Oral Answers to Questions

Daniel Kawczynski Excerpts

Tuesday 9th July 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)]

21. What steps the Government are taking to increase opportunities for prisoners to access work before they are released.

[Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con)]

23. What steps the Government are taking to increase opportunities for prisoners to access work before they are released.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Robert Buckland)]

A year ago, our education and employment strategy set out plans to transform the way prisoners develop the skills they need to secure employment on release, and in addition our new release on temporary licence framework aims to increase the number of people these opportunities are available to by allowing more prisoners to access it sooner and for longer.

--- Later in debate ---

[Robert Buckland]

I join my hon. Friend in supporting Futures Unlocked and extend my congratulations to it on receiving the Queen’s award, and my hon. Friend is right to talk about what can be done beforehand. It is about building confidence, and that is why the new futures network that I mentioned, which brokers partnerships with employers to provide opportunities before release, will be crucial if we are to extend the benefit of this scheme and reduce reoffending.

[Daniel Kawczynski]

There is still some reticence among certain companies to employ ex-offenders. The Minister has highlighted some of the real success stories in the private sector where companies have specifically hired ex-offenders in a very effective way. What is his Department doing to showcase those success stories, to ensure that more companies follow this important goal?

[Robert Buckland]

My hon. Friend is right to talk about changing the culture. A number of companies are quite openly employing ex-offenders. Also, the Ban the Box initiative, which is all about encouraging companies to employ people with previous offences and removing the tick-box exercise, is supported within the Government and increasingly in the wider business community. I attended an event with the creative industries only three weeks ago to highlight that important initiative.