Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average amount of time per day prisoners in England were confined to their cells was in (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020.

It has not been possible to provide the information requested as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services, sets out how we will operate whilst responding to COVID-19. Supporting this, there is more detailed guidance about the nature of regime activity expected at each stage.

There is no central mandate which governs the amount of time that prisoners should spend out of their cells. The decisive action we have taken during the pandemic has meant tens of thousands of officers and prisoners have been kept safe in the face of perhaps the greatest challenge ever to face the service. We introduced a number of necessary restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19, however, we have continued to offer as much time out of cells as possible, with necessary adaptions to manage infection. Governors are afforded the flexibility to deliver balanced regimes that maintain an appropriate level of time out of cell on a range of activities, including association, which meet the needs of the establishment’s population, whilst taking into account available resources.

Specifically, we have maintained a requirement in all prisons to provide prisoners with time in the open air. All sites have also set out how they will provide prisoners with time out of cell, and the safe equivalent of association time. Since the beginning of the pandemic, prisons were authorised to use external exercise yards for access to the open air.

The safety, mental health and wellbeing of prisoners has remained a priority. A range of products have been made available to support Governors in devising and implementing local safety and welfare plans designed to mitigate any risks. The increased restrictions have undoubtedly saved lives but we know they are extremely tough on prisoners - and we quickly rolled out video calls, in-cell education and extra support in response.