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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

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 […]
May 2016 — Keeping Children In Care Out Of Trouble

Minutes of the meeting of the All-Party Group on Penal Affairs held on 24 May 2016 in Committee Room 14 Speakers Lord Laming, Chair of the Review Juliet Lyon, Director, Prison Reform Trust Present Lord Ramsbotham (in the Chair) Lord Bradley Edward Garnier MP Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts Baroness Healy Baroness Howarth of Breckland Lord […]
April 2016 — Review Of The Youth Justice System

Minutes of the Joint meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Children held on 26 April 2016 in Committee Room 17 Speakers Charlie Taylor, Youth Justice Review Gareth Jones, Chair, Association of Youth Offending Team Managers Present Dominic Grieve QC MP (in the Chair) Lord Carlile of […]
February 2016 — Education In Prisons

Minutes of the meeting of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 23 February 2016 at 5.00 pm in Committee Room 9 Speakers Dame Sally Coates, Chair, Review of Education in Prisons Nina Champion, Head of Policy, Prisoners Education Trust Nathan Motherwell, Apprenticeship Coordinator, RAPt (Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust) and a former prison […]
December 2015 — Older People In Prison

Minutes of the meeting of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 8 December 2015 at 5.00 pm in Committee Room 9 Speakers Nigel Newcomen CBE, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Stuart Ware, CEO of the Restore Support Network James Bullion, Director for Adult Operations at Essex County Council; and ADASS Lead Director for Care […]
October 2015 — Vulnerable Defendants In Court

Minutes of the joint meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Magistracy held on 19 October 2015 at 5.00pm in Committee Room 1 Speakers Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP—Minister of State for Community and Social Care, Department of Health Mignon French JP—Chairman of Magistrates’ Association Mental […]
March 2015 — Alan Beith MP

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 4 March 2015 at the House of Commons Lord Ramsbotham opened the meeting by welcoming all present. This time members were fortunate to have not only Sir Alan Beith MP as principal speaker, but also the award of the Robin Corbett Memorial prizes, for the third […]
February 2015 — Employment For Women With Criminal Convictions

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 3 February 2015 at the House of Commons Speakers: The Rt Hon Simon Hughes MP, Minister of State for Female Offenders Jocelyn Hillman, Founder and CEO, Working Chance Zara, a former offender and member of the senior management team at Working Chance; and Daviña, a […]
January 2015 — Improving Outcomes For Young Black And Muslim Men In The Justice System

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 13 January 2015 at 5.00 pm in Committee Room 15 Speakers Baroness Lola Young (www.youngreview.org), and Imtiaz Amin CEO of the Zahid Mubarek Trust Present Dominic Grieve MP, in the chair Baroness Howe of Idlicote Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede Baroness Masham of Ilton Lord Woolf […]
October 2014 — Deaths In Custody

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 21 October 2014 at the House of Commons Deaths in custody: can the state learn lessons? Speakers: Nigel Newcomen, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Lord Harris, Chair, Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody Present Lord Ramsbotham, in the chair Lord Bradley Lord Woolf Lord […]
July 2014 — Nick Hardwick Chief Inspector of Prisons

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 8 July 2014 Speaker: Nick Hardwick CBE, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons Present Lord Ramsbotham, in the chair Lord Beecham Lord Bradley Sarah Champion MP Lord Fellowes Lord Harris of Haringey Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill Lord Hylton Baroness […]
May 2014 — Liaison, Diversion And Healthcare

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 13 May 2014 at 5.00 pm in Committee Room 5, House of Commons Liaison, Diversion and Healthcare Speakers: Kate Davies OBE, Head of Public Health, Armed Forces and their Families, and Health and Justice Commissioning NHS England Darron Heads, Working for Justice Group and KeyRing member […]