Labour admits fast-track prison plans would overrule local authoritiesBBC
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00:00Telegraph this morning saying that means that you're going to fast-track
00:03applications and overrule the objections of local people, local councils. Is that
00:08right? Yes, so our manifesto commitment was that we consider prisons to be of
00:13national importance. These are critical infrastructure projects. They
00:19are absolutely necessary in order to make sure the country doesn't run out of
00:22prison places and no government has to face the inheritance I faced when I
00:27walked into the Ministry of Justice and I was told that we were just days away
00:30from running out of prison places. So in order to prevent that happening of
00:35course the building of new prisons has to be considered and we would want to
00:39get that done more quickly and what we've said is that future a new prison
00:43building will take place according to the Crown development route, that's what
00:47it's called, but essentially the decision goes to the Secretary of State for
00:50housing communities and local government.