Employment Advisory Boards 2023-05-16
2023-05-16
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
No specific background provided, but the question relates to employment support for ex-offenders.
What steps he is taking to support employment advisory boards?
Employment advisory boards, chaired by business leaders across the country, do hugely important work to foster links between prisons and employers. Having a job reduces the reoffending rate by up to nine percentage points. That is good for society and for the offenders who turn their lives around. That is why we have rolled out boards to 92 resettlement prisons ahead of schedule.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP visited HMP Swaleside and witnessed the work of its employment advisory board, which includes setting up an internal distribution centre.
I recently visited HMP Swaleside, where I witnessed good work done by the excellent employment advisory board, including the setting up of the internal distribution centre run by prisoners. The MP asks for a visit from the Prisons Minister to see this initiative in action.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that issue. He is right to highlight the brilliant work of Paul Barrett of Barretts Motor Group, who is bringing that work to HMP Swaleside. Thanks to his hard work we are seeing a dramatic improvement in the percentage of prisoners in employment six months after release—it is up 9% in just a year. My hon. Friend will see an even greater increase when the latest figures come out. My right hon. Friend the Prisons Minister is already planning a trip to the Isle of Sheppey to see those initiatives in action.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy