§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial penalties have been imposed on private prison contractors in respect of privately operated establishments in each financial year since 1997–98; what the reasons were for each penalty; and whether the imposition of a penalty resulted in each case in the withholding of the corresponding amount from the contractor concerned. [109520]
§ Hilary BennThe following table shows the financial penalties imposed and the reasons for these penalties. Forest Bank prison and young offender institution has not incurred financial deductions.
602W
Number of occasions Penalty: (£) Reasons (PP= Performance Points) Dates Altcourse Prison Operating contractor: Group 4 Falck 01 2,368.58 PPs for Qtr 2 PPs & Doubling September 1998 02 195,000.00 Qtrs 2, 3 and 4 03 4,144.97 PPs for Qtr 3 December 1998 04 3,954.04 PPs for Qtr 4 March 1999 05 3,511.23 PPs for Qtr 1 June 1999 06 3,304.27 PPs for Qtr 2 September 1999 07 440.40 PPs for Qtr 3 December 1999 08 108,039.25 PPs for Qtr 4 February 2000 09 4.82 PPs for Qtr 4 March 2000 10 34,061.74 PPs for Qtr 1 May 2000 11 9.77 PPs for Qtr 1 June 2000 12 72,644 PPs for Qtr 4 November 2000 Ashfield Young Offender Institution Operating contractor: Primier Prison Services 01 66,310.41 PPs for Qtr 4 January 2002 02 111,552.95 PPs for Qtr 1 April 2002 03 126,026.47 PPs for Qtr 2 July 2002 04 46,417.99 PPs for Qtr 3 October 2002 Blakenhurst Prison Former operating contractor: UKDS. Under Prison Service management since 19 August 2001 25,000.00 Escape November 1998 Dovegate Prison Operating contractor: Premier prison Services 01 168,015.24 PPs for Qtr 1 January 2002 02 116,807.46 PPs for Qtr 2 April 2002 03 141,774.69 PPs for Qtr 3 July 2002 Doncaster Prison and Young Offender Institution Operating contractor: Premier Prison Services 30,000.00 Escape August 2001 Lowdham Grange Prison Operating contractor: Premier Prison Services 01 702.00 PPs for Qtr 1 June 1998 02 45,080,00 PPs for Qtr 3 November 1998 04 6,334.00 PPs for Qtr 4 February 1999 05 11,865.00 PPs for Qtr 4 February 2000 06 5,703.00 PPs for Qtr 1 May 2001 Parc Prison Operating contractor: Securicor 01 54,782.00 PPs for Qtr 4 March 1998 02 1,308.56 PPs for Qtr 1 July 1998 03 298.09 Doubling PP's for Qtr 3 June 1998 04 750,000.00 + doubling PP's for Qtr 1 November 1998 05 7,520.17 + doubling May 1999 06 80,390.38 Doubling Qtr 2 August 1999 07 2,296.94 Doubling Qtr 2 September 1999 08 109,329.27 Doubling Qtr 3 November 1999 09 601.77 Doubling Qtr 4 January 2000 10 7,708.10 PPs for Qtr 1 April 2000 11 5,401.68 PPs for Qtr 2 July 2000 12 3,448.07 PPs for Qtr 3 October 2000 13 59.22 PPs for Qtr 4 January 2001
Number of occasions Penalty: (£) Reasons (PP= Performance Points) Dates Rye Hill Prison Operating contractor: Group 4 Falck 60,000.00 Escape June 2002 Wolds Prison Operating contractor: Group 4 Falck 01 3,607.50 PPs for Qtr 3 October 1999 01 10,432.50 PPs for Qtr 4 January 2000 03 15,353.00 PPs for Qtr 2 July 2000 04 9,782.50 PPs for Qtr 3 October 2000 05 4,680.00 PPs for Qtr 4 January 2000 06 11,472.50 PPs for Qtr 1 April 2001 07 3,724.50 PPs for Qtr 2 July 2001 With the exception of the £195,000 and £108,039.25 penalties imposed on Altcourse in November 1998 and February 2000, the £750,000 penalty imposed on Parc in November 1998 and the £11,865 penalty imposed on Lowdham Grange in February 2000, the imposition of a penalty resulted in each case in the withholding of the corresponding amount from the contractor concerned. In the case of Altcourse and Parc, the penalties were reduced to take account of early problems with contract monitoring and in the case of Lowdham Grange the penalty was waived in return for a commitment from the contractor to provide additional services beyond the requirements in the contract.
§ Mr. John BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to implement the recommendations of HM Inspector of Prisons following the visits to HM Prison Kingston on 12–16 February 2001 and 5–7 November 2002 with particular reference to elderly prisoners. [110334]
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has given to the prison service on the implementation of recommendations from the visits of HM Inspector to prisons, following the inspection report by HM Inspector of Prisons at HM Prison Kingston on 5–7 November 2002. [110343]
§ Hilary BennThe Prison Service will, as with all such reports, produce an action plan based on each of the recommendations made by the chief inspector. The action plan will set out the Prison Service's response to each recommendation, the action to be taken to implement recommendations and the person responsible, together with a timescale for implementation. The Prison Service accepts the vast majority of recommendations made by the Chief Inspector in all of her reports, and provides updates to me and to the Chief Inspector.
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners(a) started sentences in prisons and (b) completed sentences and left prisons in England and Wales in each month between April 2001 and March 2003. [110356]
603W
§ Hilary BennThe number of prisoners who were(a) received under sentence and (b) discharged from sentences in prisons in England and Wales in each month between April 2001 and February 2003 are given in the following table:
Receptions 2001 2002 2003 January 8,260 7,790 February 8,430 7,590 March 8,020 April 7,170 8,060 May 7,730 9,030 June 7,820 6,660 July 7,990 8,600 August 7,970 7,670 September 7,200 7,860 October 8,220 8,440 November 8,080 7,730 December 5,890 5,980
Discharges 2001 2002 2003 January 6,600 7,000 February 6,300 6,400 March 7,500 April 6,900 7,200 May 7,100 8,400 June 7,100 6,200 July 7,200 8,000 August 7,800 7,400 September 6,700 7,100 October 7,400 7,600 November 7,700 7,800 December 7,600 8,700
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners, and in which establishments do prisoners, eat their meals in their cells(a) every day and (b) more than half the week. [110399]
§ Hilary BennThe information is not readily available in the form requested and I shall write to my hon. Friend once it is available. In many cases there will be the option for prisoners to eat meals in cell or while on association. Arrangements will also vary at different mealtimes.
§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what incentives are given to the operators of private prisons to reduce the rate of recidivism of the inmates they house. [110487]
§ Hilary BennI refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 17 March 2003,Official Report, column 588W.