Oral Answers to Questions

Rehman Chishti Excerpts

Tuesday 25th April 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham) (Con)]

3. What steps she is taking to tackle extremism in prisons.

[Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) (Con)]

14. What steps she is taking to tackle extremism in prisons.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Sam Gyimah)]

Extremism in prisons is something we take very seriously. The Department has set up a new directorate to oversee all aspects of our work on extremism and terrorism. We have also created a new joint unit encompassing the Prison Service, the national probation service and the Home Office, with enhanced resources to deliver our extremism strategy.

[Mr Gyimah]

My right hon. Friend, as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on autism, understands the particular vulnerabilities of such people within the prison system. Prison staff take extra care in monitoring and understanding the threats to vulnerable people such as those with autism, and robustly intervene where there are any threats, including of extremism and radicalisation.

[Rehman Chishti]

There has been an issue with some religious converts being drawn into extremist ideology and going on to carry out terrorist acts without knowing the true values or teachings of those religions. What specific steps are being taken to address that, and what extra support is being given to religious faith representatives to ensure that we tackle this evil issue?