Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what processes his Department has put in place to ensure that the children of prisoners are able to have contact with their parents during the covid-19 outbreak.

In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family, we have moved quickly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members. This includes the provision of 900 locked mobile phones to establishments that do not yet have in-cell telephony. All prisoners, male and female, now have access to some form of telephony either in-cell, landing PIN phone or locked mobile

Additionally, on 15 May, we announced that secure video calls will be introduced to prisons and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) across England and Wales to maintain vital family contact for prisoners and young offenders during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Following a successful trial at HMP Berwyn, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service is installing the technology at 10 institutions with a wider rollout in the coming weeks.