Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public and Private Prisons

Tuesday 22 September 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Levels of violence in UK prisons remain high but show a downward trend.
  • Assaults on staff decreased by 5% in the first quarter of the year and by 4% in the latest quarter.
  • Private prisons are performing well according to recent reports from HMP Parc and HMP Rye Hill.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Grahame Morris Lab Easington
Policing & Resources Justice & Courts
Context

The question addresses the levels of violence and staffing issues across different types of prisons. It highlights concerns about understaffing leading to higher violence rates.

Question

What comparative assessment has been made of levels of (a) violence and (b) staffing in (i) public and (ii) private prisons? The MP is concerned about the link between prison understaffing and high levels of violence, questioning the effectiveness of current staffing measures and the impact on prisoner safety.

Answer from Lucy Frazer

Levels of violence in our prisons remain too high but are on a downward trend. Assaults on staff decreased by 5% in the first quarter of this year and by a further 4% in the latest quarter, with decreases seen across both public and private estates. Staffing levels have improved with a net rise of almost 4,000 prison officers since 2016. However, no specific staffing figures are available for private prisons as performance is measured differently.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked specifically about staffing levels in private prisons and their link to violence, but the answer did not provide concrete staffing figures for private prisons despite acknowledging differences in measurement practices.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Grahame Morris Lab Easington
Justice & Courts
Context

The question builds on the previous exchange, focusing on government policy regarding new private prison construction without staff number requirements or freedom of information obligations.

Question

Thanking the Minister for her response, the MP expresses disappointment over the link between understaffing and high violence levels not being acknowledged by the Government. The questioner inquires about the rationale behind building new private prisons with no minimum staffing levels and without staff number disclosure requirements, questioning the transparency of such policies.

Answer from Lucy Frazer

We have increased staff numbers in public sector prisons and introduced a key worker scheme. Private prisons perform well; recent reports from HMP Parc and HMP Rye Hill managed by G4S were judged to be good, indicating both types of prisons can work effectively without adhering to the same staffing standards.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner questioned why new private prisons are being built with no minimum staffing levels and FOI exemptions. The answer did not address this specific concern about new prison construction policies but instead discussed overall performance of current private prisons.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email