17. To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress is being made in conjunction with the Home Department in securing agreements with other countries to transfer foreign national prisoners to their countries of origin. (202061)

There are 98 Prisoner Transfer Agreements in place. I continue to look for opportunities to develop agreements with countries for the return of their nationals. This would enable them to serve their sentences closer to their families in the country to which they will ultimately be deported.

I recently visited Nigeria to progress a prisoner transfer agreement with them.