Oral Answers to Questions

Madeleine Moon Excerpts

Wednesday 30th November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend) (Lab)]

5. What assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes in the number of prison officers on the prison estate in Wales.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Guto Bebb)]

We are committed to transforming prisons into places of safety and reform. We recently announced a major overhaul of the prison system, and in the autumn statement we announced funding for 2,500 extra front-line officers across the UK.

[Mrs Moon]

The Minister will be aware that it is not just numbers of prison officers, but the skill base they bring with them that is important. Parc prison has a wonderful record with its “invisible walls” scheme in building links between prisoners and their families. More than 500 children a week visit their fathers, and 69% of inmates have contact with their families. Will he work with me to get the Treasury and the Ministry of Justice to provide funding so that the scheme carries on after 2017?

[Guto Bebb]

I pay tribute to the hon. Lady for the work she does with Parc prison in Bridgend. The relationship she has with Parc prison is indicative of the way an MP should work with such a facility. I pay particular tribute to Parc as a prison that has highlighted the importance of ensuring that family ties are maintained while prisoners are serving a sentence. The good practice shown in Parc should be repeated across the prison estate, and I would be delighted to co-operate with her in pushing this issue forward.