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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 the inaugural meeting held on 17 June 2025, Pam Cox MP was elected chair of the group. She replaced Andrew Selous MP who was the previous chair before the dissolution of parliament for the 2024 general election.

The other elected officers of the group are Tessa Munt MP, Baroness Prashar CBE and Lord Garnier KC. The group is listed in the Register of All-Party Groups.

The Prison Reform Trust’s deputy director, Mark Day, is clerk to the group. Emily Evison provides administrative assistance.

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All APPPAG

  • April 2021 — Robert Buckland QC MP

    Minutes of the Virtual Annual General Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 20 April 2021 Guest speaker Robert Buckland QC MP Present Paul Maynard MP (in the Chair) Lord Bradley Lord Carlile Lord Dubs Lord McNally Lord Ponsonby   Mark Day, clerk to the group, welcomed everybody to the meeting, which was […]

  • January 2021 — Chris Philp MP

    Minutes of the meeting of the Virtual Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 26 January 2021 Guest Speaker Chris Philp MP Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the chair) Lord Bradley Lord Dubs Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill Baroness Masham of Ilton Baroness Sater Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, Bishop to Prisons Ministry of […]

  • October 2020 — Peter Clarke HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

    Minutes of the meeting of the Virtual Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 20 October 2020 Guest Speaker Peter Clarke CVO OBE QPM, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the chair) Lord Harris of Haringey Paul Maynard MP Lord Woolf of Barnes   Lord Ramsbotham welcomed everyone to the […]

  • July 2020 — Extraordinary General Meeting

    Minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 14 July 2020, 2pm Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the chair) Paul Maynard MP Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill Baroness Masham of Ilton Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts Lord Ponsonby Lord Bradley Lord Beecham Secretariat Mark Day, Clerk, APPG on Penal […]

  • February 2020 — The Parole Board

    Minutes of the meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs, held on 11 February 2020 Guest Speakers Caroline Corby, Chair, The Parole Board Martin Jones, Chief Executive, The Parole Board Present Victoria Prentis MP (in the chair) Lord Ramsbotham (in the chair) Earl Attlee Kate Green MP Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill Baroness Masham […]

  • 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 […]

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