Former justice secretary Liz Truss is under pressure to explain why it took 17 weeks to disclose a damning review into a major sex offender programme in jails.

The South West Norfolk MP – who was demoted after the election to become chief secretary to the Treasury – is being asked why it took so long to make it public that the scheme to help offenders had been scrapped after it was found to lead to more reoffending.

Staff carrying out the programme in prisons were told it was to end on March 3.

An email was sent to prison staff detailing the scrapping of the scheme which said there would be 'immediate and significant' changes to the 'National Offender Management Service provision of accredited programmes to address sexual offending'.

Former Labour prisons minister David Hanson will table a question on the scheme in the House of Commons this week.

Ms Truss lost her justice job in the post-election reshuffle. She angered senior judges when she failed to condemn attacks on the three judges who ruled that parliament must be given a vote before Britain triggered Article 50 to signal the start of the process to leave the European Union.

Ms Truss refused to comment.