Commons Sense

House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement

Prisons safety update: wet-shave razors

21 May 2024 · Ministry of Justice

Proposed by Edward Argar Con Melton and Syston

Justice & Courts

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

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At a glance

Key points

  • The Department of Justice is implementing a phased removal of wet-shave razors from adult male closed estate prisons starting with 30 high-violence prisons.
  • The roll-out of wet-shave razor removal will proceed across the entire adult male estate contingent on available funding.
  • The initial investment for the programme is over 1.5 million.

Issue summary

The statement addresses the safety concerns related to wet-shave razors in UK prisons, particularly their potential use in self-harm and assaults.

Action requested

The Department of Justice is implementing a phased removal of wet-shave razors from adult male closed estate prisons, starting with 30 high-violence prisons. This will be followed by a roll-out across the entire adult male estate, contingent on available funding. The initial investment for this programme is over £1.5 million.

Key facts

  • Wet-shave razors can pose dangers through self-harm and assaults in prisons.
  • Pilots of electric shavers as an alternative to wet-shave razors were conducted at HMP Leicester and HMP Swansea.
  • The phased removal will start with 30 high-violence prisons before rolling out across the whole adult male estate.
  • An initial investment of over £1.5 million is allocated for this programme.
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