Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection and who continue to protest their innocence are denied access to rehabilitative courses which may lead to their release.

Maintaining innocence is not a barrier to progression, and there are a number of offending behaviour programmes available to prisoners who maintain their innocence, including those serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection.

It is not mandatory for prisoners to complete offending behaviour programmes in order to achieve release. It should also be borne in mind that completion of a programme is no guarantee that risk has been reduced.

The independent Parole Board consider all the available evidence when assessing prisoners’ risks and their suitability for release.