Ministerial statement on Thursday, 29 January 2026, in the House of Commons, led by Jake Richards.

Prison Capacity: Annual Statement

Statement on prison capacity.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 779 cc1084-1095
Session: 2024-26
Department: Ministry of Justice
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Annual Statement on Prison Capacity
Thursday, 29 January 2026
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Proceeding contributions: Jake Richards | 779 cc1084-5 (Link to this contribution)
With your permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on prison capacity.<...; Judith Cummins | 779 c1085 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I am interested in hearing what the Minister has to say, as are our constituents.; Jake Richards | 779 cc1085-7 (Link to this contribution)
I am very grateful, Madam Deputy Speaker.
We cannot just build our way out of this problem....; Judith Cummins | 779 c1087 (Link to this contribution)
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
12.49 pm; Nick Timothy | 779 c1087 (Link to this contribution)
This is my first chance to speak about prisons as shadow Justice Secretary, and I want to get str...; Jake Richards | 779 c1088 (Link to this contribution)
indicated dissent.; Nick Timothy | 779 c1088 (Link to this contribution)
That is true. But I agree that those numbers remain too low, because we should be deporting all t...; Jake Richards | 779 cc1088-9 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the new shadow Justice Secretary to his place; I hope he can do a better job than his p...; Judith Cummins | 779 c1089 (Link to this contribution)
I call the Chair of the Justice Committee.; Andy Slaughter | 779 c1089 (Link to this contribution)
The prison population is comprised in significant part of cohorts of prisoners who, for a variety...; Jake Richards | 779 c1089 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question. Let me deal with the education point up front. ...; Judith Cummins | 779 c1089 (Link to this contribution)
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.; Jess Brown-Fuller | 779 c1090 (Link to this contribution)
This Government inherited a justice system in a shambles after years of Conservative complacency ...; Jake Richards | 779 cc1090-1 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the hon. Member’s questions. As I set out in the statement, the issue of short-term sen...; Kim Johnson | 779 c1091 (Link to this contribution)
I support the comments made by my hon. Friend the Member for Hammersmith and Chiswick (Andy Slaug...; Jake Richards | 779 c1091 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend has been a champion on this issue for a long time. I am very happy to meet with he...; Ashley Fox | 779 c1091 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for his statement. He said that the release of prisoners will depend on thei...; Jake Richards | 779 c1091 (Link to this contribution)
I am sympathetic to the argument that the hon. Member makes. We need to look at how we involve th...; Sally Jameson | 779 c1092 (Link to this contribution)
I remind Members of my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests: I am a member of th...; Jake Richards | 779 c1092 (Link to this contribution)
I always welcome my hon. Friend’s contributions on this issue. I gently say to Conservative Membe...; Vikki Slade | 779 c1092 (Link to this contribution)
Almost one in six of the prison population is on remand, and more than 2,500, which is the popula...; Jake Richards | 779 c1092 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Member will know that decisions on individual cases about remand and bail are for our in...; Lloyd Hatton | 779 c1093 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for updating the House with this important annual statement. Unfortunately, ...; Jake Richards | 779 c1093 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is a brilliant champion for his constituency, and in particular for its cafés, inc...; Mark Pritchard | 779 c1093 (Link to this contribution)
A Crown court judge in Shropshire recently referenced the county’s “shoplifting epidemic”. Page 6...; Jake Richards | 779 c1093 (Link to this contribution)
I was going to say that I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question, but he sort of ruined ...; Tessa Munt | 779 c1093 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the Minister’s statement. He has said that the number of extra prison places created si...; Jake Richards | 779 c1094 (Link to this contribution)
I am very happy to come and speak to the Justice Committee as and when invited. The hon. Member r...; Ben Obese-Jecty | 779 c1094 (Link to this contribution)
Regarding prison capacity, my understanding is that none of the 14,000 prison places that are pla...; Jake Richards | 779 c1094 (Link to this contribution)
I will write to the hon. Gentleman on his last question—I just do not have the details, and I do ...; Jim Shannon | 779 c1094 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for his statement. Does he accept that in their rush to free up space, the G...; Jake Richards | 779 c1094 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. He said that there was a rush to free up space —that...
Subjects: Prisoners Prisons Prisoners' release Standards Reform Sentencing Prison accommodation
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

Prison Capacity: Annual Statement

Secondary information

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