Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Brian Leishman Excerpts
Tuesday 3rd June 2025

(3 days, 16 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nicholas Dakin Portrait Sir Nicholas Dakin
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It is important that HMPPS continues to monitor the prison carefully, and the chief operating officer’s visit on 7 May found a number of further improvements. If the hon. Gentleman wants to write to me, I can send him a full update on the actions being taken in relation to that prison.

Brian Leishman Portrait Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth) (Lab)
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On the topic of prison operations, we need effective scrutiny of privatised contracts for prison maintenance because those contracts have been detrimental for prisons. Will the Minister release the last Government’s report recommending more privatisation of prison maintenance, suitably redacted if necessary, for full transparency and to avoid any accusations of a cover-up?

Nicholas Dakin Portrait Sir Nicholas Dakin
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My hon. Friend will be well aware that a lot of the information is commercially confidential, but we are investing up to £300 million in 2025-26 to keep our prisons are safe and secure, and we have a prison estate conditions survey programme in place to better understand our estate.