HC Deb 27 June 1988 vol 136 cc31-8W
Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency plans his Department has formulated to protect members of the public living near category C prisons in the event of(a) disturbances and (b) escapes.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

All prison establishments are required to maintain contingency plans for dealing with inmate disturbances and escapes, in accordance with instructions issued by the Prison Department. These plans include arrangements for calling for assistance from the police whenever it is needed, and governors are required to maintain close liaison with their local chief officers of police to ensure that these arrangements will work effectively in the event of any emergency. Plans to deal with disturbances are directed towards containing and suppressing disorder with minimum force and restoring order within establishments as quickly as possible. In the event of an escape the police are called immediately and assume responsibility for the conduct of any follow-up action outside the establishment.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of category C prisons that are within 5 miles of a regular bus and rail service; and how many prisoners are more than 5 miles from a regular bus and rail service.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Of the 25 currently operational category C training prisons in England and Wales, 16 are located within 5 miles of both a regular bus service and a rail station served by a regular train service and five are within 5 miles of a regular bus but not a regular train service. Four prisons, accommodating 1,345 prisoners on 17 June, are more than 5 miles distant from both a regular bus and a regular rail service.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category B prisoners have been down graded to category C in the last(a) 12, (b) 24, (c) 36, (d) 48 and (e) 60 months.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The information requested is not available.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of escapes from category C prisons by prisoners over the last(a) 12, (b) 24, (c) 36, (d) 48 and (e) 60 months.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a question from the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 20 June, at column 384.

Population1 of category C prisons in England and Wales on 31 March 1988; by offence group and prison2
Prison Violence against the person Sexual offence Burglary Robbery Theft handling fraud forgery Drugs offences Other offences Not recorded Total
Acklington 115 21 141 54 45 30 29 10 445
Aldington 16 14 2 27 10 21 16 106
Ashwell 105 67 28 78 31 50 30 389
Blantyre House 13 2 4 11 2 10 3 45
Camp Hill 91 7 120 54 61 60 50 44 487
Channings Wood 96 73 91 32 41 147 38 4 522
Erlestoke 10 2 27 1 18 3 23 7 91

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of crimes committed by those escaping from category C prisons over the last(a) 12, (b) 24, (c) 36, (d) 48 and (e) 60 months.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Escaping from prison is itself an offence at common law. Information relating to crimes committed by prisoners during their escape or while at large is not collected centrally.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the instance of drug and alcohol(a) abuses and (b) discoveries in category C prisons over the last (i) 12, (ii) 24, (iii) 36, (iv) 48 and (v) 60 months.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

New instructions for the reporting by prison establishments of finds of illicit drugs and related implements took effect on 1 July 1984. Since then, the following numbers of such reports have been received from category C prisons:

Number
19841 190
1985 255
1986 264
1987 312
19882 223
1 From 1 July.
2 Up to 31 May.

Other information is not available centrally in the form requested.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of internal disturbances in category C prisons over the last(a) 12, (b) 24, (c) 36, (d) 48 and (e) 60 months.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

On the night of 30 April-1 May 1986, at the time of the national industrial action called by the Prison Officers' Association, incidents occurred at a number of prison establishments. The most serious including those at two category C prisons—Northeye and Wymott. Since then, there have been disturbances at Wymott on 4 October 1986, at Rollestone on 24 May 1988 and at Haverigg on 5–6 June 1988.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each category C prison the number of prisoners serving sentences for each category of crime.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The readily available information is given in the table.

Prison Violence against the person Sexual offence Burglary Robbery Theft handling fraud forgery Drugs offences Other offences Not recorded Total
Featherstone 135 47 78 92 41 60 54 24 531
Haverigg 111 7 200 29 71 32 45 23 518
Highpoint 85 1 145 60 162 188 61 44 746
Lancaster 69 8 68 48 19 23 17 2 254
Lindholme 139 9 268 65 109 66 66 36 758
Littlehey 94 11 70 33 48 34 27 11 328
Northeye 19 2 38 12 57 35 13 46 222
Norwich 23 2 55 4 49 18 32 8 191
Preston
Ranby 121 12 86 10 56 33 62 23 403
Send 14 19 12 17 18 5 15 100
Shepton Mallet 52 6 78 11 18 41 29 14 249
Stafford 177 95 208 86 114 44 74 33 831
Stocken 94 24 53 56 17 20 29 8 301
Thorp Arch 38 9 23 26 17 31 7 1 152
The Verne 117 21 72 43 33 181 48 6 521
Wayland 138 16 72 65 38 93 32 23 477
Wymott 116 9 206 9 143 35 88 47 653
1 The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.
2 Allocation of prisoners to individual establishments is designed to reflect the suitability of each prisoner for the type of accommodation provided.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all category C prisons with their addresses.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The information requested is as follows.

