Written question asked by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Monday, 4 April 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 26 April 2011. It was answered by Crispin Blunt (Conservative) on Tuesday, 26 April 2011 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisons: Education

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to increase educational opportunities at Her Majesty's Prison Latchmere House.

Answer: As a resettlement prison for about 200 prisoners HMP Latchmere House has a primary focus on preparing prisoners for release. Currently, about 95 prisoners are engaged in internal employment or work based training and there is an education department that accommodates a further 20. In addition 83 prisoners attend a range of external employment or training opportunities.The education provision in the prison includes Careers Information and Advice Services and some learning and skills to assist offenders attending work and education in the prison while waiting for external opportunities on Release on Temporary Licence (RoTL). Additional support is offered, when needed, to those prisoners working and studying elsewhere in external provision.The Virtual Campus, a highly secure computer web-based facility gives prisoners access to assessment, learning, career development, information services opportunities and courses while in custody. This is currently scheduled to be installed in the prison later this year creating and expanding relevant learning for prisoners.Together with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Ministry of Justice has undertaken a review of offender learning and we plan to publish the outcome in the near future.

Secondary information