§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will estimate the amount per head of the prison population paid into the common fund in each of the years 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986, taking into account the closing of workshops and the fall in prisoners' earnings.
§ Lord GlenarthurGeneral purposes funds, as common funds are now known, are administered by prison service establishments on a local basis. The estimates requested by the noble Lord will take some time to prepare and I shall write to him when they are available.
§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will advise governors of prisons in England and Wales that the levy on prisoners' earnings for the common fund should be the same in all establishments, at 3p per week.
§ Lord GlenarthurGovernors of all prison service establishments in England and Wales were advised in Circular Instruction 41/1979 that the compulsory weekly contribution by inmates to the general purposes funds should be 3p with effect from 1st January 1980.