Oral Answers to Questions

James Heappey Excerpts

Tuesday 9th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) (Con)]

3. What steps the Government are taking to help offenders find employment immediately after they leave prison.

[James Heappey (Wells) (Con)]

15. What steps the Government are taking to help offenders find employment immediately after they leave prison.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

16. What steps the Government are taking to help offenders find employment immediately after they leave prison.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Gauke]

My right hon. Friend is right to raise the point. My hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth (David T. C. Davies) has also raised that point on the Floor of the House, and we are working on proposals to do precisely that. Getting offenders into work makes them less likely to reoffend and enables them to contribute to society. It is something that we should absolutely aspire to.

[James Heappey]

Despite progress in some prisons, too many prisoners still leave custody without a bank account, which is liable to increase the incidence of reoffending. As part of the ongoing review of probation services, will the Secretary of State look at what more could be done in prisons to ensure that this most basic of facilities is held by all prisoners before they are released?

[Mr Gauke]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. It is worth pointing out that the offender banking programme ensures that prisons that release a significant number of prisoners have a relationship with a commercial bank to enable prisoners to open a basic bank account in the last six months of their sentence. A record number of accounts—6,500—were opened in 2017. He is right to highlight the matter.