Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour's David Hanson asks further questions about the period immediately after the riot.

Mr Petherick says that after a riot, staff attrition, or staff leaving, can increase. He says that G4S mitigated this by bringing in staff from other establishments.

Mr Hanson asks how much time he spent personally at the prison immediately after.

Mr Petherick say he spent a "significant amount of time" at the HM Prison Birmingham after the riot. He says he would go in to "walk around, talk and listen to people".

Mr Hanson asks how the prison therefore "collapsed as it did".

Mr Petherick says that G4S were focusing on staff leaving and "bringing in additional expertise".

He says he accepts responsibility for what happens.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Ms Prentis says that the NAO have said that money can be deducted from G4S if repairs are not adequate to the site.

Mr Spurr says that HMPPS have increased the inspections taking place. He adds that he was not aware that all the windows were broken in the Victorian wings of the prison.

Ms Prentis asks if there is "sufficient clarity" for what an acceptable cell standard is in the contract.

The cells were "not in a great state" when G4S took over the prison in 2011, Mr Spurr says.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative MP Victoria Prentis asks about the state of prisons themselves. She says that there are living conditions "as poor as we've seen anywhere" in Birmingham Prison, stating that many windows were broken.

Jerry Petherick, of G4S, says that he was "very frustrated and annoyed" by the situation that happened at Birmingham. He says that the broken windows were an "ongoing issue" and he states that the company has paid £19.7m on refurbishing the prison, £6m more than expected, since taking over the running of the prison.

Ms Prentis asks why the problem took so long to fix.

Mr Petherick says that the broken windows were "not a static issue". He states that the company were "continually replacing the windows".

Ms Prentis asks if there are any other "major repairs" which need to take place.

Mr Richards says that HMPPS has commissioned a full "delapidation survey", due to be completed in January, on what needs doing in the old Victorian wings.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Chair Bob Neill asks staff from HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) how frequently Birmingham Prison was visited prior to the riot which took place in December 2016.

Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of HMPPS, says that he did not visit the prison in the year leading up to the riot.

Neil Richards, Head of Custodial Contracts at HMPPS, reassures the committee that someone from the Ministry of Justice visits sites once every three weeks.

Mr Spurr says that there are "mechanisms in place" to ensure that there is correct oversight of Birmingham Prison. He adds that it is "difficult" for a prison to "recover from a major riot like that".

Mr Spurr states changes to Birmingham Prison are now costing G4S £1m. Bob Neill says that the lifetime of the contract is worth £450m for the company. Mr Spurr replies that this is not a fair comparison.

Select Committee
Parliament

The witnesses are:

• Michael Spurr, Chief Executive Officer, HM Prison and Probation Service
• Neil Richards, Head of Custodial Contracts, HM Prison and Probation Service
• Paul Newton, Governor, HMP Birmingham
• Jerry Petherick, G4S
• Michael Spurr, Chief Executive Officer, HM Prison and Probation Service

And later...

• Rory Stewart MP, Prisons Minister

Select Committee
Parliament

Robert Neill , external(Chair) Conservative

Mrs Kemi Badenoch , externalConservative

Alex Chalk , externalConservative

Bambos Charalambous , externalLabour

Janet Daby , externalLabour

David Hanson , externalLabour

John Howell , externalConservative

Gavin Newlands , externalScottish National Party

Victoria Prentis , externalConservative

Ellie Reeves , externalLabour

Ms Marie Rimmer , externalLabour

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, Press Association

The Justice Committee is holding an inquiry into the prison population in 2022.

The inquiry is focusing on who is in prison and who is expected to be imprisoned in the next five years. It will also focus on why prisoners are there, why they stay there and why some return.

The inquiry will ask whether the Ministry of Justice and prison services have a credible plan for the changes in services which are anticipated.

As of last week, the prison population stood in the UK at 83,068. Of those, 3,804 are female, 79,264 are male.

The useable capacity of Britain's prisons is reported by the government to be 85,236.

The UK has the highest number of prisoners serving life sentences in Europe, as reported by the Prison Reform Trust, external.

Welcome back to our coverage of today's events in Westminster.

It's the morning after the night before - but with the postponement of the vote on the prime minister's EU withdrawal deal, attention turns to committees, bills and debates beyond Brexit.

Although we will have an emergency debate today, on the delay to the vote, requested by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

But first, this morning, we'll be covering a Justice Committee session on planning for the future of prisons.

The pound falls to the lowest level against the dollar since April 2017 after the prime minister's statement.

The Commons Speaker criticises the government as a Labour MP is thrown out of the chamber.

The EU insists it will "not renegotiate" after Theresa May says she needs time to ask for changes.

House of Commons
Parliament

Following that drama, there's a short adjournment debate on tram safety, introduced by Labour Croydon MP Sarah Jones.

Seven people were killed and over 50 injured when a tram derailed in Croydon in 2016.

That ends, and with it so does the day in the Commons - thanks for joining us.

We'll be back tomorrow, when MPs will conduct the emergency debate granted this evening on the decision to delay the vote on the Brexit deal.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

In protest at the government's decision to postpone the debate and vote on the Brexit deal, Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle removes the Mace from its place.

The Mace is a ceremonial club which represents royal authority. If it is removed the Commons cannot debate or pass laws.

After Mr Russell-Moyle took the Mace he walked towards the main doors into the Commons chamber, where he was stopped by Commons officials.

The mace is returned to its place on the table in front of the Speaker's chair, and Mr Russell-Moyle is expelled from the Commons chamber for the rest of the day's sitting.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

We now come to the moment when the government officially calls off tomorrow's vote on the Brexit deal.

After a Commons clerk reads out the the day's official business, a government whip shouts out "tomorrow" - in which in parliamentary terms effectively means 'at a later date'.

This delays the two remaining days of debate and the vote on the deal, until a date yet to be decided.

Tory MP Peter Bone calls out "now" in an attempt to continue the debate on the vote this evening.

But earlier this evening, Speaker John Bercow said he cannot take an instruction from anyone other than a government minister on the orders of the day.

House of Commons
Parliament

Speaker John Bercow says he is satisfied that the matter raised by Jeremy Corbyn is "absolutely proper" to be discussed under standing order 24 (which concerns emergency debates).

All opposition MPs, plus a number of governments MPs, stand in support of the motion, with none objecting.

The debate will be held tomorrow for up to three hours, Mr Bercow says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Jeremy Corbyn says he would like to apply for an emergency debate on the prime minister's decision to delay the vote on the Brexit deal.

The way the government intends to call off the vote - without allowing MPs a say - shows a "disregard for Parliament", he adds.

Ministers are "avoiding a vote on a change of business as they fear they do not command a majority", he says.

Theresa May has also not given a time when the vote will take place, he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

With points of order concluded, Speaker John Bercow says he will now give Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn the opportunity to make an application for an emergency debate...