Oral Answers to Questions

Antony Higginbotham Excerpts

Tuesday 25th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Flick Drummond (Meon Valley) (Con)]

4. What plans he has to help reduce prisoner reoffending.

[Antony Higginbotham (Burnley) (Con)]

7. What plans he has to reduce prisoner reoffending.

[Simon Baynes (Clwyd South) (Con)]

13. What plans he has to reduce prisoner reoffending.

--- Later in debate ---

[Antony Higginbotham]

As someone who used to mentor young offenders, I saw at first hand the impact that not having somewhere to go after release had on them and their chances of getting into meaningful employment. What steps is my right hon. and learned Friend taking to ensure that those who leave prison have somewhere safe to live?

[Robert Buckland]

My hon. Friend speaks with authority on this matter. It is simple: a home, a job and a friend are the path away from reoffending. Through the Government’s rough sleeping strategy, we are investing up to £6.4 million in a pilot scheme to support individuals released from three named prisons: Bristol, Leeds and Pentonville. I am sure that that work can be scaled up to offer released prisoners a real opportunity to have stable accommodation.