Justice and Home Affairs Committee

LordsSelectest. 14 Apr 2021Email ↗● Actively Monitored
Sessions analysed32
Commitments43
Positions106
Recommendations95

Latest Signals

19 Nov 2024A good governor needs visibility and direct contactPosition
[Speaker: Vanessa Frake-Harris] I would echo that, particularly in the investment in, training of and support of prison governors at every level down in your senior management team. We do quite a bit for officers on the ground, but we do very little for those who take serious life-or-death-situation decisions. Speaking from my own experience, a governor cannot manage a prison from behind a desk, answering emails and attending meetings. He has to be visible, and that visibility should come down the line to all SMT members, because the ability to communicate to prisoners and staff is imperative in any governor.
19 Nov 2024Governors lack autonomy and staff support functionsPrison Governors’ AssociationConcern
19 Nov 2024Performance tables and targets are weak in crisis conditionsPrison Governors’ AssociationConcern
19 Nov 2024HMPPS has brought prisons and probation under one systemPrison Governors’ AssociationPosition
19 Nov 2024Routine appraisal of prison staff is largely absentPrison Governors’ AssociationConcern
19 Nov 2024Prisons are in crisis with overcrowding and corruption riskPrison Governors’ AssociationConcern
19 Nov 2024Governor role is statutory, broad and leadership-heavyPrison Governors’ AssociationPosition

Recent Sessions

View all (32)
07 Jul 2026Home Secretary on policing, asylum and ILR reform
10 commit7 pos2 rec2 disag1 leg
30 Jun 2026Prison fire safety: AFD, training and Crown immunity
3 commit3 pos6 concern2 rec
23 Jun 2026Prison fire safety: governance and sprinkler evidence
1 commit4 pos7 concern4 rec
16 Jun 2026Fire in prisons: Howard League evidence
2 pos7 concern5 rec2 leg
09 Jun 2026Prison fire safety: delays, vapes and AFD rollout
1 commit3 pos6 concern2 rec1 disag1 leg
10 Mar 2026Home Office: ILR, citizenship and migration data
1 commit5 pos5 concern1 rec1 disag1 leg

Recent Commitments

View all (43)

Recent Recommendations

View all (95)

Frequent Witnesses

Home Office5× · 73 insights
Ministry of Justice4× · 21 insights
HMPPS3× · 32 insights
Howard League for Penal Reform2× · 25 insights
Prison Governors’ Association2× · 18 insights
HM Inspectorate of Prisons1× · 14 insights

About this committee

The Justice and Home Affairs Committee scrutinises the work of the Home Office, examining immigration policy, settlement procedures, and the integration of migrants into UK society. This House of Lords select committee takes oral evidence from government departments, experts, and stakeholders to inform its inquiries. The committee has concentrated its recent work on settlement and citizenship policy, conducting a sustained investigation into how the UK immigration system processes applications and supports integration outcomes. It has heard from the Migration Advisory Committee and Office for National Statistics on migration data and demographic trends, questioned Home Office officials directly on immigration rules and settlement processes, and gathered evidence from practitioners including the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association and law firms on implementation challenges. The committee examined the National Audit Office's assessment of settlement and citizenship integration in February 2026, and received expert panel testimony on evidence-based policy approaches to settlement support. Throughout this inquiry, the committee has focused on understanding whether current settlement frameworks adequately support migrant integration and whether immigration rules function as intended.