Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Scott Benton and Damian Hinds

Tuesday 16th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Ind)]

T10.   What plans does my right hon. Friend have to use prisoners to help to fill labour shortages, and what assessment has he made of the extent to which that may drive down reoffending rates and help to improve the employability of prison leavers?

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Damian Hinds)]

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State explained earlier, getting offenders and ex-offenders into work has a material impact on the odds against their returning to a life of crime. There is a fantastic opportunity to maximise that because of the tightness of the labour market. My hon. Friend is right about the need to match local skills needs, and the employment advisory boards are there to ensure that that happens.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Scott Benton and Damian Hinds

Tuesday 17th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to increase covid-19 testing capacity.

[Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to increase covid-19 testing capacity.

[The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Matt Hancock)]

We are processing coronavirus tests on an unprecedented scale and expanding capacity further, having already met our testing capacity target of 500,000 tests a day by the end of October. We now have five Lighthouse labs operating across the UK, with two more announced yesterday, and significant progress on next-generation testing technologies.