Female Offender Strategy

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb Excerpts

Monday 21st June 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)]

My Lords, I do not have the answer to the noble Lord’s question, but I can say that there are a number of groups in government working all the time on early intervention and prevention and with women in custody, and they are delivering for those women.

[Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)]

A key aim of the Female Offender Strategy was to reduce women’s prison places, yet there has been a government announcement recently saying that they are going to increase prison places by 500. Are the Government planning for failure?

[Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)]

No, my Lords, the Government are not planning for failure. We are planning to deliver part of the strategy for women offenders, which is to update the women’s estate. This investment in the estate will allow for single cells and for an estate which can deliver for women offenders, and possibly for their children to help them keep their family ties.