To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there is a difference in treatment of prisoners who maintain their innocence and those who admit their guilt; and if he will make a statement.

The National Offender Management Service must accept the verdicts of the courts and it follows that convicted prisoners have to be treated as being guilty of their offence(s). However, some allowance is made in the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) policy for those whose conviction is the subject of a review by a higher court (appellants). Contrary to the position for other convicted prisoners, a recognised appellant who does not take part in offending behaviour programmes will not have that held against them when considering their IEP level.