Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made on the recent finding of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding prisoners serving an Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection.

The Government respects the work of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and is considering its findings in the recently published Opinion concerning five individuals given Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences. A formal response will be provided later in the year.

On 1 September, the Lord Chancellor announced that the Government will bring an end to the IPP sentence for those who continue to serve it and will bring forward legislation to do this by the end of this Parliament. The Government will work across party lines and listen to experts to develop the right safeguards and keep public protection at the heart of the reforms.