Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of Barnardo's in the recent report <i>Locked Out: Children's experiences of visiting a parent in prison</i>, that visits by children to fathers in prison should be removed from the incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme.

The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.

All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.