HL Deb 03 March 2000 vol 610 cc115-6WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the cost of setting up the Prison Service website; who is responsible for maintaining it; what is the estimated cost of maintenance for the year 2000–2001; and whether any improvements in content are planned. [HL1196]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)

The initial cost of setting up the Prison Service website is commercial in confidence. The contract was subjected to a rigorous tendering process, and the successful company was chosen on the basis of price, technical competence and previous experience in establishing government websites.

The site is maintained in-house by the Prison Service's media relations unit. Currently there is one permanent website manager, who is assisted by one other member of staff. In order to ensure that the content is as accurate as possible, updates are undertaken only once individual prison establishments and groups and units from prison service headquarters who provide the information have agreed the contents.

It is estimated that the cost of maintenance for the year 2000–2001 will be in the region of £36,000. This figure comprises the following:

Staff costs: £33,000
Hardware costs: £3,000 (server rent costs)

Forthcoming content improvements over the next 12 months include publication of all non-restricted Prison Service Orders, more detailed information on each individual prison establishment, increasing the number of prison service reports and other publications which will be available on-line, details on the Prison Service's Management Board, and an on-line version of the service's in-house magazine Prison Service News. In addition, there will be increased hyperlinks, both internal and external.

Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will give statistics on Immigration Act detainees, now provided monthly in the form of hard copy summaries to the House of Lords Library, in the statistics page of the Prison Service webside. [HL1194]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

Immigration detainees are the responsibility of the Immigration Service, rather than the Prison Service. The Home Office's Research Development and Statistics Directorate is responsible for the production of this information, and it is available from their website atwww.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/publf.htm.

The Prison Service will in future have a hyperlink to the appropriate page of the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics Directorate site.

Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why HM Prison Springhill is not included in the list of establishments covered in the website HM Prison Establishments; and why the list of establishments covered in the Prison Service website does not include HM Prisons Springhill, Grendon Underwood, The Verne and Wandsworth. [HL1192]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

The Prison Services's website continues to be developed and details of all establishments are added once accurate information is obtained from and agreed with establishments. The Prison Service hopes shortly to add details of the prisons mentioned.

Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they decided to show a photograph of HM Prison Wandsworth on the home page of HM Prison Establishments website, but not to include HM Prison Wandsworth among the establishments listed on that site. [HL1191]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

The Prison Service website's section on establishments is illustrated by a picture designed to show a generic prison. As good quality photographs become available for each establishment, they will be used to illustrate their respective prisons.

Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the Annual Reports of the Boards of Visitors are not available on the Prison Service website. [HL1195]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

The Board of Visitors is independent of the Prison Service and, therefore, does not appear on the Service's website. Annual reports for Boards of Visitors as an organisation are available from the Home Office's website atwww.homeoffice.gov.uk/bov/news.htm

The National Advisory Council for Boards of Visitors is currently in the process of considering whether to post published Board of Visitors' annual reports on prisons on the Board of Visitors website. Until recently, technical and resource limitations prevented this from being done. These now appear to have been overcome, and, provided boards themselves are in agreement, this may be possible.

There is a link from the Prison Service website to the Boards of Visitors website.