Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Bridgen Excerpts
Tuesday 24th April 2018

(6 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rory Stewart Portrait Rory Stewart
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There has been a significant improvement in the Ofsted reports, but the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that people with special educational needs, in particular, and the more than 50% of prisoners who have previously been excluded from school or have literacy challenges remain a big issue for education in prisons.

Andrew Bridgen Portrait Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con)
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Does the Minister agree that one of the keys to reducing reoffending rates is ensuring that skilled probation officers have manageable case loads so that they can give enough time and energy to each individual in their care?

Rory Stewart Portrait Rory Stewart
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Absolutely. It is particularly important that there can be flexibility so that there can be a higher ratio of probation officers to high-risk cases than for low-risk cases.