Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Norris Excerpts

Tuesday 10th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Helen Maguire (Epsom and Ewell) (LD)]

1. What steps he is taking to improve rehabilitative programmes in prisons.

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Norris)]

Education, skills and work are central to rehabilitation. We are modernising prison education and creating a joined-up system that supports prisoners in progressing from basic literacy to skills training and work experience. We are also tackling the root causes of offending through offender behaviour programmes and substance misuse treatment.

[Helen Maguire]

Many ex-prisoners experience challenges after prison, particularly when trying to reintegrate into society, which is really difficult to do. We know that 40% of prisoners reoffend within one year, and that reoffending costs £22.7 billion per year; at the same time, 97% of prison capacity is taken. Will the Secretary of State ensure that ex-prisoners are properly supported, so that they can positively integrate into society, and reoffending can be reduced?

[Alex Norris]

That is an important point. It is great to start Question Time on a note of unanimity, and I am sure that one view that we all hold in common in this place is that when people leave prison, we do not want them to return and reoffend. The key to that is a multi-agency approach locally, starting before individuals leave prison. We are working closely with local government partners to ensure more effective pre-release planning work.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Chair of the Justice Committee.

[Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)]

The public are safer when people leave prisons with the skills to find work and stay out of crime. Despite the Coates review calling for education to be put

“at the heart of the prison regime”,

a decade later, cuts have halved the number of education hours in some of our prisons. Today, Ofsted and the chief inspector of prisons have both published a letter calling on Ministers to act on the review’s recommendations, and to tackle poor performance on purposeful activity in prisons. What is being done to ensure that prisoners receive the education that they need to find work and stay out of prison?

[Alex Norris]

I am grateful for that question from the Chair of the Justice Committee, because that too is a crucial point. We are in a self-defeating cycle: the capacity problems in our prisons, which have been talked about in this Chamber for months, impair governors’ ability to move individuals around and get them to the right place, be it to substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, educational classes or work training. That is why the steps that we have taken are so important. However, I recognise the vigour with which the Chair and the Committee make their comments, and I certainly intend to work closely with them to deliver on this.

[Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)]

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lefarydd. Tackling reoffending requires rehabilitation, but the Wales Governance Centre’s latest report shows that that is not happening well enough in Wales. Recall numbers are up 27%; rough sleeping on release is becoming the norm; and the rate of death by drug poisoning while under community supervision is considerably higher than in England. Addressing those issues requires a holistic approach, which is impossible when Westminster controls the levers when it comes to justice. Following the Secretary of State’s meeting with Welsh Government Ministers yesterday, does he agree that devolving justice is key to making justice work in Wales?

[Alex Norris]

As the right hon. Lady says, I was in Wales yesterday, meeting the Welsh Government and talking about exactly these issues. As I said in my answer to the original question, we have to use all organisations—yes, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, but also others, including local authorities, local health services and charities—effectively at a place-based level. That is what we said in the conversations that we had yesterday, and I very much look forward to building on them.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

I welcome the Government focusing prisons on rehabilitation, and on better education, training and support to help people turn their life around. I am particularly concerned about pregnant women leaving prison, many of whom have no secure accommodation, are vulnerable to being targeted by drug dealers and could even feel safer in prison than on the outside. How can we provide better support for pregnant women leaving prison?

[Alex Norris]

My hon. Friend touches on an important question for his community and the country more generally. For anybody—particularly pregnant women—to leave prison with security, they must have access to housing; that is the anchor. We are taking incredible steps forward in this place to ensure that everybody is offered somewhere to be from night one, and through our emergency accommodation, we can offer up to 84 days of support. There is much to do, particularly with pregnant women, to make sure that the other support systems then wrap around them, to give them the best possible chance of staying out of prison.

[Dr Lauren Sullivan (Gravesham) (Lab)]

2. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the handling of sexual offences committed by healthcare professionals in the criminal justice system.

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[David Reed (Exmouth and Exeter East) (Con)]

20. How many prisoners released under the early release scheme have since been recalled to prison.

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Norris)]

It is too early to draw conclusions about recall patterns associated with the progression model. However, we are closely monitoring recall trends and outcomes as further data becomes available, and we regularly publish data on releases and recalls in “Offender management statistics quarterly”, an accredited official statistics publication, on gov.uk.

