HC Deb 20 May 1985 vol 79 cc302-3W
Mr. William Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the design capacity by modern standards for each prison in Northern Ireland, including the new prison; and what are the actual numbers in each prison at the present time.

Mr. Scott

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985 c. 3]: The following is the normal capacity of each penal establishment and the present population:

Establishment Capacity Population
Armagh 114 56
Belfast 600 589
Maze (Compound) 197
Maze (Cellular) 800 720
Malligan 300 328
Maghaberry (Male) 450
Maghaberry (Female) 56
Hydebank 300 207

There is no established capacity to the Maze (compound)

Mr. William Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report a table to show the following information, for each year since 1 January 1982 (a) the value of goods produced by each prison workshop in each Northern Ireland prison, (b) the value of goods produced on a per capita basis in each case, (c) the average number of hours worked by each prisoner in each prison per week and the average for the United Kingdom as a whole, (d) the number of prisoners who did not work in each year in each prison in Northern Ireland and (e) the average number of prisoners who are in each prison in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Scott

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c. 3]: The available information is as follows:

Establishment and Industry Value of goods produced by inmates *Value of goods produced per capita Average number of hours worked each week by each inmate allocated to a prison industry Average daily population
Financial year Financial year
Financial year
1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1982 1983 1984
£ £ £ £ £ £
HM Prison Armagh
Laundry 5,286 4,489 4,850 998 1,310 21.4 21.3 54 51 43
Garment manufacture 53,477 30,698 30,902 1,806 2,809 +¶10 +¶11 +¶9
HM Prison Belfast
Joinery 8,530 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil 262 +¶263 228 +¶405 215 +¶388
Laundry 25,589 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Horticulture 2,488 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Firewood 736 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Garment manufacture 16,295 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
HM Prison Maze (Compound) Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil 316 267 234
HM Prison Maze (Cellular)
Joinery 74,696 26,153 Nil 1,561 Nil 5.4 6.6 †817 +¶209 843 791
Metal fabrication 50,797 19,198 Nil 2,954 Nil
Cement production 726 1,965 Nil 393 Nil
Garment manufacture 63,735 36,528 1,622 3,479 943
Laundry 68,112 74,059 74,734 5,486 6,366
HM Prison Magilligan
Garment manufacture 12,856 23,424 20,385 1,952 1,363 4.3 3.1 414 437 377
Shoe manufacture 46,990 34,430 22,072 4,748 2,759
Metal fabrication Nil 8,722 15,021 2,181 1,966
Firewood 1,007 1,081 1,252 131 172
Horticulture 1,105 1,180 Nil 152 Nil
HM Young Offenders Centre, Hydebank
Horticulture 1,305 1,474 1,274 295 290 13.7 12.2 234 +¶12 218 +¶12 202 +¶11
* The number of inmates available for work varied from day-to-day and the figure quoted is based on goods produced by the average number of prisoners working assuming a working year of 50 weeks.
†This figure is only for the first six months of 1982 thereafter all remand and untried prisoners were moved to Her Majesty's prison, Belfast.
‡The information necessary to calculate these figures for the financial year 1982–83 is no longer available.
║As Her Majesty's prison, Belfast has become mainly a remand prison, prison industries ceased to operate there in November 1982. Some inmates continue to be employed in he laundry and the garden but these activities are not run on a commercial basis.
¶Remand/Untried.

To obtain the information requested on the number of prisoners who did not work in each year would involve the examination of each individual's prison record, since there are forms of work other than in a prison industry. This could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Questions about the number of hours worked by prisoners in other parts of the United Kingdom are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Mr. William Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what have been the average hours worked in each week in each prison in Northern Ireland by civilian teachers and instructors in each of the years or financial years 1982 to date.

Mr. Scott

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c.3]: The weekly conditioned hours of full-time teachers in the Northern Ireland prison service consist of 18 to 22 hours class contact, depending on grade, but additional time is spent on preparatory work. The conditioned hours for civilian instructors are 42 a week. Since the escape from Her Majesty's prison Maze (cellular) in September 1983, however, it has not been possible to utilise fully these instructors.

Details of the hours actually worked by civilian instructors are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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