The Russian prison service is backing a bid by Alexander Khinshtein, an MP from the ruling United Russia party, to allow prisoners to work at factories, with a focus on driving down the costs of building materials for World Cup projects.

"It'll help in the sense that there will be the opportunity to acquire building materials for a lower price, lower than there is currently on the market," Mr Khinshtein said. "And apart from that, it'll make it possible to get prisoners into work, which is very positive."

Russian prison labour schemes have faced allegations that prisoners are routinely underpaid or forced to work long hours. In 2013, the then-imprisoned Pussy Riot band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova went on hunger strike over working conditions in her prison camp.

Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service has been working with Khinshtein to draw up the proposals, said the lawmaker, adding that they will be submitted to parliament soon.