HC Deb 16 April 1970 vol 799 cc1552-3
8. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the pace and direction of the reorganisation of prison industries, particularly as they affect the long-term prisoner; and if he will make a statement.

22. Mr. Brooks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to provide prisoners with employment and earnings such that they can acquire skills and make savings, with a view to helping them lead law-abiding lives upon release.

Mr. Callaghan

I would refer my hon. Friends to paragraphs 46 to 66 of the recent White Paper "People in Prison".

Mrs. Short

In congratulating my right hon. Friend on the steps taken so far to reorganise prison industries, may I ask him to bear in mind that there is an urgent need, particularly for the more intelligent long-term prisoner, for work commensurate with the prisoners' own capabilities and an equally urgent need to match the week's work in prison with the week's work done in industry outside? Would he also bear in mind in connection with the present building programme the highly successful projects carried out by prison labour and will he repeat these in the future?

Mr. Callaghan

I am obliged to my hon. Friend. I in no way take exception to the pressure to spend more money in improving our prisons, or the conditions in them, or the circumstances in which work is done. In fact, we are spending something like £600,000 this year on additional workshops alone, with £430,000 projected for the future. It is a question of priorities. At the moment we are concentrating on long-term prisoners. It is important that they should be provided with adequate work. I note the constant desire of the Opposition that we should spend more money on all these matters. I hope they will remember it when discussing reduced taxation.

Mr. Brooks

Is it not important to give sensible earnings to prisoners so that they can contribute towards restitution to their victims, or alternatively accumulate savings which could be made available to them on release, or after a fixed period of law-abiding activity?

Mr. Callaghan

The payment of high wages must be related to the pace of activity in prison industries. At the moment they make a loss, although if our plans succeed it is hoped that that loss should be turned into a profit in the next three or four years. As that happens, we can increase the amount of wages paid.