§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the Government's policy concerning the maximum desirable size of any new bail hostel, having regard to the ability of the local probation service to supervise both the conduct of bailees and the interaction between bailees.
§ Mr. John PattenThe maximum desirable size of a new bail hostel is determined by practical considerations such as the demand for places. These considerations have led to hostels of different size in different localities and the largest currently offers 32 places.
§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to monitor and evaluate the bail hostel expansion programme and its effects upon the host areas.
§ Mr. John PattenA thematic inspection of bail hostels will be carried out by Her Majesty's inspectorate of probation in 1992. This will examine local management and regimes including supervision arrangements.
There are no plans to monitor or evaluate centrally any effects on host areas. However, rule 18(1)(b) of the Approved Probation Hostel and Home and Bail Hostel Rules 1976 requires that a log book is kept in which every event of importance connected with the hostel is entered. Rule 18(2) requires that the log book shall be laid before the managing committee at each of their meetings. This identifies any incidents within the local community. Managers are encouraged to invite local residents to sit on the management committee.
§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the experience necessary for a member of the probation service to set up and run a bail hostel.
§ Mr. John PattenBail hostels managed by the probation service are normally run by a senior probation officer warden, but someone with equivalent qualifications and/or experience would not be excluded. Oversight is provided by an assistant chief probation officer who is accountable through the area chief probation officer to the local probation committee.
Currently there is one bail hostel managed by a voluntary managing committee. The warden is a senior probation officer seconded from the local probation service. A senior member of the probation service also sits on the voluntary managing committee.
§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much each county probation service is paid for the accommodation of each bailee in a bail hostel, per night, per occupant; and what are the numbers overall.
§ Mr. John PattenThe most recently available information is that in 1989–90 each approved hostel,580W including bail hostels, was able to charge residents up to £5.66 per night and probation committees £6.20 per night as a local authority flat rate payment. The Home Office revenue contribution per approved hostel place is not separately identified according to the type of resident, but the average grant paid per resident night for 1989–90 was £20.36.
§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average operating cost per occupied place for the bail hostel system compared with the average operating cost per occupied place for the prison system.
§ Mr. John PattenOn the most recently available information the average annual running cost of an occupied place in bail and probation/bail hostels to the Home Office and local authorities in 1989–90 was £9,696.
The average operating cost per inmate for local prisons and remand centres in 1989–90 was £16,068.
§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the effect of the Children Act 1989 upon the long-term policy of the Home Office relating to bail hostels.
§ Mr. John PattenNone. The Children Act does not contain provisions bearing upon the occupancy of bail hostels.
§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of Home Office funding was given to Shropshire probation service for the services of a management consultancy involved in the Twyford house application for change of use to a bail hostel.
§ Mr. John PattenSo far £2,722.50 has been approved as payment for work undertaken by architects, up to 30 September 1991, in respect of the application for the change of use of Twyford house to a bail hostel.
§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list staffing levels and the numbers of residents in all existing bail hostels.
§ Mr. John PattenThe levels of supervisory staff and the numbers of places in existing bail hostels are as shown in the table.
581W
Wardens Deputy wardens Assistant wardens/night supervisors Places Basildon 1 1 7 125 Blackburn 1 1 4 18 Brighton 1 1 3 15 Chorlton 1 1 6 27 Clarks House 1 1 5 26 Corfton Road 1 1 5 20 Curtis House 1 1 3 15 Cuthbert House 1 1 4 16 Dickson House 1 1 6 28 Dover Bail 1 1 4 18 Dudley Centre 1 1 5 22 Emroch House 1 1 4 15 Howard Lodge 0.5 1 4 20 Howden House 1 1 6 27 Kelley House 1 2 4 28 Kew 1 1 3 14 Lichfield Road 1 1 4 16 Marshall House 1 1 5 22 Pennywell 1 1 5 22
Wardens Deputy wardens Assistant wardens/night supervisors Places Ryecroft 1 1 4 16 South Bank 1 1 6 27 Stonnall Road 1 1 3 12 Sycamore Lodge 1 1 6 32 Townmoor 1 1 5 22 Tulse Hill 1 2 7 27 Ty Newydd 1 1 3 12 Walmer Villas 1 1 4 18 Welford House 1 1 5 26 Wilton 1 1 5 22 1 Expanding to 32 places shortly.