The new contractor for the construction of additional places at HMP Prescoed is Galliford Try Construction Limited.

The new contractor for the construction of additional places at HMP Warren Hill is Algeco UK Limited

This Government has already delivered c.3,100 new places, as part of the biggest prison expansion programme since the Victorian era.

We are no longer delivering at HMP Leyhill under the Category D Expansion Programme. Around 100 additional places are currently in construction at HMP Leyhill under the Rapid Deployment Cells Programme.

At HMPs Ford, Standford Hill, Birmingham, Liverpool and Prescoed, work remains ongoing following ISG’s administration in September 2024. Pre-construction work is either underway or complete at these sites, and all have a new contractor. The scope of the project at HMP Ford is 360 Category D additional places and at HMP Standford Hill, 240 Category D additional places.

At HMP Erlestoke, 66 Rapid Deployment Cells which were contracted to ISG have been delivered. Separate to this, 180 places are being delivered by the Small Secure Houseblocks Programme. This project was not impacted by ISG entering administration, as it is being delivered by Wates Construction and is now in main works.

Accounting for the impact of ISG’s administration, we remain on track to deliver the 14,000 additional prison places by 2031.

This Government has already delivered c.3,100 new places, as part of the biggest prison expansion programme since the Victorian era.

We are no longer delivering at HMP Leyhill under the Category D Expansion Programme. Around 100 additional places are currently in construction at HMP Leyhill under the Rapid Deployment Cells Programme.

At HMPs Ford, Standford Hill, Birmingham, Liverpool and Prescoed, work remains ongoing following ISG’s administration in September 2024. Pre-construction work is either underway or complete at these sites, and all have a new contractor. The scope of the project at HMP Ford is 360 Category D additional places and at HMP Standford Hill, 240 Category D additional places.

At HMP Erlestoke, 66 Rapid Deployment Cells which were contracted to ISG have been delivered. Separate to this, 180 places are being delivered by the Small Secure Houseblocks Programme. This project was not impacted by ISG entering administration, as it is being delivered by Wates Construction and is now in main works.

Accounting for the impact of ISG’s administration, we remain on track to deliver the 14,000 additional prison places by 2031.

This Government has already delivered c.3,100 new places, as part of the biggest prison expansion programme since the Victorian era.

We are no longer delivering at HMP Leyhill under the Category D Expansion Programme. Around 100 additional places are currently in construction at HMP Leyhill under the Rapid Deployment Cells Programme.

At HMPs Ford, Standford Hill, Birmingham, Liverpool and Prescoed, work remains ongoing following ISG’s administration in September 2024. Pre-construction work is either underway or complete at these sites, and all have a new contractor. The scope of the project at HMP Ford is 360 Category D additional places and at HMP Standford Hill, 240 Category D additional places.

At HMP Erlestoke, 66 Rapid Deployment Cells which were contracted to ISG have been delivered. Separate to this, 180 places are being delivered by the Small Secure Houseblocks Programme. This project was not impacted by ISG entering administration, as it is being delivered by Wates Construction and is now in main works.

Accounting for the impact of ISG’s administration, we remain on track to deliver the 14,000 additional prison places by 2031.

ISG Construction Limited ceased work on all Ministry of Justice sites on the date of their administration, 20 September 2024. This included HMP Birmingham, HMP Liverpool and HMP Prescoed.

HMPPS is committed to reducing the supply and demand of drugs in prisons, delivering a high-quality treatment and recovery system, and reducing the harms drugs cause, including working closely with the privately managed HMP/YOI Parc. The following steps are being taken to help reduce drug use in prisons in Wales:

Restricting the supply of drugs:

• Increasing investments in prison security, including introducing airport-style gate security to identify items such as drugs before they are conveyed into prisons as well as X-ray body scanners to find internally concealed items and x-ray baggage.

• Increasing the number of drug trace detection machines, helping prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs, including through the mail.

• Increasing the number and availability of specialist staff, drugs dogs and security equipment to help identify illicit substances at the first possible opportunity available across all sites.

• Mandatory Drug tests in line with national guidance.

• A Crime in Prisons initiative to support the prosecution of those involved in the trafficking of illicit substances.

• Preventing and pursuing incidents of staff corruption.

Reducing the demand for drugs:

• Increasing opportunity for purposeful activities in prison to reduce boredom and in turn the temptation to engage in illicit substances through education and employment.

• Providing opportunities for prisoners to rehabilitate and resettle positively on release through meaningful employment, appropriate housing, mental health support.

Building recovery and reducing harm from drugs:

• Providing opportunities for individuals to engage in Psychosocial Interventions to reduce substance misuse.

• Providing all suitable individuals with appropriate clinical interventions for substance misuse. In Wales, this includes Buvidal which is a long-acting buprenorphine to treat dependence on opioids.

• Providing Naloxone upon release, alongside associated training, to help prevent accidental overdose incidents.

• Providing harm reduction advice about safer substance use and preventing blood borne viruses.

• Providing individuals in all Welsh prisons with the opportunity to live on an incentivised substance-free living wing designed to support people to lead a substance-free life.

• Exploring options for opening a drug recovery wing in HMP Berwyn to support those misusing opiates to abstain from drugs. Two drug recovery units have already been established at HMP/YOI Parc.

• Providing 24/7 support to prisoners via peer mentors and staff.

• Providing continuity of care through the gate care via collaborative working with agencies such as Dyfodol, NHS and Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous.

Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime.

Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

HMP Swansea, HMP Cardiff, HMP Parc and HMP Usk/Prescoed have not received any staff from prisons in England on detached duty in the last 12 months. HMP Berwyn has not received any staff from prisons in England on detached duty since opening.

The information requested is not collected.

Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime.

Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

The information requested is not collected.

Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime.

Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

The information requested is not collected.

Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime.

Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

The information requested is not collected.

Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime.

Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

Residents in Monmouthshire were recently very concerned when a man convicted of manslaughter absconded from Prescoed open prison. Will the Minister ask his officials to look into the risk assessments being used before prisoners are transferred to Prescoed to ensure that they are suitably rigorous?

We expect that the risk assessments in all these cases are rigorous. My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to this case, and I will, of course, look into it and find out what has happened.