Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what measures are in place to (a) monitor and (b) tackle delays in transferring prisoners between prisons.

The timing of prisoner transfers is dependent upon several factors, including the reason for the transfer, the number of spaces available in the estate and the location to which the prisoner has requested a move.

Data about waiting times for transfers is not held centrally. Hundreds of transfers of prisoners take place each week without delay. Where delays in arranging transfers occur, individual establishments are responsible for monitoring these and for escalating to HMPPS headquarters any issues that cannot be resolved locally.

The prison estate is being reconfigured to ensure a better match between the type of offenders we hold and the available accommodation and this will reduce delays in transferring prisoners into prisons that are best able to meet their needs.