The video will start in 8 Cancel

What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A Tory minister was forced to make a humiliating apology today after he had previously accused Liverpool prison of spending "not one pound" on cell refurbishment since 1994.

Speaking in December last year Lord Keen told the House of Lords that the Victorian prison had 'real issues with the standard of cell accommodation'.

He said: "It is worth noting that no expenditure—not one pound—has been spent on cell accommodation at Liverpool since 1994."

And in an attempt to score political points he said: "In the intervening period, there was a Labour Government from 1997 to 2010."

Today Lord Keen, who is the government's Ministry of Justice spokesman in the House of Lords, was forced to apologise today.

The chastened peers told peers today: "I advised that there had been no expenditure on cell accommodation since 1994.

"Further inquiry has disclosed that this was incorrect and money has been spent on the maintenance of cells at HMP Liverpool during this time.

"Although the information I provided was to the best of my knowledge correct, I regret that it was not so, and I apologise to the House."