Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays in security and vetting processes on staffing levels across the prison estate.

Whilst we acknowledge the impact lengthened timescales may have on staffing levels across the prison estate, Personnel Security Vetting is the first line of defence in the screening of people working for or on behalf of HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS). Our processes must be defensible, consistent, legal, and fair with a clear focus on protecting the public and maintaining public confidence. We carefully screen criminal histories, unethical behaviour, or reputational risks, which could damage stakeholder trust and organisational image. Our processes demonstrate due diligence and commitment to security, which builds confidence but which in turn, take time to complete.

HMPPS is taking forward recommendations from the 2022 His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police, Fire & Rescue Services report: “An Inspection of Vetting, Misconduct and Misogyny in the Police Service”. This programme contains modernisation of existing processes and protocols to strengthen vetting across the organisation and to raise the defence level against unsuitable individuals entering the organisation. Recent events, such as the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer, have shone a spotlight on vetting, making it more important than ever that we ensure our policies, processes, and practices are up to standard, by:

• Ensuring our processes are robust;

• Working closely with colleagues in other areas of HMPPS; and

• Taking action to address lessons learned and recommendations from national reviews such as the Angiolini report and the Baroness Casey review.

Security vetting is vital in HMPPS to ensure individuals can uphold the security and integrity standards expected of their role and ensure that prisons and probation remain safe for rehabilitation to take place. Whilst we acknowledge and understand the difficulties posed by lengthened vetting timescales, we remained committed to security, building confidence and providing rehabilitative services.