Alex Davies-Jones

Alex Davies-Jones

Labour — Pontypridd

Speaking in the House of Commons on 5 January 2026

Debate

HMP Leyhill: Offender Abscondments

Contribution

I congratulate the hon. Member on his happy news over the Christmas break. It is lovely for us to have some positive news to celebrate in this place. In April 2025, the Government introduced changes to the eligibility for open conditions from three years to five. We also strengthened mandatory checks in offender assessment system reviews and victim liaison officer notifications, and introduced mandatory seven-day transfer reviews and mandatory security inputting. We upped the assessments necessary for a prisoner to be moved into open prison. We are reducing the number of absconsions—there has been a 2% decrease on last year, as I said—and we hope to go further. Open conditions work; they are about rehabilitation. Tagging also works, which is why we are investing £700 million in probation to increase tagging and probation. As for the 57 prisoners, I do not have those figures to hand, but I will happily write to the hon. Gentleman with them.

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