaincy teams do not request or use materials from the Islamic Human Rights Commission in prisons.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many religious chaplaincies have permitted the Islamic Human Rights Commission to send religious materials to prisons in England and Wales.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Decisions on whether any external materials may be provided are taken by individual establishments. They are subject to governor approval, national policy on faith and pastoral care, security requirements, and extremism safeguards. All proposed materials are assessed by chaplaincy teams in conjunction with prison security staff, including scrutiny against the Inappropriate Materials Guidance and oversight by Prevent Leads and Chaplaincy headquarters, and may be refused or withdrawn where concerns arise.
HMPPS chaplaincy teams do not request or use materials from the Islamic Human Rights Commission in prisons.