Written question asked by Neil Carmichael (Conservative) on Monday, 20 February 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 22 February 2012. It was answered by Crispin Blunt (Conservative) on Monday, 27 February 2012 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners: Reading

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what support his Department is providing for the work of the Toe by Toe peer mentoring programme operated by the Shannon Trust in the prison system.

Answer: 'Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation. Review of Offender Learning' (May 2011), published jointly by the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, highlights the value of peer mentoring and demonstrates our commitment to invest in offenders who display an aptitude for such roles. We will continue to support the work of the Shannon Trust in our prisons by promoting their work, integrating their staff and identifying, supporting and developing the prisoner peer mentors who facilitate the reading scheme.

Secondary information