Oral Answers to Questions

Alison Bennett Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)]

15. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of rehabilitative programmes in prisons.

[Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)]

18. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of rehabilitative programmes in prisons.

[Caroline Voaden (South Devon) (LD)]

24. What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing support for rehabilitation programmes.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sir Nicholas Dakin]

The hon. Member is right to highlight the good work going on in her constituency. As I said, I saw trauma-informed activity in operation at HMP Humber. It is something we need to learn from across the prison estate.

[Alison Bennett]

Dyslexia is vastly over-represented in the prison population. While 10% of the general population are dyslexic, it is thought that as many as half of all prisoners have dyslexia. Does the Minister consider rehabilitation programmes to effectively meet the specific needs of dyslexic prisoners?

[Sir Nicholas Dakin]

The hon. Member is right to highlight dyslexia, and neurodiversity is common among people in our prisons. That is why we have neurodiversity officers in each prison to ensure that we are doing our very best for these people so that they can be rehabilitated and become better citizens when they come out of prison.