§ Lord Rentonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have for new prisons and for staffing the Prison Service.
§ Lord EltonFollowing the announcements made on 17th November by my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, I am pleased to give details of four more new prison building projects on which construction should begin between 1985 and 1987 and be completed between 1988 and 1989. Sites for these have been identified at Bicester, Lancaster, March, and Milton Keynes. Planning clearance has been or will be applied for in the usual way. These four new projects are in addition to the 10 new prisons already in construction or in various stages of planning or design. Work will also continue on renovation at existing establishments, including the provision of additional accommodation. The completion of the 14 new prisons now in the programme and the renovation work at existing establishments is estimated to lead to an additional 10,000 to 11,000 new places by 1991.
Between 1984 and 1988, it is intended to provide an additional 5,550 prison staff. This should make it possible to staff new prison accommodation and courts; to allow for the effects of introducing a new attendance system; to deal with the small amount of additional work which will result from a reduction in the minimum qualifying period for parole; and to reduce the present excessive reliance on voluntary overtime.