Labour Criticised After Prisons Minister Fails to Explain Wales’ Record Imprisonment Rate

The UK Labour Prisons Minister has been criticised after telling the Welsh Affairs Select Committee that he did not know why Wales has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe, claiming there is insufficient research to explain the issue.

The exchange took place during a formal evidence session of the Welsh Affairs Committee examining prisons and justice in Wales. When asked directly why Wales remains such an extreme outlier on imprisonment, the Minister responded that he “doesn’t know the answer to that” “I don’t think I can comment because I don’t know the answer” and “we need to do some more research”.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated that the response raises concerns about accountability within the UK Government. The inability to provide an explanation for such a well-established issue highlights a lack of analysis and understanding at a governmental level of prisons and justice in Wales.

Wales’ disproportionately high imprisonment rate has been publicly documented for several years. Research by Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre highlighted the issue in 2019, and official data has consistently shown Wales to have a higher imprisonment rate than England for over a decade.

While experts accept that there is no single cause, the main contributing factors, including poverty and deprivation, sentencing practices, limited use of community alternatives, and the consequences of a justice system that is not devolved, are widely recognised and well evidenced.

Commenting on the Minister’s answer, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said:

“It is deeply concerning that a Prisons Minister was unable to offer even a basic explanation for why Wales has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe. This is not a new or obscure issue; it has been known, researched, and debated for years.

“No one expects a single, simple answer. But ministers are expected to understand the key drivers behind the outcomes of the systems they oversee. Simply saying ‘I don’t know’ falls short of the standard of accountability Parliament and the public should expect.

“The high rate of imprisonment has significant consequences for Welsh communities, placing pressure on devolved services such as health, housing, and social care, while decisions about sentencing and prisons remain the responsibility of the UK Government.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

·       The question and answer to the Minister from David Chadwick can be found here at around 14:56