Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the announcement on 6 November 2020 on new restrictions on the adult prison estate and ending social visits, whether his Department plans to renew its previous commitment to the early release of pregnant women; and whether that scheme will be extended to eligible mothers of children under the age of two who are unable to benefit from virtual visits during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

In April we introduced the End of Custody Temporary Release (ECTR) scheme. It allowed for the early release of stringently assessed low-risk prisoners who were within two months of their release date. It freed up space across the estate so that all prisons could effectively control the spread of the virus by quarantining new arrivals, isolating those with symptoms and shielding vulnerable offenders. This was based on advice from Public Health England and was necessary to protect life and avoid thousands of prisoners becoming infected, overwhelming local NHS services.

The ECTR scheme was paused in August, as it was no longer a necessary part of our overall response. Throughout the pandemic our response has been based on public health advice, and this decision will be kept under constant review over the coming weeks and months.

Separately from the ECTR process, some prisoners may meet the criteria for potential compassionate temporary release including pregnant women, prisoners with their babies in custody (in Mother and Baby Units), and those defined by the NHS guidelines as ‘medically extremely vulnerable’ to Covid-19. These types of prisoner continue to be considered for Compassionate ROTL based on a case-by-case assessment of whether it would be safe to do so and we will not release any woman without ensuring she has access to appropriate, safe accommodation, necessary support services in the community and an agreed health care pathway in place.

Prison Governors are working with Family Services, Through the Gate teams, and those Third Sector organisations that currently work within their prisons, to provide the many practical items that women will need, including those who are pregnant or who are leaving custody with their baby.