Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Report on a scrutiny visit to HMP High Down by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (23 March and 7 – 8 April 2021), what steps he is taking to (a) improve the regularity and quality of prisoner welfare checks, (b) improve the quality of support for those at risk of suicide and self-harm, (c) enable prisoners to receive a daily shower, (d) help ensure that equality and diversity work is completed, (e) improve the quality of healthcare in prisons, (f) help ensure that there is consistent leadership of those healthcare services, (g) tackle staff shortages in those healthcare services, (h) help ensure that prisoners have access to work as covid-19 risks reduce, (i) increase contact between prison offender managers and prisoners, (j) reduce the backlog of assessments of prisoners’ risk and needs and (k) help ensure that calls of prisoners who require public protection monitoring are effectively managed.

The Ministry of Justice welcomes the findings of HMIP’s report and takes the concerns raised seriously. The Inspectorate found positive practices during their visit, but we recognise that the establishment still has a long way to go. Some of the issues raised have been exacerbated by the impact of Covid 19 and are expected to improve as regime restrictions are lifted.

Measures to address some of the issues have already been initiated, such as a review of welfare checks and the implementation of a healthcare action plan agreed between HMP High Down, NHS England Commissioners and Healthcare Providers. Funding is also now in place for a new workshop that will provide additional activity places and will assist men in developing transferable skills for employment on release. Recruitment and training are being undertaken to fill vacancies and improve offender management processes such as public protection monitoring, risk assessment, and increased contact between prisoners and their Prison Offender Managers. Findings from HMIP Scrutiny Visits are followed up with each establishment 6 weeks following the HMIP visit and Prison Group Directors monitor progress locally in their areas.

We are committed to making all our prisons decent and safe for all those who live and work there. Further easing of the restrictions will enable us to work on embedding additional improvements. We will continue to ensure that action is taken to improve conditions for those in our prisons and their outcomes on release.