Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to roll out the Ministry of Justice’s temporary accommodation service for prison leavers to all probation regions in England and Wales.

We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing later this Summer. This service will be in operation during this financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally, though the Spending Review 2021 will set out the approach for future years.

HMPPS will also work in conjunction with MHCLG’s announced funding to support prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies.

Working in collaboration with these initiatives Commissioned Rehabilitation Services are also due to start delivery on 26th June 2021. This will provide further services to assist in accommodation as well as those for employment training and education, financial benefit and debt and personal well-being.