Member

We talked about the use of data. I was directed to the prison education and accredited programme statistics. These statistics are useful, but they focus on subjects such as maths, IT and English, particularly for non-English-speaking foreign nationals, most of whom are supposed to be sent home after release, so their education is less important when money is short. The statistics also focus on accreditation for reducing substance abuse and for sex offender treatment. I am not convinced of the effectiveness of this, and I want to see much more focus on practical vocational skills, as in my amendment, such as bricklaying, plastering, motor mechanics and gardening. We should encourage more employers to work in prisons training staff for the future, as Timpson does.