§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the new prison buildings under construction in England and Wales, giving in each case the original date for completion and the present expected completion date:
(2) how many of the prisons now under construction are on target for the scheduled date of completion; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will list all current delays in completion of the building of new prisons or the refurbishment of prison wings in England and Wales together with the length of the delays and their reasons.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe contracts for the construction of prisons, as for comparable schemes, customarily allow for the possibility that there may be delay for reasons such as bad weather. Planning is accordingly taken forward on the basis of the target opening of the new establishment. The original target opening date for the prisons now under construction were as follows; it is still expected that these targets will be met.
Prison Target opening date Brinsford September 1990 Bullington April 1991 Whitemoor May 1991 Woolwich April 1991 Lindholme 2 June 1991 Lancaster Farms July 1992 Milton Keynes July 1992 Wings are currently being refurbished at the following establishments. Except where indicated, the contracts are in each case expected to be completed on time.
Prison Delay Liverpool — Risley — Stafford — Pentonville Nine months. Contract extended to include provision of low cost integral sanitation. Wormwood Scrubs Six to 12 months. Staffing difficulties.