Prisoner Skills Development 2023-02-21
2023-02-21
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The question arises from the government's initiative to help prisoners develop new skills.
What steps is the minister taking to help prisoners develop new skills?
We are delivering a new prison education service. The first prisoner apprentices have now started on highway maintenance for Kier and hospitality for Greene King. We are launching an employability innovation fund to bring more businesses into prisons.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The question stems from a project where prisoners are learning modern methods of construction to build affordable homes, but faces barriers such as land acquisition issues.
What is the Ministry of Justice doing with other departments to unlock barriers for prison inmates to participate in affordable home-building projects?
I thank my hon. Friend; she is championing a brilliant project in her constituency. Getting more prisoners into work is absolutely vital for them, but also for reducing reoffending. Training prisoners in modern methods of construction is one of the ways we can equip them with the skills to deliver. As a former Housing Minister, I am very conscious of the need to release more surplus land for those purposes and I will speak to my colleagues in the way she asks.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific actions from departments are not clearly committed.
I Will Speak To My Colleagues
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The chief inspector of prisons wrote a paper highlighting issues with the quality of prison education, stating it is not prioritised.
Does the Secretary of State agree that prison education is poor and lacks accountability, and what steps are being taken to address these issues?
The hon. Gentleman is right to refer to the problem. In relation to covid, it has been more difficult. What I can tell him is that: first, through the use of in-cell technology; secondly, with vocational skills and apprenticeships; and thirdly, when I became Justice Secretary I applied a whole set of key performance indicators and lifted up the waiting for both study in prison and getting offenders into work.
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Assessment & feedback
Specifics on addressing poor quality and lack of accountability are not clearly committed.
It Has Been More Difficult Due To Covid
Response accuracy