Speeches by Cox.

“Which providers are helping you to provide those work placements?”

“To turn to the passage of drugs into prison, we touched in our earlier session on the question of staff involvement in that at some level. Noting that most staff are not corrupt, how do you address the issue of staff corruption in your establishments?”

“I very much welcome this police settlement, and I shall focus my remarks specifically on Essex. From 2010 onwards, the Conservatives cut 350 PCSOs in Essex. Last week, the Conservative police, fire and crime commissioner announced that he was cutting the remaining 99, despite receiving increased funding from this Gover…”

“I am going to take us to the community now and commissioned rehabilitative services, CRS. Could you give us a quick overview of how well that is working and, since we are short of time, throw in how you would change it for the better?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Andrew Pakes) for securing this debate as we approach National Apprenticeship Week. We are fortunate in my Colchester constituency to have a diverse range of apprenticeship opportunities—from healthcare roles…”

“Is it fair to say, just in the interests of time, that you know what drives desistance—esteem, relationships, housing, work and support—you know who can deliver it, but currently the mechanism is not there to get those services to the people who need them when they need them?”

“Has the marketisation of end-to-end offender management been a success?”

“Okay, thank you. I will leave it there, Andy. Thank you.”

“Can I jump in? You are describing a patchwork of services—accredited and non-accredited, and above and below the radar. You seem to be describing a situation where an individual governor would not necessarily have a full grasp of exactly what is being delivered. Is that fair?”

“Will the hon. Member give way?”

“Would you like to give us some other suggestions as well?”

“To recap and refresh, there is a national regime, which is broadly positive. It requires two hours of the kind of activity that we have just talked about—two hours out of cell, including an hour outside—but on the whole it is not being delivered across the estate.”

“Good afternoon. I am Pam Cox. I am the MP for Colchester. My interests are declared on the register. I was previously a professor of criminal justice studies and sociology at the University of Essex.”

“What would you do to make things more transparent, visible and regulated?”

“As a quick follow-up on that, you say that 50% of people are not in education or training when they are in prison. In a nutshell, why would you say that is? Is it staffing? What is the answer?”

“For clarity, with regard to the education programmes that you are describing that are not fit for purpose, who is designing and delivering them?”

“A particular obsession of mine is the mixed economy of justice and its failings. It seems to be delivering at some level, but absolutely failing in others. What is your experience of delivering contracted services, if you are contracted, or commissioning them, if you commission them?”

“I would like to say thank you for that, but I’m not sure I mean it. Thank you.”

“Thinking about how to improve on the current model, is data sharing between agencies one of the things that could be improved?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin) for securing the debate. In November 2024 I had the pleasure of joining partners from Essex county council, Colchester city council, Latimer, Clarion Housing and Homes England, as well a…”