Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) education and (b) training programmes support the rehabilitation of people leaving prison in Surrey.

The Ministry of Justice and HMPPS are committed to improving the quality of education, skills and work provision in prisons to support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. Heads of Education, Skills and Work support Governors to design a prison wide curriculum that provides education and training to meet the varying needs of their prison population.

The five prisons in Surrey have an education offer that includes vocational and employability programmes such as construction and rail‑track safety training, barista qualifications, digital and in‑cell learning, horticulture, peer mentoring, and other industry‑recognised courses such as an Optician’s Assistant accredited qualification that strengthen employment prospects on release. These programmes help prisoners gain the skills, confidence and qualifications they need to move into work on release, an important factor in reducing reoffending and supporting safer communities.

We are also prototyping the ‘Working Week Project’ at HMP Downview, alongside four other sites nationally. The project’s aim is to increase the time prisoners spend in purposeful work-based activity, developing their skills, as well as strengthening links with businesses in the community to improve employment prospects upon release.