Justice Secretary: Places in prison remain under ‘intense pressure’

Prison places remain under “intense pressure”, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has told MPs.

Appearing before the Commons Justice Committee, Mr Chalk insisted that despite the pressure there would be enough spaces within the prison system.

MPs quizzed the Cabinet minister, in the role since April, on the court system, prisons and legal aid.

Much of the hearing focused on lengthy court backlogs and the prison population, which currently stands at more than 86,000 in England and Wales.

“The issue we face in terms of prison population at the moment is not principally about sentencing length. The principal issue is the remand population,” Mr Chalk told MPs.

Mr Chalk told committee chairman Sir Bob Neill: “It is no secret, there is intense pressure.”

He pointed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as industrial action by barristers, as among the reasons for the pressure.

“It is the case load which is the principle factor,” he told the committee.

But Mr Chalk stressed: “There will always be enough prison places to give effect to the order of the court, there will always be enough prison places to keep the British people safe.”

He said that about 1,500 prison cells are currently unavailable due to maintenance, but he said that was because of the Government’s legal obligations on fire safety.

“Once that is done, that will bring a lot more back (into use),” he said.

The Cheltenham MP also praised the Government pay offer of 7% for prison officers, calling it a “really important thing to do” and said that paying staff “properly” was a crucial part of improving retention and recruitment.