Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review their decision to reject Reading Council’s bid to convert HM Prison Reading into an art centre; and what consideration they gave to the preservation of the building as an arts venue.

Marketing of the former prison at Reading has completed and a preferred bidder selected. We have no plans to review our decision not to progress with any of the other bids for the site. A range of factors were considered in assessing which bid represented the best value for the department and the taxpayer.