§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why a four-bedroomed prison quarter at Wayland prison with a historic cost of £55,942 in 1984 was given a valuation of £40,500 in 1987; and if he will urgently review his Department's procedures for making such evaluations.
260Wetxtend its scope to take in other aspects of preventive health education, including alcohol abuse. I am proposing £2 million expenditure on projects to improve teacher recruitment.
I am also proposing to provide further funding for IT in schools and computerised management information systems for FE colleges.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggPrison quarters at Wayland were built at the same time as the prison. Building was completed by the Property Services Agency in 1984. The valuation in 1987 was made by the district valuer of the Department of Inland Revenue to enable the Home Office to calculate a sale price, after allowing for any discount under the department's discount sale scheme. The rules of that scheme stipulate that sales should not take place at less than the cost of providing the quarter, including the cost of the land, site development works and any administration costs (the historic cost). The Property Services Agency provides details of the historic cost and this has to be ascertained from the total contract price for building the prison establishment and any ancillary items such as quarters for staff. We have already agreed that where a current valuation is less than the historic cost, an offer of sale at the valuation price can be made. Further urgent consideration is being given to whether there is scope to make any further concession in offering properties for sale where the historic cost is an impediment to granting the normal discount.