Question
Despite the Planning Inspectorate recommending refusal, a third prison is under construction at Ulnes Walton in my South Ribble constituency. Unfortunately, the local community has been hugely impacted by issues around access, highway safety and vehicle movements—the very reasons refusal was originally recommended. Will the Minister please meet me as a matter of urgency to discuss how we can develop solutions for the benefit of the Ulnes Walton community?
Answer
The importance of new prison places in this country has been well rehearsed over the last 45 minutes. Nevertheless, I believe strongly that we must be good neighbours, both in the operation of prisons and in their construction, and I also feel very strongly about our liability through our contractors. I believe that I am already planning to meet my hon. Friend on another important matter, and I will ensure that we talk about this point too, because I want to make sure that we are good neighbours with his constituents.50% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The Minister's reply commits to raising the Ulnes Walton point at a meeting already planned with the MP, so the narrow question of whether the issue will be discussed is answered directly. The reply does not address how urgent the matter is or any of the access, highway safety, or vehicle movement solutions the question raised, and its remarks about good neighbours are generic. The person who asked would likely need to submit a follow-up to get the specific information they wanted.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister meet the MP as a matter of urgency to discuss developing solutions to the access, highway safety and vehicle movement impacts on the Ulnes Walton community arising from the construction of HMP Ulnes Walton. | Partially Addressed | Direct | The Minister commits to raising the Ulnes Walton point at a meeting already planned with the MP, which answers whether the point will be discussed. But the reply does not address the requested urgency or any of the access, highway safety, or vehicle movement solutions, and the 'good neighbours' remarks are generic. |