[Bradley Thomas]

Offender management statistics show that, so far this year in England, there have been more licence recalls than prisoner releases. Will the Secretary of State acknowledge and admit that releasing criminals in order to recall them does nothing to address overcrowding or public safety?

[Alex Norris]

First of all, I would defend the principle that individuals who do not follow their licence conditions should be recalled to prison; that seems perfectly reasonable to me. The hon. Gentleman is right to highlight today that one in seven prisoners has been recalled. That is a sign that when our estate runs hot, we do not rehabilitate properly, and also a sign that significant licensing conditions have an impact.

[Sir Julian Lewis]

Does the Secretary of State accept that the recall figures would be even higher if it were not for the fact that, as reported in The Daily Telegraph today, it is taking the police an average of 39 days to arrest anyone who breaches his tagging conditions? Will he consider writing to us with his estimate of how many people who are released early will be recalled—during the next three months, for example?

[Alex Norris]

The right hon. Gentleman will know that, through the National Police Chiefs’ Council, we work closely with police forces to make sure that we share the right information, and have a two-way flow of information on who is leaving and what is happening when the police seek to enforce a recall. The statistics are available in the quarterly release, and they will be published in the usual cycle, when the data comes in.

[David Reed]

Devon and Cornwall police cover one of the largest force areas anywhere in the country. When someone released early breaks their licence in a rural part of my region, officers have to go and find them and bring them back. I am sure that the Secretary of State can understand the constraints, given the large geographical area and their limited resources. What assessment has he made of the cost to local policing of recalls under the early release scheme?

[Alex Norris]

First, I pay tribute to the work that Devon and Cornwall police do to keep the hon. Member’s constituents and everyone across Devon and Cornwall safe. We work very closely with chief constables on the support that they need, in the light of their experiences. He will know about, and I am sure will have welcomed, the support given by the Home Office during the preparation for the progression model. With that record investment for our policing, we will make sure that officers—rather than being behind desks, as they used to be during the previous Parliament—are out in the community, keeping his constituents safe.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Justice Secretary.

[Nick Timothy (West Suffolk) (Con)]

Today, the Government will let another 650 criminals out of prison early, on top of 1,350 last month and tens of thousands under their original early release scheme. When the Justice Secretary launched this scheme, he promised that there would be a presumption that every released criminal would be tagged, but that is not happening. I have asked Ministers about this many times, in letters, written questions, oral questions and urgent questions, but to no avail. He talks about waiting for the release of data in January, but waiting for January is his choice, so I ask again: how many released criminals have been tagged, and if he will not tell us, will the public not conclude that he is just hiding his broken promise?

[Alex Norris]

The hon. Gentleman cannot have this both ways. I have heard him say, and I am sure the whole House tuned in to listen to him in recent podcasts, that he accepts—he never accepts it in the Chamber, but is more willing to do so in public—that we are in these circumstances because the Conservatives did not build enough prison places, and he also refused to rule out an emergency release scheme. I put this to him gently, because I like him: perhaps he is not quite walking the walk, though he is talking the talk.

On the presumption of tagging, we will in due course have the full data; that has been the position of successive Governments, including ones in which the hon. Gentleman had important roles. However, I made a commitment about the presumption of tagging, and I also made a commitment that this would be the biggest expansion of tagging in history, and I look forward to having a conversation about the data when it is available.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Jess Brown-Fuller (Chichester) (LD)]

The Sentencing Act 2026 had a very clear aim, which was to stabilise the prison capacity crisis and to prevent victims from having to go through the ordeal of finding out that their perpetrator was being released not because they had served their time, but because there was a capacity crisis. However, the Government’s own capacity projections depend on both building capacity and keeping current cells operational. In the Budget, the MOJ’s capital for maintenance was reduced from £2.3 billion to £1.9 billion for 2029-30, but the cost of the maintenance backlog sits at £2.8 billion and cells are regularly being taking out of use. Can the Lord Chancellor confidently and categorically rule out, at the Dispatch Box, any more early release schemes before the end of this Parliament?

