Shadow Justice Minister, Kieran Mullan, has been grilled by GB News host Ellie Costello on the Government spending £4million-a-year on a vacant prison, branding it a "needless waste of taxpayer money".
Appearing on GB News, the Tory was questioned on why the lease was signed in March 2022, despite the site having high levels of radioactive gas.
As a result, HMP Dartmoor in Devon has been sat vacant for 18 months, costing the British taxpayer £4million a year.
Quizzing Mr Mullan on the lease, Ellie said: "This all happened under the Conservatives' watch. This is a needless waste of taxpayers money, especially when we have such a shortage of prison spaces. We need this prison to be open and safe."
The Shadow Minister responded: "Yeah, absolutely. At the moment, Labour are putting through a sentencing bill in Parliament that will let more than two-thirds of people sent to prison for rape, more than 90 per cent of people sent to prison for child grooming, get out of prison earlier, because they say they don't have prison spaces.
"Yet at the same time, we've got a prison that they pledge to get back open, that was their commitment that they made, not being used. It's totally unacceptable.
"And again, it's another example of where Labour are failing to just do the basic job of administering and managing our justice system.
"Yes, there are challenges there, we absolutely don't deny that, but they could be doing a much better job than they are doing at tackling those challenges."
Challenging Mr Mullan, Ellie stressed: "But you signed the lease on a prison that had levels of gas that are 10 times higher than the safe limit. How was that allowed to happen?"
Shadow Justice Minister Kieran Mullan is grilled on GB News over the Tory spending on a vacant prison due to 'radioactive gas'
|GB NEWS
He explained: "I'm not familiar with how it actually got to that point, forgive me, it was prior to my time in the justice system.
"But as I said, they've made a commitment in knowing the facts, in seeing the report that had been made about that prison to get it reopened, and they failed to meet that pledge.
"It's for them to set out if they've made a commitment to do something, and they've failed."
Turning the discussion to Ukraine, Mr Mullan was asked whether he supports the declaration of intent for the UK to deploy British troops.
The Shadow Justice Minister told GB News: "Well, I think from the start the Conservative Party, both in Government and opposition, have been very strong in our support for Ukraine, Ukraine's national security in the war, its fighting against Russia, and it's in all of our interests for them to succeed.
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HMP Dartmoor has been vacant for 18 months due to levels of 'radioactive gas'
|PA
"So of course we will be sympathetic to whatever we can do to maintain its border security if there is a deal.
"But of course, committing troops, putting them in potentially the firing line is one of the most serious things a Government can do. And of course, an opposition should be very, very careful about giving any support for that."
He added: "We'd want to see the exact details of not just what Britain may well be committed to, but what other allies, particularly America, what they signed up to do.
"I don't think it would be a credible deterrent to Russia if America aren't involved. So we're not going to give a yes at this stage, we'll have to look very, very carefully at it."
Making clear his stance on Greenland, Mr Mullan told GB News that the future of the territory is for the "people of Greenland and Denmark" to decide.
Mr Mullan told GB News that it is for 'Greenland and Denmark' to decide the future of the territory
|GB NEWS
He said: "Well, Greenland is an incredibly important Nato ally, they have always been an important part of the security we provide in relation to the Arctic Circle.
"We're clear that they are an ally, and it's for them and for their for their people to determine, Denmark and Greenland together, the future of their country.
"I think Trump is right to say that that whole area, the Arctic area, is very important for our national security, for our global alliances. As he has done previously in relation to Nato spending, he's drawing attention to an area that we all have to have a focus on."
He concluded: "But as I said, it's for Denmark and Greenland to determine the future of their countries.
"I don't think it's helpful for the Government or the opposition, for that matter, to get into a kind of a war of words over these sorts of things.
"We know that President Trump is known for saying what he thinks and perhaps saying things that test the boundaries, at times that's obvious. We're clear in our position on that, as have other very important Nato allies."