← Back to House of Commons Debates
HMP Frankland: Covid-19
24 November 2020
Lead MP
Mary Foy
Debate Type
Adjournment Debate
Tags
Justice & CourtsNHSEmploymentMental Health
Other Contributors: 1
At a Glance
Mary Foy raised concerns about hmp frankland: covid-19 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The Member for City of Durham thanked Mr Speaker for granting the debate and acknowledged the bravery of prison staff during the pandemic. She highlighted a recent rise in infections at HMP Frankland, where up to 8% of prisoners were infected with around 20% of all staff off work due to the virus or isolating measures. The MP expressed concerns over the decision by gold command not to move from stage 4 restrictions to the more severe stage 5 despite strong support from Public Health England (PHE) and the Prison Officers Association (POA). She also raised issues regarding staffing levels, prisoner welfare, and the treatment of prisoners in relation to wider society's coronavirus restrictions. The Member praised the open relationship between prison leadership and POA but stressed that PHE advice should be shared with the union.
Their brief intervention point. 1-2 sentences.
Government Response
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, Lucy Frazer, thanked the Member for City of Durham for raising these issues and paid tribute to prison staff’s efforts during the pandemic. She outlined the government's approach in managing COVID-19 within prisons since March, including social distancing measures, video calling deployments for family contact, and the implementation of a weekly testing regime. The Minister highlighted that HMP Frankland had taken immediate action upon declaring an outbreak on 13 October with enhanced cleaning practices and isolation measures. She reassured that while there are staff absences at Frankland, staffing levels remain sufficient given the restrictive regime in place. Regarding POA and PHE's support for a different regime, the Minister stated that both agencies agreed on a regime minimising infection risk without compromising prisoner welfare or mental health. The Ministry aims to balance infection control with prisoners' wellbeing by giving governors flexibility based on local circumstances, adhering to national guidelines.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.