§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost of keeping a prisoner in(a) a privately run prison and (b) a state prison; and if he will give a detailed breakdown of these costs.
§ Mr. Peter LloydResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Andrew Welsh, dated 30 March 1994:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the costs of keeping a prisoner in (a) a private run prison and (b) a state prison.In 1992–93 the net operating costs per prisoner place per week were £333 in Wolds remand prison and £466 in the directly managed prison system, which included a range of different types of establishment.The costs in directly managed establishments break down as follows:
£ Prisoner control 191 Prisoner care 70 Prisoner occupation 50 Escorts of prisoners 16 Building services 44 Administration costs 95 466 It is not possible to give a detailed breakdown of the costs for Wolds: the contractors are paid an agreed sum for a total service.