§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in theOfficial Report to show what sums were expended on education in each prison in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years and indicate the major items of expenditure in each case; and if he will also indicate the number of library books available in each prison in each such year or as much of such information as is available to him.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe figures requested are readily available for the past four years and are shown in table form.
505W17 per cent. were enrolled in social/leisure classes. In total 519 were presented for recognised examinations and 477 were successful.
3. Seventy nine inmates are presently involved in the open university undergraduate programme. Last year 69 took examinations and 65 were successful including 10 obtaining distinctions. Within this group five completed their degrees, two with honours.
4. On a sample day 78 per cent. of the population had a total of 4,800 books on loan. The inter-library province-wide loan scheme, of which prison libraries are a part, makes a valuable contribution to the quality of the library service and last year 1,077 special requests were processed. The prison libraries carry a total book stock of around 35,000, all supplied by the local education and library boards, whose professional expertise and practical support is gratefully acknowledged.
5. The reduction in the total number of books available between 1987–88 and 1988–89 results in the amalgamation of the compound prisoners and their libraries into the cellular regime.