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Tuesday Volume 599 8 September 2015 No. 39 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 8 September 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 201 8 SEPTEMBER 2015 202 and provide them with the skills to hold down a meaningful House of Commons job, they can be genuine assets to our society rather than liabilities. Tuesday 8 September 2015 James Berry: What role does my right hon. Friend think that new and outside providers could play in improving educational opportunities and outcomes in The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock our prisons? PRAYERS Michael Gove: There are some formidable organisations that want to improve the quality of education in our prisons. In my previous role as Education Secretary, I [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] saw how a wider diversity of education suppliers can help to raise standards for all, and particularly for the most disadvantaged. I would like to see the same reforming vigour applied to the education of offenders. Oral Answers to Questions Pauline Latham: I welcome the written ministerial statement that the Secretary of State mentioned earlier. He will be aware that some prisons, in addition to JUSTICE educating their inmates, provide educational opportunities whereby outside people come into the prison to help and give ex-offenders jobs when they leave. That is a The Secretary of State was asked— way of preventing prisoners from reoffending, but the practice is declining. Will my right hon. Friend look Prison Education into this, please? 1. Alex Chalk (Cheltenham) (Con): What steps he is Michael Gove: My hon. Friend makes a good point. taking to improve the provision of education in One aspect of Dame Sally’s critically important review prisons; and if he will make a statement. [R] [901211] will cover engagement with employers. I am delighted that the chief executive of Timpson, one of the most 6. James Berry (Kingston and Surbiton) (Con): What inspirational organisations employing ex-offenders, is steps he is taking to improve the provision of education part of the team that will help Dame Sally to ensure in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [901216] that education, employability and rehabilitation are all operating together. 7. Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con): What steps he is taking to improve the provision of education Karl McCartney: I thank my right hon. Friend for his in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [901217] answers so far. Does he agree that the current provision of education in prisons, which seems to centre on the 8. Karl McCartney (Lincoln) (Con): What steps he awarding of certificates, is insufficient and that we need is taking to improve the provision of education in to move towards a system in which the curriculum is prisons; and if he will make a statement. [901218] written jointly with employers and focused on employment? Will he therefore consider connecting education in Her 17. Margaret Greenwood (Wirral West) (Lab): What Majesty’s prisons to Lord Baker’s career colleges initiative? recent steps he has taken to improve the provision of education in prisons; and if he will make a statement. Michael Gove: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. [901228] Offenders often feel that they have to complete courses in order to secure release, and that those courses are The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice simply boxes to be ticked and do not contribute to their (Michael Gove): Improving the education of prisoners employability. He is right to suggest that the visionary is key to rehabilitation, but Ofsted inspections have work carried out by Lord Baker to improve the quality revealed that one in five prisons have an inadequate of vocational education more broadly can help to inform standard of education provision, and that another two what we give to offenders to give them a second chance. fifths require improvement. That is why, as we announced in this morning’s written ministerial statement, I have Margaret Greenwood: In a Prisoners Education Trust asked Dame Sally Coates to chair a review of the survey, 83% of prisoners said that access to the virtual quality of education in prisons. The review will report campus was poor. That is hardly surprising, given that in March 2016. prison staffing levels have fallen almost 30% since 2010. If the Secretary of State really wants to improve education Alex Chalk: Does my right hon. Friend agree that provision in prisons, what is he going to do address improving the literacy and numeracy of offenders is that? vital to increasing their employability and, with that, their opportunity to make a contribution to society? Michael Gove: The hon. Lady makes an important point about access to the virtual campus facilities. One Michael Gove: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. of the reasons for the reduction in prison staff is that a The levels of literacy and numeracy of many offenders number of prisons have been closed as part of the in the system are far too low. If we can transform that modernisation programme that took place under my 203 Oral Answers8 SEPTEMBER 2015 Oral Answers 204 predecessor. I had the opportunity yesterday to talk to Michael Gove: Those are very fair points from the the governor of a young offenders institution who is hon. Lady. She is absolutely right about the increase in taking steps to ensure that all the young offenders for the number of incidents of violence in our jails. One whom he is responsible have access to virtual learning factor driving that is the presence of new psychoactive platforms. I would like to see how we can more effectively substances—what have sometimes been called “legal integrate cutting-edge technology with the provision of highs” but are more properly, as the Under-Secretary of education for offenders. State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) has pointed out, called lethal highs. One thing that my right hon. Friend 21. [901232] Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab): the Minister for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice The Secretary of State is right to stress the importance has done is introduce legislation in the Psychoactive of education in helping to stop reoffending, but he Substances Bill, which I know has cross-party support seems to be completely unaware that classes are and will help to deal with that. She is also right in saying frequently cancelled and that wings are closed and that we need to ensure that the appropriate training and locked down because of the shortage of prison officers. support is in place for prison officers. They put their Will he now accept that the Government were wrong to security on the line every day to keep the rest of us safe, cut the number of prison officers in the way that they and everything we can do—for example, extending the have? roll-out of body-worn cameras—to ensure that their security is at the heart of our prison estate is worthwhile. Michael Gove: A significant number of new and talented entrants to the Prison Service have been recruited. Jenny Chapman: That is probably the best answer I I am confident that if we give governors, in particular, a have had from a Secretary of State on the issue of greater degree of operational flexibility, we will be able prison officer safety, on what must be the 20th time of to tackle some of the problems that the hon. Lady raising it, and we will hold him to the moves he has rightly identifies. promised to make. But what happens inside prisons is only half the story. Will he ensure that the review Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Does examines continuity of learning on release? I ask that the Minister agree that all Governments, all Ministers because I am concerned that, following the chaotic and all parties have failed to do very much of significance sell-off of probation, offenders are not being adequately in prison education? When I chaired the Select Committee supervised, risk-assessed or monitored. He knows that on Education and Skills, we looked at this issue. I hope Sodexo has already laid off 600 staff, many of whom the new inquiry, which I welcome, will look at that had good experience in providing offenders with suitable because our recommendations are still relevant today. Is skills and learning placements. he aware that children with special educational needs, and particularly those with autism, often end up in Michael Gove: The hon. Lady is absolutely right to prison? Will he examine the work of the Shannon Trust, say that the transforming rehabilitation programme which tackles the issue of literacy in prisons and gets needs to be scrutinised very closely. I have had the prisoners teaching prisoners? benefit of talking to the trade unions that represent not just Sodexo employees but employees from across probation, and they have raised a number of genuine concerns, Michael Gove: The Shannon Trust work is excellent which I hope we can meet. More broadly, the opportunity and I am happy to commend it to the House. The work to appoint a new chief inspector of probation, and it does—its Toe by Toeprogramme—ensuring that prisoners indeed a new chief inspector of prisons, arises—the can mentor others and help them to read is exemplary. closing date for applications is this Friday. The current The hon. Gentleman’s broader point is right; if we look incumbents of both posts have done an excellent job, back at the past, we see that we have not placed sufficient but it is really important that we have high-quality emphasis on ensuring that when prisoners are in custody people who will hold to account the organisations we give them the tools to transform their lives for the responsible for the fate of offenders and ex-offenders.