[Alex Norris]

I have been very clear that the point of the Sentencing Act was to move us on from having to have early release schemes, and I am more than confident that it will deliver that. The hon. Member makes a very important point about maintenance. She will know the success we collectively had with the Treasury over the summer in bringing forward investment to ensure that we can access places more quickly. However, she is right that, while we talk a lot about new places, we need to work really hard, through our investment programmes, to make sure that existing places stay online. As I say, I am confident in the work that we have done with the Treasury to ensure that.

[Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

5. What steps his Department is taking to reduce the court backlog.

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[Mr Paul Foster (South Ribble) (Lab)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Norris)]

Since the last Justice orals, I have sworn my oath as Lord Chancellor to uphold the independence of the judiciary and mark the opening of the legal year. We continue to clear up the mess left by the previous Conservative Government as we build a modern justice system, delivering the fast and fair justice that victims deserve. Our landmark Courts and Tribunals Bill has had its Third Reading in this place and is progressing in the other place, and we continue our action for victims by rolling out specialist rape and sexual offence courts to improve their experience of the justice process.

We are launching Respond, the latest phase of our Enough campaign, and we have announced legislation that will help thousands of young adults who lack mental capacity to benefit from their child trust fund savings. I had the honour of representing the UK at the United Nations General Assembly, reaffirming our commitment to the international rule of law. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate the UK’s candidate for the International Court of Justice, Professor Dapo Akande, who has been elected to the Court; the UK is back on the world stage and I wish him well in his new role.

[Mr Foster]

Despite the Planning Inspectorate recommending refusal, a third prison is under construction at Ulnes Walton in my South Ribble constituency. Unfortunately, the local community has been hugely impacted by issues around access, highway safety and vehicle movements—the very reasons refusal was originally recommended. Will the Minister please meet me as a matter of urgency to discuss how we can develop solutions for the benefit of the Ulnes Walton community?

[Alex Norris]

The importance of new prison places in this country has been well rehearsed over the last 45 minutes. Nevertheless, I believe strongly that we must be good neighbours, both in the operation of prisons and in their construction, and I also feel very strongly about our liability through our contractors. I believe that I am already planning to meet my hon. Friend on another important matter, and I will ensure that we talk about this point too, because I want to make sure that we are good neighbours with his constituents.

[Dr Kieran Mullan (Bexhill and Battle) (Con)]

The ability of powerful men to exert control over and exploit women is again at the forefront of our minds. But it is not just rich and powerful men: we recently debated in this place a petition by Paris Shears, who campaigns against coercive and controlling behaviour. During the debate, the Minister refused to give Paris the common courtesy of explaining whether those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour are eligible for Labour’s early release programme. Can the Justice Secretary show proper respect to Paris and other victims and at least answer that question now?

[Alex Norris]

I am slightly surprised that the hon. Member has taken this tack. He will know that, alongside the announcements we made in the summer, we published precisely which offences were in scope and not in scope for the progression model, so all I can suggest is that he refers to that, as he could have done for the last six weeks.

[Dr Mullan]

It is obvious that the Minister does not want to put on record and own up to the fact that those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour are, according to our understanding, eligible for early release. [Interruption.] The Minister says from a sedentary position that I should read; I will pass it on to Paris that he feels she should have just read. The public want clarity from Ministers on these complex matters, and it is right for me to ask this question. How can the Minister justify releasing those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour early when we know that perpetrators who go on to commit offences like rape often start out with lower offences, like common assault, coercive and controlling behaviour and grooming. We know the patterns that emerge over time. Surely we should tackle this at the first instance and not let these people out early.

[Alex Norris]

I am slightly surprised that the hon. Gentleman thinks that making a commencement order for legislation in this place is not putting something on the record. I find that hard to understand. He asks how we got into this situation. I gently point him towards the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy), the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Minister for policy development, the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston (Neil O’Brien), all of whom admitted that they did not build enough places. He talks about exemptions, but I note that their early release schemes have no exemptions.

[Patrick Hurley (Southport) (Lab)]

T2. Members across the House will remember the desperate prison capacity situation back in July 2024, when fewer than 100 prison places were left on the whole estate and the whole justice system was on the brink of collapse thanks to the shocking incompetence of the Conservative party. Will the Minister update the House on the progress made on fixing that Tory mess through the Government’s prison rebuilding programme?

[Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)]

T4. Two months ago, I wrote to the Secretary of State asking him to confirm how many prisoners will be released under the Government’s early release scheme untagged because they cited homelessness or mental health issues. I got a reply from his Minister saying that she could not answer the question because the scheme did not start till 1 October, but her letter was dated 4 November—five weeks later. Will Secretary of State tell me today how many have been released early untagged for those reasons?

[Alex Norris]

The hon. Lady will have heard me say two things in this session: first, that there is for the first time a presumption on tagging and, secondly, that we will release full data so that Parliament can scrutinise it in the normal way. I suggest that she waits for that release.

[Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Clapham and Brixton Hill) (Lab)]

T3. In response to written questions last month, Ministers claimed that Serco has met every single key performance indicator since March, yet the Department’s figures from 30 September show that 15% of those with a monitoring order had no tag fitted, and that 1,309 had been out of contact for 28 days or more. The Department will not disclose what penalties Serco has paid, but has agreed £48 million in extra payments. With up to 22,000 more people due to be tagged next year, how is that value for money? When will the Department do away with its poorer performing contractors?

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[Tom Gordon (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (LD)]

T7. Last week the Government announced their Visitor Levy (England) Bill, which will create a number of new offences, including a 14-year maximum prison sentence for deliberate evasion of a tourist tax, all while the Government are still releasing prisoners early. Has the Department carried out a justice impact test, and when will the impact assessments be published? What assessment has the Department made of the additional prison spaces that would be needed?

[Alex Norris]

The hon. Gentleman will not be surprised to hear that when any decision is taken across Government, it is done in the round and we have those conversations with our colleagues in other Departments. Giving local leaders the power to make that decision, if they want it, is important and, of course, if people do not follow it, there ought to be sanctions.

[Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)]

T8. The number of C51 parental order applications has more than doubled in the past decade, and with more applications involving international surrogacy arrangements, the complexity of these cases has increased. Can the Minister confirm whether His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has raised concerns with the Department on these increased numbers, and will the Minister meet me and campaigners to discuss the growing concerns?

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[Alex Norris]

I met with the Welsh Government yesterday, and we discussed probation. My strong view is that if we are to get the best outcomes for individuals when they leave prison, we need those local services. That might be probation services in this case, but it is also about local authority services, health services and education, to get the best outcomes in exactly the spirit my hon. Friend talks about.

[Ayoub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr) (Ind)]

Birmingham and Solihull coroner’s service is still not meeting the expectations of its residents. Will the Minister meet me to see how we could improve the service, which is impacting so many communities?

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[Mr Lee Dillon (Newbury) (LD)]

Last year the British Horse Society recorded nearly 3,000 road incidents involving horses. However, because horses are classed as property, judges and courts cannot reflect the emotional distress that horse riders have when they lose their animal. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how we can change the law to better reflect the needs of victims?

[Alex Norris]

The hon. Member raises a really important issue. I have taken part in the Dead Slow campaign with the British Horse Society on two occasions. We are a nation of animal lovers, and I do not think that people would see things quite in the spirit that the law always does, so I am interested in having a conversation with him and the BHS to see what might be done.

[Sarah Smith (Hyndburn) (Lab)]

I strongly welcome the steps that this Government are taking to help young people who lack the capacity to access their child trust funds. Can the Minister outline how many people he thinks that will benefit? What value will that have to families?

[Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater) (Con)]

Victims of crime have asked the Lord Chancellor to publish criminal conviction data by nationality. Will he do so?

[Alex Norris]

The hon. Gentleman knows that that has been a point of discussion in this place on multiple occasions. We are looking very closely at the data to ensure that we are getting it right. In conjunction with the Home Office, we want the fullest amount of data to be available so that we can have a proper political conversation about what it tells us.

[Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Ind)]

When 73% of those released from prison with no home to go to go on to reoffend, the system is clearly setting people up to fail. It is vital that we attack the social and economic causes of reoffending and help people to rebuild their lives. What cross-departmental discussions have Ministers had about improving access to social housing, mental health support and drug and alcohol dependency support?