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All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs

Originally formed in 1980, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs aims to increase its members’ knowledge of penal affairs and to work through parliamentary channels for reform of the penal system.

The group meets regularly and hears presentations from a wide range of people and organisations. Full minutes of meetings are available in this section.

Governance of the APPGPA

At an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 December 2023, Andrew Selous MP was elected chair of the group. He replaced Paul Maynard MP who stood down as chair following his appointment as a pensions minister.

The Annual General Meeting of the Group was held on 23 May 2023. The other officers of the group are vice chairs Lord Carlile, Baroness Prashar, Marie Rimmer MP; and secretary Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts. The group is listed in the Register of All-Party Groups. The income and expenditure statement for the Group’s reporting year is available by clicking here.

The Prison Reform Trust’s deputy director, Mark Day, is clerk to the group. Zoe Burton provides administrative assistance and Julia Braggins writes the minutes.

The Barrow Cadbury Trust kindly supports the Prison Reform Trust to provide the Secretariat to the group.

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All APPPAG

  • July 2019 — Jo Farrar

    Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 16 July 2019   Guest speaker Jo Farrar, Chief Executive Officer, HM Prison and Probation Service, with Phil Copple, Director General of the Prison Service Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the chair) Earl Attlee Sarah Champion MP Rt Hon Dominic Grieve […]

  • March 2019 — Progress On The 10 Prisons Project

    Minutes of the meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 22 January 2019 Guest speakers Rory Stewart OBE MP Minister of State, Minister of Justice Sara Pennington, Governor, HMP Wormwood Scrubs Louise Spencer, Prison Group Director, London Emily Thomas, Governor HMP Isis Craig Bell, Prison Officer, Wormwood Scrubs Meda Lampreia, Residential Unit […]

  • February 2019 — Edward Argar MP

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 26 February 2019   Guest speaker Edward Argar MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice. The meeting included the presentation of the annual Robin Corbett Award for Prisoner Re-integration. Present Victoria Prentis MP (in the Chair) Baroness Masham Baroness Healey […]

  • January 2019 — Racial Discrimination In The CJS

    Minutes of the meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 22 January 2019 Speakers Mark Blake, Project Development Officer, Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG) Khatuna Tsintsadze, Prison Progamme Director, Zahid Mubarek Trust Tanya Robinson, Head of Equalities and Lammy, HM Prison and Probation Service Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the chair) Barnoness Masham […]

  • December 2018 — Deaths In Custody

    Minutes of the meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 4 December 2018   Speakers   Sue McAllister, Prison and Probation Ombudsman Deborah Coles, Executive Director, INQUEST Juliet Lyon CBE, Chair, Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the chair) Lord Atlee Lord Bradley Lord Dholakia Lord Harris Baroness […]

  • October 2018 — Community Sentences

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 23 October 2018 Speakers Stephen Whitehead, Head of Policy, Centre for Justice Innovation, John Bache JP FRCS, Chairman, Magistrates Association, Jim Barton, Director, Probation Programme, Ministry of Justice. Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the Chair) Victoria Prentice MP Earl Atlee Lord Ponsonby Lord […]

  • July 2018 — Rory Stewart MP

    Minutes of the meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 10 July 2018 Guest Speaker Rory Stewart OBE MP Minister of State, Minister of Justice Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the chair) Lord Atlee Lord Bradley Sarah Champion MP Kate Green MP Rt Hon Dominic Grieve MP Lord Hailsham Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill […]

  • March 2018 — David Gauke MP

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 6 March 2018 in Committee Room G, House of Lords Presentation of the annual Robin Corbett Award for Prisoner Re-Integration Speaker, Lady Val Corbett Guest Speaker Rt Hon David Gauke MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Present Lord Ramsbotham (in […]

  • January 2018 — The Role Of The Voluntary Sector In The Criminal Justice System

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 16 January 2018 Speakers Anne Fox, Chief Executive Officer, Clinks James Noble, Impact Management Lead, New Philanthropy Capital Sally Taylor, Chief Executive, Koestler Trust Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the Chair) Earl Attlee Lord Bradley Kate Green MP Viscount Hailsham QC Baroness Healy […]

  • October 2017 — Next Steps For Youth Justice

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 17 October 2017 in Committee Room 3A, House of Lords   Speaker Charlie Taylor, Chair, Youth Justice Board Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the Chair) Lord Beecham Lord Carlile of Berriew Lucy Fraser MP Viscount Hailsham QC Baroness Howe of Idlicote Baroness Masham […]

  • July 2017 — Nigel Newcomen CBE

    Minutes of the Inaugural Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 11 July 2017 in Committee Room 4, House of Lords Speaker Nigel Newcomen CBE, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the Chair) Peter Bottomley MP Lord Bradley Sarah Champion MP Lord Fellowes Kate Green MP Lord Hailsham Baroness Healy of Primrose […]

  • February 2017 — Reviewing Rehabilitation

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 28 February 2017 in Conference Room E, 7 Millbank Speakers Dame Glenys Stacey, HM Chief Inspector of Probation Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Lady Corbett Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the Chair) Kate Green MP Dominic Grieve QC MP Lord Grocott […]

  • December 2016 — Liz Truss MP

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 14 December 2016 in Committee Room 3 Speakers Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Peter Dawson, Director, Prison Reform Trust Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the Chair) Lord Beecham Lord Beith Lord Fellowes Dominic Grieve QC […]

  • November 2016 — Young Adults In The Justice System

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 22 November 2016 in Committee Room 2A Speakers Robert Neill MP, Chair, Justice Committee Katie Pettifer, Director, Offender Policy and Youth Justice, Ministry of Justice Joyce Moseley OBE, Chair, Transition to Adulthood Alliance Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the Chair) Lord Beecham Lord […]

  • October 2016 — Mental Health In Prisons

    Minutes of the Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 25 October 2016 in Committee Room 21 Speakers Kate Davies OBE, Head of Health and Justice, Armed Forces and Public Health,  NHS England Fiona Grossick, National Quality and Lead Nurse for Health and Justice, Medical Directorate, NHS England Professor Huw Williams, Co-Director […]

  • July 2016 — AGM and Michael Gove MP

    Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 12 July 2016 in Room A, I Parliament Street. Full minutes of the meeting, including the presentation by the former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, will be published in due course. Present […]