Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Prison Security

Tuesday 8 July 2025 · 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 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government investment in prison security measures is 40 million.
  • Drone sightings around prisons increased by over 770% between 2019 and 2023.
  • Prison staff face high levels of violence and a toxic work environment.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Sarah Edwards Lab Tamworth
Policing & Resources Justice & Courts
Context

Swinfen Hall Prison in Tamworth has experienced a spate of attacks, with drug and weapon deliveries via drones. The families and prison officers are concerned for safety.

Question

There has been a spate of attacks at Swinfen Hall Prison, which holds young offenders, in my constituency. Drugs, phones and weapons are often dropped in by drone. The families of prisoners are concerned for their safety, and prison officers are at risk. What steps are the Government taking to prevent drones and to tackle the high levels of violence in our prisons?

Answer from The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Shabana Mahmood)

Under the last Government, between 2019 and 2023, drone sightings around prisons increased by over 770%. We are investing £40 million in bolstering security measures in our prisons, and we are currently trialling new anti-drone netting on the long-term, high-security estate to tackle drone incursions.

Answered
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Q2 Liz Saville Roberts PC Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Justice & Courts
Context

According to the Rademaker review, prison workers are too afraid to raise complaints about bullying and harassment due to a toxic work environment. The Joint Unions in Prisons Alliance relaunched an updated 'Safe Inside' prisons charter today.

Question

Prison staff are facing record levels of violence and working in such a toxic environment that, according to the Rademaker review, workers are too afraid to raise complaints about bullying and harassment. Does the Lord Chancellor therefore welcome today’s relaunch of the updated “Safe Inside” prisons charter by the Joint Unions in Prisons Alliance, a coalition of 10 trade unions representing the vast majority of prison staff? If so, will she join us this evening to hear more about safer systems of working in prisons?

Answer from The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Shabana Mahmood)

I believe the Prisons Minister may well be attending the event that the right hon. Member mentioned. I will happily pick that up in my regular conversations with trade union officials. She is right to highlight the scale of violence across our prison system. We are already taking measures, and I hope that the combination of sentencing reform and investment in our prisons will bring down the level of violence we are currently seeing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Attending the event this evening to discuss safer systems of working in prisons

How: I Believe The Prisons Minister May Well Be Attending

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