Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons did not have secure video calling technology being used by prisoners as of 28 September 2020.

We fully acknowledge the importance of family contact for those in custody, in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s Reviews. This is why, following the necessary suspension of prison visits in March to keep prisoners, their families and staff safe during the pandemic, we introduced a range of measures including the introduction of secure video calls.

As of 28 September, we have live services operating in 103 out of the 110 establishments in scope of the roll-out. The seven prisons which have not yet been able to go live are: HMPs Hollesley Bay, Kirkham, Leyhill, Swaleside, The Mount, Warren Hill and, Oakhill Secure Training Centre. These establishments have all taken receipt of the necessary equipment and staff have been trained. However, they have experienced networking and connectivity issues and, in some cases, have had to wait for broadband upgrades to the establishments as a whole. They are currently undertaking test calls and expect to go live as soon as possible.