Committee publication · Report · 30 March 2026 · HC 702
3rd Report - The Future of HMP Parc
From: Welsh Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales
Government response deadline: 30 May 2026
Summary
The Welsh Affairs Committee's interim report examines HMP Parc, a privately-run prison in Bridgend holding 1,829 prisoners. Seventeen men died there in 2024—the highest in any English or Welsh prison that year. The report scrutinises safety failures, drug ingress, and staffing shortages revealed by HM Inspectorate inspections in January 2025 and 2026, while assessing the government's planned 345-place expansion. The committee acknowledges leadership improvements but remains concerned about ongoing challenges and recommends pausing the expansion.
Key findings
- Seventeen deaths at HMP Parc in 2024 (nine natural causes, five drug-related, three suicides), compared to a 2014–2023 average of six annually; seven deaths in 2025.
- HM Inspectorate's January 2025 inspection found performance worsened across all 'healthy prison tests' (safety, respect, purposeful activity, preparation for release), citing high violence, illicit drugs, self-harm, and under-resourced mental health services.
- February 2026 follow-up inspection found good progress on one concern, reasonable progress on three, but insufficient progress on seven—particularly in understanding violence causes, self-harm prevention, public protection, and access to healthcare and education.
- Drug ingress via drones through vulnerable windows identified as major problem; window replacement programme delayed from August 2026 to October 2026.
- Planned expansion of 320–345 prison places approved by Bridgend Council (November 2025); expansion scheduled for 2026–2027 but lacks published start/completion dates.
Recommendations
- Pause the planned expansion of HMP Parc. The committee argues that given the scale of 2024 failings and ongoing work to embed improvements, expansion risks jeopardising prisoner and staff safety and distracting from necessary sustained improvement.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Ruth Jones (Chair, Welsh Affairs Committee), Will Styles (Director, HMP Parc), Ian Barrow (Executive Director, HMPPS Wales), Lord Timpson (Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending), Gordon Brockington (G4S Care and Rehabilitation Services), Charlie Taylor (HM Chief Inspector of Prisons), G4S, HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Notable line
“Deaths due to violence, suicide, and drug misuse are a preventable tragedy and symbolic of a failing system.”
Key Quotes
“Seventeen men died at HMP Parc in 2024. This is the highest number of deaths in any prison in England and Wales that year.”
“If the current director remains in place and he receives the support he needs from the provider and the prison service, then there can be optimism that the early signs of improvement at this important prison can begin to be consolidated and sustained.”
“… regime (the daily routine and activities of prisoners), "the prison will continue to struggle to achieve the necessary improvements in outcomes for prisoners".”
“"Lessons have been learned and things have got a lot better, but it is still on my list of concerns and we need to make sure that things keep improving".”
“We are concerned, however, that the expansion of HMP Parc would be a distraction from the necessary focus on sustained improvement and could put at risk the fragile progress that has been made to improve the safety of its prisoners.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