Category C prison service establishments in England and Wales

  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • ACKLINGTION
  • Morpeth
  • Northumberland
  • NE65 9XF
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • ALDIBGTION
  • Ashford
  • Kent
  • TN25 7BQ
  • Her Majesty's Prison1
  • ALMA DETTINGEN
  • Deepcut
  • Camberley
  • Surrey
  • GU16 6SF
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • ASHWELL
  • Oakham
  • Leicestershire LE15 7LS
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • BLANTYRE HOUSE
  • Goudhurst
  • Cranbrook
  • Kent
  • TN17 2NA
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • CAMP HILL
  • Newport
  • Isle of Wight
  • P030 5PB
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • CHANNINGS WOOD
  • Denbury
  • Newton Abbot
  • Devon
  • TQ12 6DW
  • 34
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • ERLESTOKE HOUSE
  • Devises
  • Wiltshire
  • SN10 5TU
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • FEATHERSTONE
  • Woleverhampton
  • WV10 7PU
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • HAVERIGG CAMP
  • Millom
  • Cumbria
  • LA18 4NA
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • HIGHPOINT
  • Stradishall
  • Newmarket
  • Suffolk
  • CB8 9YG
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • The Castle
  • LANCASTER
  • LA1 1YL
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • LINDHOLME
  • Bawtry Road
  • Hatfield Woodhouse
  • Doncaster
  • South Yorkshire
  • DN7 6DG
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • LITTLEHEY
  • Great Staughton
  • St. Neots
  • Hutington
  • Cambs
  • PE19 4DL
  • Her Majesty's Prison2
  • MEDOMSLEY
  • Consett
  • Co Durham
  • DH8 6QX
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • NORTHEYE
  • 35
  • Barnhorn Road
  • Bexhill on Sea
  • East Sussex
  • TN39 4QW
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • (Britannia Annex)
  • NORWICH
  • NR1 4LU
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • PRESTON
  • 2 Ribbleton Lane
  • Preston
  • Preston
  • RP1 5AB
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • RANBY
  • Retford
  • Notts
  • DN22 8EU
  • Her Majesty's Prison1
  • ROLLESTONE
  • Shrewton
  • Salisbury
  • Wilts
  • SP3 4DS
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • Ripley Road
  • SEND
  • Woking
  • Surrey
  • GU23 7LJ
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • Cornhill
  • SHEPTON MALLET
  • Somerset
  • BA4 5LU
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • 54 Goal Road
  • STAFFORD
  • ST16 3AW

Population(1) and certified normal accommodation of category C prisons in England and Wales on 31 March 1988: by security category and prison.
Prison Security Category
C D Not recorded Total population Certified normal accommodation
Acklington 395 7 43 445 448
Aldington 74 14 18 106 100
Ashwell 314 43 32 389 404
Blantyre House 44 1 45 48
Camp Hill 375 35 77 487 449
Channings Wood 453 40 29 522 538
Erlestoke 67 8 16 91 96
Featherstone 457 44 30 531 541
Haverigg 465 10 43 518 497
Highpoint 402 75 269 746 754
Lancaster 215 11 28 254 186
Lindholme(2) 389 182 187 758 1001
Littlehey(3) 279 17 32 328 484
Northeye 112 28 82 222 233
Norwich 119 24 48 191 200
Preston 320 11 30 361 276
Ranby 398 5 403 425
Send 77 3 20 100 104
Shepton Mallet 229 1 19 249 173
Stafford 715 49 67 831 563
Stocken 271 9 21 301 300
Thorp Arch 134 6 12 152 156
The Verne 476 20 25 521 520
Wayland 367 30 80 477 484
Wymott 572 23 58 653 816

  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • STOCKEN
  • Stocken Hall Road
  • Stretton
  • Nr. Oakham
  • Leicestershire
  • LEI5 7RD
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • THORP ARCH
  • Wetherby
  • West Yorkshire
  • LS23 7AY
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • THE VERNE
  • Portland
  • Dorset
  • DT5 1EQ
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • WAYLAND
  • Griston
  • Thetford
  • Norfolk
  • IP25 6RL
  • Her Majesty's Prison
  • WYMOTT
  • Moss Lane
  • Ulness Walton
  • Leyland
  • Preston
  • PR5 2LW

1 Service camp in temporary use as category C prison

2 Temporarily closed

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of category C prisoners in category C prisons; and how this relates to the recommended establishment for prisoner numbers in each Her Majesty's Prison.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The readily available information is given in the table.

(1) The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.

(2) New living block (CNA 250) recently opened.

(3) New prison, with population increasing up to capacity.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of uniformed and non-uniformed staff in each category C prison; and how this relates to the recommended establishment.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The number of uniformed and non-uniformed staff in post and the recommended complement at the beginning of June at each category C establishment was as follows:

Establishment1 Uniformed staff Non-uniformed staff
Acklington 176 94½
Aldington 41 25
Alma Dettingen 20 17
Ashwell 105 60¾
Blantyre House 39 16
Camp Hill 178 63½
Channings Wood 146 75½
Erlestoke 91 35½
Featherstone 133 114½
Haverigg 116 79½
Highpoint 206 90
Lancaster 92 40
Lindholme 246 91
Littlehey 129 62
Northeye 80 57
Preston3 166 65
Ranby 116 77
Rollestone 20 23
Send 44 17½
Shepton Mallet 80 45
Stafford 216 86
Stocken 116 54½
Thorp Arch 74 22½
The Verne 138 86
Wayland 139 64
Wymott 224 116½

Tuberculosis Hepatitis A Hepatitis B (including carriers) HIV Positive
1983
Acklington
Albany
Aldington
Ashford 3
Ashwell
Askham Grange —-
Aylesbury
Bedford
Birmingham 3
Blantyre House
Blundeston
Bristol
Brixton 2
Brockhill 2
Buckley Hall
Bullwood Hall
Camp Hill
Campsfield House
Canterbury 1
Cardiff Prision 1
Channings Wood
Castington
Chelmsford Prison 1
Coldingley 2
Cookham Wood
Dartmoor
Deerbolt
Dorchester
Dover
Drake Hall 3
Durham 2

1 Excluding Medomsley which is closed and Norwich which has a predominantly local and remand function.

2 Starffed by the armed services.

3 Includes the remand function.

It is not possible to relate staff in post to the recommended establishment because some complements are under review either in connection with Fresh Start implementation or, following implementation, as a consequence, this year, of the efficiency targets, framework agreement and optancy rates. In general establishments' staffing levels meet requirements, although there are some shortages particularly of specialists.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category B prisoners there are in category C prisons.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

None.