Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the temporary accommodation scheme for prison leavers due to end in January 2021 will be extended.

The temporary accommodation scheme ran between 18 May and 31 August 2020 and provided up to 56 nights’ accommodation for prison leavers. This was an exceptional measure reflecting the challenges presented by Covid-19. At the end of the first scheme, £4.7m had been spent. A further £2m has been committed as of the end of December 2020. It is expected that the full £8.5m will be spent for the current scheme if the current number of individuals supported utilises the full allocation of 56 nights.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, a further £3m funding has been allocated and the scheme will now be extended to 31 March 2021, subject to regular review. This means that individuals may receive support up to the 26 May 2021.