To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support his Department provides to help prisoners secure employment on release.

Since we launched our Education and Employment Strategy in May 2018, we have overhauled the prison education system, allowing governors to commission skills-based training and education that meets the needs of the local labour market and helps prison leavers into work.

We have introduced the New Futures Network, a specialist part of the Prison Service which brokers partnerships between prisons and employers in England and Wales to provide job opportunities for prisoners both in custody and on release. Additionally, we have established new rules to allow governors to get offenders out to work earlier on temporary licence. This will increase the opportunities available for prisoners to secure jobs on release and reduce their chances of reoffending.

DWP Prison Work Coaches are in place at many prisons to support prisoners into work on release and our recently published National Partnership Agreement with DWP will further strengthen our collaboration in this area.