Question
Between May and August this year, Kevin Brown committed eight burglaries in Hartlepool, targeting businesses and charities like Alice House hospice and Cornerstone homelessness charity. The court handed him a suspended sentence. That is not good enough for me, and it is not good enough for my constituents. Does the Minister agree that we must build more prison places so that individuals like this are locked up?
Answer
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that we must build more prison places, and we are working at pace to do that. Obviously, I will not comment on independent judicial decisions that are made in particular cases, but he should be reassured to know that when it comes to tackling acquisitive crime, tagging is appropriate and individualised to the offender, to ensure that it tackles their particular challenges in terms of reoffending. An acquisitive crime GPS tag pilot found that offenders were 20% less likely to reoffend within 12 months. We are working across the board to tackle all these issues in the round.17% vibes
Verdict: GREEN (85/100)
The question asked whether the Minister agrees that more prison places need to be built. The reply directly answers yes, stating that more places must be built and that work is underway at pace to deliver them. This was the only point in the question, and it was answered clearly and without hedging.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Minister agrees that more prison places must be built. | Addressed | Direct | The Minister explicitly states agreement that more prison places must be built, and says work is underway at pace to deliver them, which directly answers whether the Minister agrees. |