Oral Answers to Questions

Victoria Prentis Excerpts

Tuesday 1st November 2016 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Victoria Prentis (Banbury) (Con)]

1. What steps her Department is taking to improve safety in prisons.

[Maria Caulfield (Lewes) (Con)]

12. What steps her Department is taking to improve safety in prisons.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Just before we take the question, I am very pleased to announce that today we are joined by Lobsang Sangay, the Sikyong or Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in exile. It is a pleasure and a privilege, Sir, to welcome you to the House of Commons.

[Victoria Prentis]

What an honour that is, Mr Speaker.

We welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to prison reform, but those sitting on the Justice Select Committee are very concerned about the recent statistics that she mentioned, not just in relation to the safety of prison workers, but in respect of vulnerable prisoners. What steps is she going to take to improve assessment and screening, so that those people can be identified at the beginning of their sentence?

[Elizabeth Truss]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am extremely concerned about the level of self-harm, which is particularly high in the women’s estate. We know that the first 24 hours are absolutely vital, and we are already taking steps to provide vulnerable prisoners with immediate mental health support. Next year, we will bring out a strategy on women offenders.