asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What consultations they held with the prison chaplaincy about the effect on chaplaincy meetings of the standardised core day before saying that the proposal would have no impact on the key things that go on in establishments to tackle reoffending. [HL4917]
In preparation for the implementation of the standardised core day, a project co-ordinator was appointed to liaise with relevant departments to provide guidance and deal with any concerns raised. On 16 January 2008 the co-ordinator attended a meeting with area chaplains; on 9 April he attended the chaplaincy national conference and facilitated two workshops.
The chaplaincy department was invited to various seminars to consider the post-implementation data collation. Further to this, the co-ordinator liaised at a local level between the chaplaincy and governors when required. Issues raised as a result of discussions were collated and a series of Q&A guidance notes were circulated throughout the Prison Service. A further meeting has been arranged with area chaplains in September 2008 to obtain feedback.