Recommendation 20

In the 2021 Spending Review, MoJ secured £550 million over three years to reduce reoffending. MoJ allocated this funding to HMPPS, with £484 million assigned to support adult offenders. However, this funding is subject to change as MoJ considers the potential impacts of the government’s Efficiency and Savings Review.46 MoJ told us that “difficult choices” lie ahead as it looks for ways to save 7.5% across its budget. We asked MoJ how and where it expected to make the necessary savings. MoJ told us that the easiest place for departments to make cuts is in discretionary programmes, such as reducing reoffending and victim support, but that it has a clear steer from ministers to protect these areas as far as possible. MoJ told us it is “crucial” that it finds more efficient ways to deliver resettlement services while protecting the most effective initiatives from budget cuts.47