The West Country Debate October: Overcrowded prisons, Bibby Stockholm and improving public transport
Catch up on October's edition of The West Country Debate
This week has marked the end of another year of political party conferences, where all parties fight it out to show they have the answers to the country's problems.
Much of the debate in Parliament has been dominated by conflict in the Middle East.
But a landmark announcement on freeing some prisoners early, the return of asylum seekers to the Bibby Stockholm barge on Portland, and the promise of more funding for the region's public transport have all caused controversy.
On the panel for October's edition of The West Country Debate:
Baroness Cathy Bakewell, Lib Dem peer and former Somerset County Council leader
Kevin Foster MP, Conservative MP for Torbay
Dan Norris, Labour metro mayor for the West of England
Releasing prisoners early and scrapping short custodial sentences
This week saw the justice secretary, Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk, announce that some perpetrators of less serious offences may be released from prison early.
It comes as more inmates are being held by England and Wales' prisons than ever before, with many of the West Country's sites now at capacity - or overcrowded.
Inspectors published a damning report into Dartmoor Prison this month, a site which was due to close but has remained open due to these pressures.
It found the prison had been forced to double up inmates in cramped cells and was 'failing' to provide adequate training or education for its relatively elderly population.
Similarly, a report on Bristol Prison called it one of the "most unsafe in the country," with overcrowding and high levels of violence and drug use.
The panel agreed that our prison system is currently being stretched, with too many people behind bars awaiting trial.
But they disagreed about how this problem should be tackled, and whether releasing prisoners early would prove detrimental:
Housing asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm
A small number of asylum seekers were returned to the Bibby Stockholm barge, which is moored off of Portland Port in Dorset on Thursday 19 October.
The vessel was first brought to the UK in May 2023, when it docked in Falmouth for extensive repairs. It was then towed to Portland in July and despite legal challenges, 39 asylum seekers boarded the barge on 7 August.
But just four nights later, they all had to be evacuated due to legionella bacteria being found in the vessel's water system - potentially a cause of legionnaires' disease.
This month saw the return of more than twenty asylum seekers following further refits and improvements to tackle concerns about fire safety.
The panel strongly disagreed over whether housing asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm was the right way to bring down the cost of housing those seeking permission to remain in the country.
While Labour's Dan Norris agreed that his party would need to make use of the barge should it win a general election, he said he was "amazed with the Conservative government for getting it so wrong."
Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Bakewell also queried the cost of using the vessel, which has been mostly empty since it was brought to the UK five months ago.
But former immigration minister Kevin Foster MP said vessels like the Bibby Stockholm are "commonly used" to house workers and other groups.
The panel disagreed over how to bring down the cost of housing asylum seekers:
Transport
This week also saw Transport Secretary Mark Harper MP promise new funding for public transport in the West Country, following the cancellation of the northern leg of the HS2 train line.
It comes after the Dartmoor line reopened, meaning passengers can now travel to Okehampton once more.
This month also saw the Government announce funding-in-principle to reopen both Cullompton and Wellington stations, and to restore the Tavistock-Plymouth line.
West of England metro mayor Dan Norris welcomed the promise of new funds, but said the Government's announcement had been confused and ill-thought-out.
But Kevin Foster MP, former rail minister, denied the decision to announce new funding had been "rushed out" and would benefit commuters in the region.
Lib Dem peer Baroness Bakewell also criticised the announcement, saying funding had been targeted at the wrong areas. She said more investment is needed to build roads, and added the M5 in Somerset becomes a "giant car park" during the summer.
The panel all held strong views on the government's recent announcements and said these policies would be key in shaping how voters view the Conservatives ahead of an election next year.
If you missed September's edition of the West Country Debate you can catch up here.