§ Mr. Jesselasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to reduce the strain upon prison officers resulting from added travelling at unsocial hours in consequence of the failure to reach agreement on the acceptance of the three new residential blocks for officers at Holloway Prison.
§ Mr. JohnFares and an allowance for excess travelling time are paid to those officers who live in temporary accommodation away from the prison. Special transport arrangements may be made when necessary. If extra staff have to be called in outside the normal scheduled hours, officers living nearer the prison are used when possible.
§ Mr. Jesselasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what additional transport and overtime costs he has incurred to date in each financial year since the buildings were originally due to be occupied as a result of the failure to accept delivery of the three new residential blocks for prison officers at Holloway;
(2) how many officers will be accommodated in the three new residential blocks at Holloway Prison; and if he will give the dates when the blocks were due for completion and were claimed by the builders as ready for occupation;
(3) why he has refused to accept delivery of the three new residential blocks for officers at Holloway Prison; and what action is now being taken.
§ Mr. JohnThe new staff quarters at Holloway Prison consist of seven residential blocks, which will accommodate 230 staff. The contract provided for the first block to be completed by December 1972 and the remainder by October 1973, subject, as is customary, to extensions of658W time in specified circumstances. Certain extensions of time have been agreed with the contractor and others are under consideration. The accommodation has not yet been taken over, principally because of evidence of water penetration. Measures necessary to remedy this defect have now been determined and will be put in hand. Additional transport and overtime costs incurred because of delay in completion of the accommodation by the dates specified in the original contract are: 1973–74, £1,767; 1974–75, £33,652; 1975–76, £34,692.
§ Mr. Jesselasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many houses, flats, and rooms, and from what dates, he has rented or bought to provide temporary accommodation for prison officers employed at Holloway Prison pending occupation of the three new residential blocks, and at what cost to date in each relevant financial year.
§ Mr. JohnThe accommodation listed below has been acquired to house staff at Holloway pending occupation of the seven new residential blocks:
Accommodation and Date Obtained
- Hostel for 26 officers acquired from Department of Health and Social Security—December 1969.
- Hostel for 29 officers provided, by Property Services Agency—April 1970.
- Rooms for 37 officers rented in Metropolitan Police section house—February 1974, (relinquished March 1976).
- 34 flats providing accommodation for 76 officers bought leasehold from Metropolitan Police—March 1976.
The total cost of acquiring these premises, of preparing them for occupation and of subsequent maintenance has been as follows:
£ 1969–70 … … … 38,000 1970–71 … … … 17,000 1971–72 … … … 10,500 1972–73 … … … 10,000 1973–74 … … … 6,500 1974–75 … … … 7,500 1975–76 … … … 112,500
§ Mr. Jesselasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the estimated cost of the three new accommodation blocks for prison officers at Holloway Prison; whether any payment has been made on account to the builders or developers pending completion; and, if so, when, and how much;
659W(2) who built the three new residential blocks for officers at Holloway Prison.
§ Mr. JohnThe principal building contractors for the seven blocks of residential accommodation for staff at Holloway Prison are Higgs and Hill Building Ltd., and the current estimate of final cost, excluding measures to remedy water penetration, is £1,738,000. It would not be in accordance with normal practice to provide details of payments made on account.