Asked by: Laura Farris (Conservative - Newbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling young offender institutions to access free period products.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
All women’s prisons provide free sanitary products, however, prisoners can also purchase branded items from the canteen provision. The provision of free sanitary products also extends to any under 18 girls in the Youth Custody Young Offenders Estate. The Early days in custody Prison Service Instruction, 07/2015, also states that prisoners should be given any items required to meet essential personal needs for their first 24 hours in custody.
Asked by: Laura Farris (Conservative - Newbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support the funeral industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The department has ongoing engagement with the death management sector focusing on the pressure of increased demand, maintaining the welfare of staff, ensuring the deceased are treated with dignity and respect and the bereaved with compassion.
As part of this work, organisations across the funeral sector are sharing key information with Government and in turn the Government is sharing relevant information and exploring whether additional support may be needed. The Government has produced an online hub collating government guidance for the funeral sector and those involved in the management of deaths (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-those-involved-in-managing-covid-19-deaths) so that it is easily accessible for those who need it.