Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support HM Prison and Probation Service.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. It is responsible for carrying out sentences given by the courts, both in prisons and in the community. Its core objectives are to protect the public and rehabilitate people to reduce the risk of reoffending.

The Ministry of Justice and HMPPS work hand in glove to ensure that policy and operational delivery work together to deliver punishment that cuts crime, swifter justice for victims and ensure that the UK is a beacon for justice and the rule of law.

Policies and frameworks to achieve these outcomes are developed by Ministry of Justice policy and HMPPS operations in tandem. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS are committed to this close working relationship. For example, the Joint Strategic Policy Unit is a mixed MoJ / HMPPS team which reports jointly to HMPPS senior officials, as well as MoJ policy directors and ministers. This ensures that HMPPS and the MoJ are entirely joined up in responding to challenges in the prisons and probation system, as well as on longer-term strategic planning.

The MoJ is also supporting HMPPS with increased investment in both prisons and probation. Probation funding will increase by up to £700 million by the final year of the spending review. That is a 45% increase in annual budgets, which will support additional recruitment and investment in services that rehabilitate offenders and cut crime. A further £4.7 billion prison building investment has been confirmed, backing the largest expansion since the Victorians.