Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to agree and implement a Women’s Prison Release Protocol with co-signatories to the London Blueprint for Women in contact with the Criminal Justice System.

My officials engage regularly with the Mayor’s Office for Crime and Policing, including attending the Blueprint Delivery Group. As set out in the Concordat we encourage the creation of Whole System Approaches that will improve partnership working locally.

In the Prisons Strategy White Paper, we committed to developing a resettlement passport, which will bring together the key information and services that an individual needs for successful resettlement into society. The passport will be a practical and personalised tool that organises, plans and records the information and services needed to support prison leavers’ resettlement, alongside providing information to professionals working with them. We recognise the needs of women differ and resettlement passports will help prisons move further towards a more personalised and integrated approach based on the individual needs of the offender. We will engage with stakeholders throughout the development and implementation of the passport to ensure it is effective and fit for purpose.