Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she plans to take to reduce deaths in custody.

Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigates the deaths of prisoners in custody. The investigations are a vital tool to ensure lessons are learned following deaths in prison and to improve safety outcomes in the future.

We provide individualised support through our case management process for people assessed as at risk of suicide and self-harm. This approach places a strong emphasis on identifying individual risks, triggers and protective factors and having effective care plans in place to record, address and mitigate risks.

All new members of staff with prisoner contact receive training on suicide and self-harm prevention.

We continue to work with Samaritans to provide support in the period following a self-inflicted death in order to reduce the risk of further deaths and for the delivery of the Listener scheme, through which selected prisoners are trained to provide emotional support to their fellow prisoners.