Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners with a disability are in prisons in each region of England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The requested information is held locally but cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they take to assist prisoners whose disability worsens over the course of their incarceration.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Disability Advocacy & Wellbeing Network in HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) offers internal disability awareness training to promote understanding of the issues faced by prisoners with disabilities. Prison staff have access to a suite of guidance materials in relation to disability, enabling then to be confident in their approach and meet the needs of prisoners with disabilities. These resources are reviewed regularly to ensure that they continue to complement our national equality policies, which provide direct instruction to prison staff on meeting the requirements of our Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.
Dedicated Neurodiversity Support Managers are now in place in every public prison in England and Wales. These specialist staff are tasked with making sure prisoners with neurodiverse needs are identified and can access the right education and training opportunities while in prison, as these are crucial to reducing re-offending.
Some neurodiverse offenders may have speech and language needs which can lead to challenging behaviour, meaning they struggle to engage with prison rules and rehabilitation programmes. Support managers will ensure other prison staff know how to avoid and de-escalate volatile situations when working with offenders who have neurodiverse conditions.
HMPPS has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for prisoners with disabilities. These adjustments must be monitored and adapted as necessary throughout the course of the prisoner’s sentence. Where prisoners are transferred, the adjustment requirement will transfer with them.
There is an expectation that each prison will allocate sufficient resources to ensure that equality and diversity are managed effectively locally. The amount of resource required varies from prison to prison, and it would not be possible to obtain a total figure without incurring disproportionate cost. Our newly revised policies place renewed emphasis on the responsibility of senior leaders, including prison governors, for identifying and addressing disparity and promoting inclusion.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many diversity officers are available to prisoners with disabilities in prisons.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Disability Advocacy & Wellbeing Network in HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) offers internal disability awareness training to promote understanding of the issues faced by prisoners with disabilities. Prison staff have access to a suite of guidance materials in relation to disability, enabling then to be confident in their approach and meet the needs of prisoners with disabilities. These resources are reviewed regularly to ensure that they continue to complement our national equality policies, which provide direct instruction to prison staff on meeting the requirements of our Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.
Dedicated Neurodiversity Support Managers are now in place in every public prison in England and Wales. These specialist staff are tasked with making sure prisoners with neurodiverse needs are identified and can access the right education and training opportunities while in prison, as these are crucial to reducing re-offending.
Some neurodiverse offenders may have speech and language needs which can lead to challenging behaviour, meaning they struggle to engage with prison rules and rehabilitation programmes. Support managers will ensure other prison staff know how to avoid and de-escalate volatile situations when working with offenders who have neurodiverse conditions.
HMPPS has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for prisoners with disabilities. These adjustments must be monitored and adapted as necessary throughout the course of the prisoner’s sentence. Where prisoners are transferred, the adjustment requirement will transfer with them.
There is an expectation that each prison will allocate sufficient resources to ensure that equality and diversity are managed effectively locally. The amount of resource required varies from prison to prison, and it would not be possible to obtain a total figure without incurring disproportionate cost. Our newly revised policies place renewed emphasis on the responsibility of senior leaders, including prison governors, for identifying and addressing disparity and promoting inclusion.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what training regarding prisoners with disabilities they provide to staff.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Disability Advocacy & Wellbeing Network in HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) offers internal disability awareness training to promote understanding of the issues faced by prisoners with disabilities. Prison staff have access to a suite of guidance materials in relation to disability, enabling then to be confident in their approach and meet the needs of prisoners with disabilities. These resources are reviewed regularly to ensure that they continue to complement our national equality policies, which provide direct instruction to prison staff on meeting the requirements of our Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.
Dedicated Neurodiversity Support Managers are now in place in every public prison in England and Wales. These specialist staff are tasked with making sure prisoners with neurodiverse needs are identified and can access the right education and training opportunities while in prison, as these are crucial to reducing re-offending.
Some neurodiverse offenders may have speech and language needs which can lead to challenging behaviour, meaning they struggle to engage with prison rules and rehabilitation programmes. Support managers will ensure other prison staff know how to avoid and de-escalate volatile situations when working with offenders who have neurodiverse conditions.
HMPPS has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for prisoners with disabilities. These adjustments must be monitored and adapted as necessary throughout the course of the prisoner’s sentence. Where prisoners are transferred, the adjustment requirement will transfer with them.
There is an expectation that each prison will allocate sufficient resources to ensure that equality and diversity are managed effectively locally. The amount of resource required varies from prison to prison, and it would not be possible to obtain a total figure without incurring disproportionate cost. Our newly revised policies place renewed emphasis on the responsibility of senior leaders, including prison governors, for identifying and addressing disparity and promoting inclusion.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether all prisons are equipped to accommodate prisoners with a disability as defined under the Equality Act 2010.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
New prisons are designed to be fully compliant with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, with many accessible rooms. This includes a large number of low mobility cells (72 at Millsike, 84 at Five Wells and Fosse Way), dependant on the number of house blocks. There are also accessible and medical cells, and all areas of the prison are wheelchair accessible via lifts.
In older prisons, the Equality Act requirements are assessed on a case-by-case basis, with appropriate provision being made accordingly. This can include adaptations to prisoner cellular accommodation (grab rails, adapted taps), and cells that can accommodate people with low mobility, cells in medical units, and cells with adaptations for higher disability requirements.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisons are fully accessible to individuals with a disability as defined under the Equality Act 2010.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
New prisons are designed to be fully compliant with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, with many accessible rooms. This includes a large number of low mobility cells (72 at Millsike, 84 at Five Wells and Fosse Way), dependant on the number of house blocks. There are also accessible and medical cells, and all areas of the prison are wheelchair accessible via lifts.
In older prisons, the Equality Act requirements are assessed on a case-by-case basis, with appropriate provision being made accordingly. This can include adaptations to prisoner cellular accommodation (grab rails, adapted taps), and cells that can accommodate people with low mobility, cells in medical units, and cells with adaptations for higher disability requirements.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government on what date HM Prison Millsike will open, and whether it is still projected to provide capacity for approximately 1,500 prisoners.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HMP Millsike officially opened on 27 March 2025 and is forecast to receive its first prisoners by May. It will provide c.1,500 safe, secure, modern and decent prison places.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what rules regulate the commissioning of training and rehabilitation activities by prison governors.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Public Contracts Regulations (PCR 2015), which are enshrined in the Laws of England and Wales, along with Central Government commercial policies and processes are applied in the commissioning of all contracted-out core training and rehabilitation services in the prisons.
The Prison Governors are also empowered, at a local level, to contract bespoke rehabilitation services through a variety of compliant contracting routes. These contracting services are provided through a central commercial directorate to the prisons within the Ministry of Justice to achieve the best value for money whilst delivering our strategic priority of reducing reoffending.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have spent on rehabilitation and training services at each prison in England and Wales in each of the past three years.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Expenditure on rehabilitation and training services covers a range of provision, recorded under numerous budget headings, and cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what repairs and maintenance they intend to carry out, and over what timeframe, at HMP Winchester following the recent inspection report of the prison.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Prison & Probation Service will provide HM Inspectorate of Prisons with its initial response to the Urgent Notification about HMP Winchester, and its immediate action plan, by no later than 21 November. This will be followed by a full response to the inspection report, and a detailed action plan specifying all remedial works and the timeframes for their completion.