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Written question asked by Nick Timothy (Conservative) on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 March 2026. It was answered by Jake Richards (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 April 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.


Prisons: Meat

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of meat served in prisons has been (a) halal and (b) kosher in each year since 2020, broken down by individual prison.

Answer

As this data is not held centrally the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Food in Prison Policy Framework requires that prisoners are provided with meals that meet an individual’s religious, cultural, and medical dietary needs. Prisons provide a multi-choice, pre-select menu for the lunchtime or evening meal which must reflect the diverse needs of the establishment’s population. When a Halal meat or poultry menu choice is offered, an alternative meat or poultry choice which is not Halal must be provided at the same meal.

All prisons across England and Wales provide prisoners with a choice of at least five meal options at both lunch and the evening meal. As a minimum, these options include: one meat dish, one vegan dish, one vegetarian dish, one Halal dish, and one additional alternative option.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
123531
Session
2024-26
Related items
Prisons: Meat
Friday, 24 April 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Prisons: Food
Friday, 24 April 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Prisons Meat Ritual slaughter
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk