Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the findings of the Farmer Review, what progress his Department has made on introducing in-cell phones throughout the women’s prison estate.

Currently, HMP Eastwood Park and HMP Styal have in-cell telephones and this will be extended to HMP Newhall and HMP Foston Hall later this year. This is part of a wider rollout which will see 50 public sector prisons having in-cell telephones by March 2020. This will provide a crucial means of allowing prisoners to build and maintain family relationships, boosting their rehabilitation prospects.