HC Deb 01 July 1976 vol 914 cc243-5W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the total annual value of products made by adult prisoners;

(2) what are the annual production costs of products made by adult prisoners.

Mr. John

In the last financial year the value of the output of workshops in penal establishments in England and Wales catering wholly or mainly for adult prisoners was £15,900,000. The corresponding production costs, including all overheads and notional charges for rent, rates and a proportion of central administration costs was £16,300,000. It is not possible without a dispropor- tionate amount of work to distinguish products made from other forms of industrial output or to differentiate between adult prisoners and other age groups at prisons catering for both adult and young offenders.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for expanding prison production, region by region, and with women's prisons listed separately.

Mr. John

The main objective of prison industries is to provide useful work for those inmates who are not engaged on other activities. The volume of production accordingly depends on the number of inmates requiring employment as well as on the efficient use of resources. Over the next few years the following additional workshop places are planned to be provided at new and existing penal establishments for males in England and Wales:

Midland region … … 820
Northern … … 585
South east … … 805
South west … … 390

There are no plans for additional work places at female establishments other than as part of the redevelopment of Holloway.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours per day are now being spent in industrial work in Manchester, Pentonville and Albany prisons.

Mr. John

Hours of work are liable to vary from day to day and for different inmates at the same establishment, but in recent weeks the daily average hours for all workshops at Manchester, Pentonville and Albany has been about four, four and six, respectively.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officer instructors are now employed in prison industries, including civilian instructors.

Mr. John

In England and Wales, 554 civilian instructional officers and 565 officer instructors.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women prisoners, respectively, are employed on industrial work.

Mr. John

On 30th June 1975, the latest date for which comprehensive information is immediately available, about 12,700 male inmates and 230 female inmates were employed in industrial workshops at penal establishments in England and Wales catering wholly or mainly for adults. Of the remaining inmates at these establishments, about 10,200 males and 300 females were engaged on other forms of work. It is not possible to distinguish between age groups at establishments catering for both adult and young offenders. I shall let my hon. Friend have the corresponding figures for 30th June 1976 as soon as these are available.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the main groups of industrial work now being done in prisons in England and Wales.

Mr. John

The main groups of work in industrial workshops are: tailoring; textile products; weaving; laundrywork; engineering and woodwork. Substantial numbers of inmates are also employed on building work and maintenance, farms and gardens, and domestic work.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the occupations listed in Annex C, submitted to the Select Committee on Estimates (Sub-Committee on Social Affairs) in December 1966, have now ceased to be available in British prisons.

Mr. John

For prisons in England and Wales, the information is as followsBasketmakers; blacksmiths; fitters; making of mattresses (coir and hair); moulders (iron foundry); manufacture of ships' fenders; twine and rope makers; woodchoppers.