§ Sir Ivan LawrenceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a contract has been let for the management of Doncaster prison.
§ Mr. HowardOn 1 February 1993 it was announced that from 1 April 1993 the Prison Service agency would assume full responsibility for taking forward Government policy on the involvement of the private sector in the management of prisons.
In accordance with EC services directive 92/50 EEC, a notice advertising the requirement for service provision for the operation of Doncaster prison was placed in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Community.
Following the issue of this notice, invitations to tender were issued to eight bidders on 16 July 1993.
After careful consideration of the proposals submitted, the prisons board has decided to award the contract to Premier Prison Services Ltd. A contract will be signed in the next few days, subject to the agreement of satisfactory terms and conditions.
Premier Prison Services Ltd. is a joint venture company owned by Serco Ltd. and Wackenhut Corrections Corporation. Wackenhut Corrections Corporation has experience of running penal establishments in the USA and Australia.
Doncaster is a category B local prison and is due to take its first prisoners by July this year.