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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 Annual General Meeting held on 23 May 2023, Paul Maynard MP was re-elected as chair of the Group; Lord Carlile, Baroness Prashar, Marie Rimmer MP and Andrew Selous MP were re-elected vice chairs; and Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts was re-elected secretary. 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

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 […]
April 2014 — Prisoners’ Families

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 1st April 2014 at 5.00 pm in Committee Room 5, House of Commons Prisoners’ Families Speakers: Deborah Cowley, Director, Action for Prisoners’ Families Andy Keen–Downs, Chief Executive, Pact Gillian and Cassie: Members of Prisoners’ Families Present Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, in the chair Lord […]
February 2014 — Robin Corbett Award and Parole Board

Lord Ramsbotham opened the meeting by welcoming everyone to the annual presentation of the Robin Corbett awards. However before that he had a very sad duty to perform. Over the Christmas recess, his Co-Chair, Paul Goggins MP, had died. He could think of few people who had enjoyed so much respect, throughout the House, for being […]
December 2013 — Will Small Charities Be Squeezed Out Of Transforming Rehabilitation Plans?

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 3 December 2013 Will small charities be squeezed out of Transforming Rehabilitation plans? Speakers: Clive Martin, Director, Clinks Vicki Helyar-Cardwell, Director, Criminal Justice Alliance Present Paul Goggins MP, in the chair Baroness Howe Lord Hodgson Lord Fellowes Lord Judd Paul Goggins MP welcomed everyone to […]
November 2013 — Reforming The Coroner Service

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group held on 5th November 2013 Reforming the Coroner Service Speaker: HHJ Peter Thornton QC, the Chief Coroner With additional information about deaths in custody from Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST Present Lord Ramsbotham, in the chair Lord Bradley Lord Dholakia Lord Fellowes Paul Goggins MP Lord Harris […]
October 2013 — Can Computers In Prison Transform Rehabilitation?

Minutes of the All-Party Penal Affairs Parliamentary Group, supported by the Parliamentary Internet and Communications Technology Forum (PICTFOR) held on 22 October 2013 Can computers in prison transform rehabilitation? Speakers: Rod Clark, Chief Executive, Prisoners Education Trust Emma, a prisoner who has experience of ICT in prison Lord Harris of Haringey, Treasurer of PICTFOR […]