, and pay tribute to his wife Lissie and mother Debbie (Adlam), who campaigned for this,

The number of available male prison spaces in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest this year, with about 1,500 free spaces as of September.

According to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures, the number of available male prison spaces has been steadily falling since June, with a steady decline from 3,040 to 1,665.

The government's early release scheme was launched in September to tackle overcrowding and is expected to free up capacity in prisons by creating more cells in existing prisons.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris told the Commons that the scheme will ensure the justice system 'commands the confidence of the British public' and that it is needed to maintain confidence in British justice. He also stated that he would hold some 18-year-olds in young offenders' institutions for longer to delay transferring them to the adult male estate to help with the overcrowding in prisons.

MoJ figures show the number of available male prison spaces has been steadily falling since the middle of June, with the last official figures released on 24 August placing them at 1,665. This week's numbers have not been officially released due to Monday's bank holiday but prison sources say vacancies have fallen once again.

The government has said it would create more cells in existing prisons in England and Wales as part of its plans to tackle overcrowding. An investment of £110m, which will come from existing budgets, will be used to convert unused office space, laundry rooms and storage space into cells, the MoJ said.

Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, the justice secretary told MPs that the government's plan to free up capacity in the UK's male prison estate will ensure the justice system 'commands the confidence of the British public'. This is the right thing to do, and I pay tribute to his wife Lissie and mother Debbie (Adlam), who campaigned for this.