Business of the House

John Glen Excerpts

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for her assiduous campaigning on behalf of her constituents, and join her in recognising the important part that playgrounds play in our social infrastructure. I will draw her request to the attention of Ministers and ensure that she gets a reply on the matter of how to access funding.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

On Sunday, George Starling told me of his work as a volunteer for the Prison Fellowship with the Sycamore Tree project, which is a restorative justice scheme that has been going on for over 50 years. The scheme has been shut down, and its appeal has not been granted. It is a victim awareness and restorative justice programme involving six weeks of work in prisons up and down the country. Could we have a statement from a Minister or a debate on the role of Christian charities in delivering restorative justice? It seems very unreasonable that all the volunteers, who have done such amazing work over 25 years, are going to be prevented from continuing to do so.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I certainly pay tribute to the work of George Starling and the Sycamore Tree project, not least because it has been going on for 50 years. I do not know the details of why the funding might not be in place, but I will take up the matter with the Prisons Minister, who I know shares the right hon. Gentleman’s views on the matter of restorative justice and how we need to improve our prison system.