HC Deb 10 December 1991 vol 200 cc392-3W
Mr. George

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Group 4 security guards, once licensed to work at The Wolds prison, will be allowed to work at all prisons.

Mrs. Rumbold

Under the Criminal Justice Act 1991, staff who have been certified by the Secretary of State as prisoner custody officers can undertake custodial duties only at a contracted-out prison.

Mr. George

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the contract payment made to Group 4 at The Wolds prison will be withheld if(a) operational capacity is not reached or (b) the standards outlined in the contract document are not met.

Mrs. Rumbold

All contracts between the Secretary of State and outside agencies are subject to commercial confidentiality and the commercial conditions of the Wolds contract with Group 4 cannot therefore be made public. However, the contract provides for variations to be made in the service required of the contractor and for payment to be subject to fair and reasonable adjustment. Action to secure compliance with the contract can take a number of forms including the withholding of payment. The appropriate response in any one case would depend on the circumstances and nature of the default.