Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that heating failures on the secure estate are fixed promptly.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We continue to work with prison Governors to ensure appropriate contingency measures are in place to mitigate the impact of heating and hot water systems at a prison becoming inoperative.

Contingency plans are in place with the Ministry of Justice’s Facilities Management providers to enable them to respond to any incidents that impact upon heating, hot water, or loss of critical services to site as a priority and these plans are regularly reviewed.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will work with prison governors to implement appropriate contingency plans for inmate wellbeing in the event of heating failures.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We continue to work with prison Governors to ensure appropriate contingency measures are in place to mitigate the impact of heating and hot water systems at a prison becoming inoperative.

Contingency plans are in place with the Ministry of Justice’s Facilities Management providers to enable them to respond to any incidents that impact upon heating, hot water, or loss of critical services to site as a priority and these plans are regularly reviewed.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of inmates at HMP Holme House when the heating is not functioning.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice treats any disruption to the heating and hot water supply to any prison as a priority and implements contingency measures to rectify incidents that occur as soon as practically possible.

Safety and decency remained the primary focus throughout the recent disruption of the heating system at HMP Holme House, with staff instructed to monitor residential conditions closely and escalate any concerns immediately.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will make an economic and environmental impact assessment on the alternatives to peat-free growing media.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This question has been interpreted as whether Defra will make an economic and environmental impact assessment on peat-free alternatives in growing media.

This Government is committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs and to this end, the Government has pledged to legislate for a ban on the sale of peat and peat-containing products when Parliamentary time allows. This commitment is embedded within our Carbon Budget planning and, most recently, reflected in the current version of the Environmental Improvement Plan. Whilst an Impact Assessment (IA) was prepared in support of the previous Government’s consultation on ending the sale of peat and peat containing products, IA procedures have changed and this Government would be required to carry out a new IA as part of any legislative process for a ban to end the sale of peat.

Using the Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media methodology to assess the environmental impact of different types of growing media, it has been shown that whilst all materials have an environmental impact, for the most part, this is lower in peat-alternatives.