To ask the Minister of Justice whether her Department is implementing any measures to prevent food waste in prisons.

NIPS encourages all prisoners and kitchen staff to separate food and recyclable waste streams at all prison establishments. Waste streams mixed with food are classed as general waste and cannot be recycled.

Separated food waste is stored at collection centres on each site and transferred to an Anaerobic Digester Plant by a waste collection contractor, which is then used to generate heat and electricity. NIPS receive a monthly report identifying amounts of food waste collected.

The catering departments actively seek the guidance of recognised dieticians and surveys are carried out annually and any relevant issues or suggestions raised are taken into account to help minimise waste.