§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the prison budget for England and Wales has been in each of the last 10 years. [35326]
§ Beverley HughesThe table sets out the total net cash expenditure (current and capital) for the Prison Service for the 10 financial years 1991–92 to 2000–01.
The budget for 2001–02 is in resource accounting and budgeting terms. The present voted provision, as set out in the Home Office's Winter Supplementary Estimate, includes net Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) funding of £1,739.6 million (including £114.9 million funding from the Youth Justice Board for juvenile places and £46 million from the Department for Education and Skills for prisoners' education costs other than for juveniles); net Capital DEL funding of £218.8 million (including £61.8 million non-cash funding for the capitalisation of Dovegate prison under the Private Finance Initiative; £73.9 million funding for other spending outside of DEL; and £426.6 million net Annually Managed Expenditure (including £15.7 million funding from the Youth Justice Board).
Prison service net expenditure 1990–91 to 2000–01 £ million Financial year Current Capital Total 1990–91 887.7 453.8 1,341.5 1991–92 1,049.5 412.6 1,462.1 1992–93 1,138.4 331.9 1,470.3 1993–94 1,223.7 285.1 1,508.8 1994–95 1,279.6 318.3 1,597.9 1995–96 1,336.7 330.2 1,666.9 1996–97 1,388.5 220.1 1,608.6 1997–98 1,462.9 277.9 1,740.8 1998–99 1,611.7 200.4 1,812.1 1999–2000 1,696.8 149.6 1,846.4 2000–01 1,659.5 135.2 1,794.7 Notes
The decrease in capital expenditure from 1996–97 follows the completion of a programme for major capital works. In recent years new prisons have been provided through Private Finance Initiative funding.
In 200–01 payments of £123.8 million for juvenile places were made by the Youth Justice Board with a resultant decrease in the net operating costs of the Prison Service.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with officials of the Prison Officers Association; and what issues were discussed. [35325]
§ Beverley HughesMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I met most recently with representatives of the Prison Officers Association (POA) on Thursday 7 February 2002 to discuss the recommendations of the Prison Service Pay Review Body and the Government's response to it.
626WThe Home Secretary explained that, while the 6 per cent. recommended was not affordable in full from 1 January 2002 without severe implications for Prison Service regimes, he had none the less wanted to respond to the recommendations positively in a way that recognised the value of the staff in the remit group.
To this end, he had implemented the awards in full within the period covered by the recommendations. In staging the 6 per cent, he had front-loaded the first stage from 1 January 2002 to ensure an immediate pay rise commensurate with that awarded to other public sector groups for the year. In addition, prison officers would receive the further 2.5 per cent. in January 2003. Finally the locality payments for officers in London and south-east, the areas most hard pressed by recruitment and retention problems, would increase by the full 6 per cent. from 1 January 2002.