§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will reply to the fourth report of the Select Committee on Home Affairs on Contract Provision of Prisons published on 6th May 1987.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)My right honourable friend wrote to the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee setting out the Government's response to the report. He mentioned in particular our intentions, which I announced to the House on 30th March (cols. 775–777) as part of the measures we are taking to deal with the current and projected growth of the prison population, to invite the private sector to make proposals for the faster provision of urban remand facilities and open prisons; to publish a Green Paper and set up a consultancy on the scope for involving the private sector in all aspects of the remand system; and to examine the possibility of the private sector providing and managing secure bail hostels.
Copies of my right honourable friend's letter have been placed in the Library.