Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people recalled to prison as a result of (a) accommodation-related licence breaches and (b) the absence of suitable housing.

The Department recognises that access to effective post-release support, particularly accommodation, plays an important role in helping people comply with licence conditions and avoid recall.

The Probation Service works closely with individuals before and after release to support successful resettlement and reduce the risk of recall. This includes robust pre-release planning and support to address any practical barriers to compliance with licence conditions, including accommodation needs. We continue to improve accommodation support for prison leavers. Subject to consideration by Probation, our Community Accommodation Service can be used to provide a community-based alternative for recall instead of prison.

Prison leavers at risk of homelessness can also be supported through the Community Accommodation Service (CAS3), which provides up to 12 weeks of transitional accommodation and support to help people stabilise on release and move towards settled housing. HMPPS also employs 50 Strategic Housing Specialists across England and Wales to help reduce homelessness on release and strengthen local accommodation pathways.