Oral Answers to Questions

Rebecca Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 5th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Shabana Mahmood]

The hon. Gentleman’s question is really about rates of recall, which is what happens when licence conditions are breached, including breaches of curfew. Recall rates for SDS40 releases are tracking similarly to recall rates for other offenders. We will publish those statistics once they have been assured in the usual way, which I believe will be immediately after Christmas.

[Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) (Con)]

17. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent changes to the early release scheme on the demand for housing provided by local authorities.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Sir Nicholas Dakin)]

With this Government’s scheme, unlike the previous Government’s rushed scheme, we are giving our excellent staff time to work with national and local housing partners to minimise any impact on local authorities.

[Rebecca Smith]

Given that secure housing on release has a proven positive impact on the recidivism rate of ex-offenders, which is something we all welcome, how many prisoners released early by this Government are being housed in hotels?

[Sir Nicholas Dakin]

Fewer than 20.