Politics latest: PM to condemn Hamas attack on Israel in Commons address – as MPs return to

Another topic on the agenda today is the matter of overcrowded prisons, and the government’s plans to send foreign prisoners back to their home countries.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has already signalled plans to send fewer “low-level offenders” to prison, as he prepares to set out a range of reforms covering England and Wales today.

His predecessor Robert Buckland has told Sky News that this won’t be an easy feat – but it isn’t impossible.

“When I was in office we found it very difficult to do this because lots of foreign countries just don’t recognise who these people are,” he said. 

“We’ve identified them as criminals but trying to get them repatriated was very difficult.

“Which is why having individual deals with countries like Albania, of which there are very, very many foreign nationals in our prisons, seems like a sensible way forward.

“If that can be done, then the good news is we can get quite a few thousand people out of our prisons.”

Pressed whether this move is possible, Mr Buckland said it “could happen” if the UK can reach “specific deals”.