Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sites for new prison developments are currently being considered by his Department; how many developments are being prepared for public consultation; and how many of those proposed developments are in the public consultation phase.

The Ministry of Justice is currently considering a number of sites for potential new prison developments, delivering a mix of places based on population type and category.

We have received outline planning permission for one site, adjacent to the existing prison at HMP Full Sutton, and we are preparing for pre-planning public consultation for another two.

There are no further sites currently undergoing public consultation. The pre-planning public consultation phase for our proposed new prison on land adjacent to HMP Grendon/Springhill formally started on 2 December 2020 and concluded on 29 January 2021. This was extended to accept any feedback received by email until 18:00 on Friday 5 February 2021, to ensure that all constituents had the opportunity to do so.

Potential new prison sites will be made public should they progress to pre-planning public consultation or if we make a public announcement. However, they are currently exempt from disclosure due to commercial sensitivities and to protect the development/formulation of government policy.