§ Mr. StephenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the role of education in prisons; and if he will allow remission to prisoners who apply themselves to their education and obtain a recognised educational qualification while in prison.
§ Mr. Peter LloydIn the White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice: The Way Ahead for the Prison Service in England and Wales" (Cm 1647), the Government stated that education is an essential part of the opportunities which must be provided in a prison. In recent years, the Government have significantly increased the resources devoted to education in prisons; the details of which were provided in the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) on 16 December 1992 at column215.
It would not be right to use the royal prerogative to award a prisoner special remission for educational achievement. It is, however, a consideration which the Parole Board can take into account in determining whether an offender, who has shown a willingness by attitude or behaviour in custody to address his or her offending behaviour and has made positive efforts and progress in doing so, should be recommended for early release.