Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Offenders in Prison: Numeracy and Literacy

Tuesday 14 December 2021 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister is working to deliver a transformed prison education service to improve numeracy and literacy rates of prisoners.
  • Prisoners will be assessed upon entry and a personal learning plan will be created to monitor their progress.
  • Minister will work collaboratively with devolved Justice Ministers in Northern Ireland to support prisons offering numeracy and literacy facilities.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Steven Baker Con
Justice & Courts Education
Context

The MP asked about steps being taken to improve the numeracy and literacy rates of offenders in prison.

Question

What steps are you taking to improve the numeracy and literacy rates of offenders in prison?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

We are working to deliver a transformed prison education service that will improve numeracy and literacy of all prisoners. Prisoners will be assessed on entry and a personal learning plan will be created to monitor and track progress against starting points and resettlement goals.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific statistics or timelines for the transformation, nor any details on how the improvements would be measured or incentivised.

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Q2 Steven Baker Con
Justice & Courts Employment
Context

The MP followed up to inquire whether core skills should always be part of the prison regime for everyone who needs them, and if steps will continue to enhance people's employability during their stay in prison.

Question

Should core skills not always be part of the prison regime for everybody who needs them? Will you continue to take steps to make sure that people's employability is enhanced by their stay in prison?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

My hon. Friend is exactly right. Education is very often the solution to so many of society's problems. It is a stepping stone towards employment, which, in itself, reduces reoffending very significantly. We will establish a literacy innovation scheme and introduce specific measures of progress to track how successful each prison is at improving prisoners' English and maths.

Answered
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Q3 Gregory Campbell DUP East Londonderry
Justice & Courts Northern Ireland
Context

The MP raised the issue of reduced reoffending rates in prisons that focus on numeracy and literacy skills, asking if support will be given to Northern Irish prisons with such facilities.

Question

Will you re-emphasise the need for support for prisons offering numeracy and literacy facilities during discussions with relevant devolved Justice Ministers in Northern Ireland?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

This is obviously an issue that affects all the home nations, and I will be more than happy to work collaboratively with counterparts across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Not addressed: The Minister did not explicitly commit to re-emphasising support for such facilities in Northern Ireland.

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