Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that specialist violence against women and girls services are aware of the early release of prisoners with known histories of those offences.

The decision that this Government has taken to release some prisoners early is a difficult but necessary one.

We want women and girls to feel safe, and ministers and officials are meeting regularly with the specialist women and girls’ sector to ensure they have the information they need to support victims and survivors throughout early release of prisoners. On 22 August, Minister Timpson and I chaired a roundtable meeting with over thirty groups representing victims and survivors to provide detail on the release process and support available for them. I have also been working closely with the sector and the Victims’ and Domestic Abuse Commissioners to ensure information reaches those working directly with victims and survivors every day.

Ensuring victims and survivors are safe and supported is my priority, and I will continue to engage closely with the victims’ sector throughout this process and beyond.