Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the recommendations contained in the Woodhill Commitments, developed by the Woodhill Families Group following deaths in custody at HMP Woodhill; and whether he plans to implement those recommendations across the prison estate.

The safety of prisoners and staff is our top priority, both at HMP Woodhill and across all our prisons, and we are grateful to the Woodhill Families Group for their commitment to prison safety and support of bereaved families. Many of the proposals in the Woodhill Commitments are reflected in national policy and operational guidance, while others align closely with ongoing work to strengthen prison safety processes and family engagement.

Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to learn from deaths in custody, the recommendations from coroners, the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody and those with lived experience, to identify opportunities for further improvement. The Department is compiling a formal response to the Woodhill Commitments in the coming weeks.