Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Fiona Mactaggart and Sam Gyimah

Tuesday 1st November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

2. How many deaths have occurred in (a) custody suites operated by G4S and (b) other custody suites in the last three years.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Sam Gyimah)]

G4S has not operated court custody suites in England and Wales since 2011.

[Fiona Mactaggart]

Very vulnerable people are held in custody suites, and many have committed suicide. That translates into the presence of such people in prisons, where, as the Secretary of State has just acknowledged, there have been more deaths in custody than there have been for many years. More women are killing themselves than at any time since the Corston report. When we know what has gone wrong from the reports of coroners’ courts or the Corston report, which have given us real advice on what ought to happen, why is it not happening? Has the Minister read those coroners’ reports?

--- Later in debate ---

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

How many of the inquest reports on self-inflicted deaths in custody has the Minister read, and what actions has he taken as a result of the recommendations of inquests that have caused real distress to families?

[Mr Gyimah]

Every death in custody is a tragic event. As the Minister with responsibility for prisons—I have been in the role for four months—I take every one of them seriously. I look at all the reports and I sign many of the responses to those reports where, for example, the independent monitoring board is involved. We have plans to make sure that we deliver on them.