§ Mr. Dewarasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the capital cost of the 10-cell unit about to be opened at Her Majesty's prison, Peterhead, and his estimate of the annual revenue cost of operating the unit.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe capital cost of the 10-cell block due to be completed in mid-1983 at Peterhead prison is £500,000. The annual cost of operating the block is estimated at £200,000.
§ Mr. Dewarasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the criteria for admission of prisoners to the 10-cell unit soon to be opened at Peterhead prison; and if he will set out the objectives of this unit.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe 10-cell block at Peterhead prison will provide the governor with a facility to deal with prisoners who require, for management reasons, to be taken out of general circulation for a time. It will not be for prisoners under punishment but for those who are creating problems of a kind which cannot be dealt with adequately while they remain in ordinary circulation within the prison. The problems might be related to disruptive or subversive activities or arise from pressures created by other prisoners. Provision exists in the prison rules for removal from ordinary association for reasons of this kind but, at Peterhead, there is at present no suitably located accommodation in which effective removal from association can be achieved. The new 10-cell block will provide this kind of facility in conditions where the different needs of prisoners can be dealt with in an individual way.