Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on steps to help prisoners on early release find employment.

The Ministry of Justice works closely with the Department of Work and Pensions to improve employment outcomes for prison leavers.

We know that employment reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why I am pleased to say that the rate of prison leavers in employment six months after release has more than doubled in the two years to March 2023, from 14% to over 30%.

All offenders released on End of Custody Supervised Licence will have a release plan put together by probation that helps support them in their journey into employment.