Prisons: Chaplaincy Service Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Chaplaincy Service

Lord Sahota Excerpts
Tuesday 10th January 2023

(1 year, 9 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Bellamy Portrait Lord Bellamy (Con)
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My Lords, to the best of my knowledge, there are approximately 1,200 prison chaplains overall and approximately 20 chaplains of the Sikh faith. I do not have other figures in front of me. Sikhs make up less than 1% of the prison population, which is extremely admirable, and the number of Sikh chaplains in particular is well out of proportion to the number of Sikhs who are unfortunately in prison.

Lord Sahota Portrait Lord Sahota (Lab)
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My Lords, when deciding on the policy of the Prison and Probation Service with regards to its pastoral service, the views of all faiths should be taken into account. I was surprised to learn from my friend, the noble Lord, Lord Singh of Wimbledon, that this is sometimes not the case. I sincerely hope that the Government take these views into account and look into this matter urgently.