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As a society, we must strike a balance between the appropriate highlighting to the public of those who may possess criminal backgrounds and the ability of individuals who have paid their debt to society to rehabilitate back into civil life. Recognise that possessing a criminal record carries much stigma that can hinder individuals' ability to move on from their previous crimes and become productive members of society.

Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, the Government brought forward several measures to update the criminal record framework and reduce the burden placed on past offenders. Through this Act, a rehabilitation period was introduced for some sentences of over four years, meaning that for non-sensitive jobs or activities, offenders would not need to disclose their conviction to their employers. In addition to this, those serving community order and sentences under four years would no longer have to reveal this to most employers. These measures aim to boost employment prospects and create a better path from offending and back into meaningful work.

Prisoners: Employment and Pay

Steve Reed MP: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners were (i) working in (A) voluntary and (B) paid work placements on release on temporary licence and (ii) paid enhanced wages under the Prisoners Earnings Act 1996 in public sector prisons in the latest period for which data is available.

Damian Hinds MP: Data on release on temporary licence (ROTL) is published quarterly: Offender management statistics quarterly: July to September 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The following table shows the number of prisoners who had at least one release on temporary licence (ROTL) to a paid work placement from public prisons in England and Wales between 1 July and 30 September 2022 (latest period available): Paid work Male 1,938 Female 195

Those in paid work placements on ROTL and in receipt of net weekly wages of £20 per week are treated as being in “enhanced wages work” and therefore liable to pay a levy of up to 40% of their earnings, after tax and any court fines or compensation, which helps fund the work of the charity Victim Support. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, reliably to determine how many of those in paid work during this period met these criteria, although it is very likely to have been most if not all of them because prisoners in paid work are typically paid at the same rate as employees from the community in the same role for that job.