Question
Can the Minister confirm that criminals will not get tagged if they are classed as homeless? At the weekend, it was revealed that prisoners released early by this Government were given tents because there was no accommodation for them. So yes or no—will prisoners who are released and given a tent be tagged? Or will they be roaming the streets without any way of locating them, free to commit more crime?
Answer
I agree with the right hon. Lady that it is completely unacceptable for a prisoner to be released with a tent. That is not Government policy, and it is not something that we want to see. That is why we are working at pace to improve the current homelessness situation that we inherited from the previous Government, to make sure that nobody, including prison leavers, leaves prison homeless or has to live homeless.20% point-scoring 20% vibes
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The reply responds to the scenario of prisoners being released homeless with a tent, calling it unacceptable and saying the government is working to ensure no prison leaver is homeless. However, it does not say whether such released prisoners would be electronically tagged or otherwise located, which was the core of the question. The answer is mostly general and hedged on that point, so the person who asked would likely need to submit a follow-up for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will prisoners released early who are classed as homeless, and given a tent, be electronically tagged, or otherwise be locatable? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply engages with the scenario of prisoners released homeless with a tent, calling it unacceptable and not government policy, and says the government is working to ensure no prison leaver is homeless. It never says whether such released prisoners would be electronically tagged or otherwise located, so the core of the question is left unanswered and the reply offers only general platitudes on that point. |