HC Deb 30 January 1992 vol 202 cc647-9W
Sir John Wheeler

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce his conclusions on the further review of the prison estate.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

I have considered very carefully the large number of representations received following my announcement on 24 July 1991,Official Report, column 596, of the proposals which had emerged from the review of the prison estate. The proposals included changes to the roles of 15 establishments, and the closure of seven establishments as well as units at Her Majesty's prison Drake Hall, Her Majesty's prison Highpoint and Her Majesty's prison Norwich.

Since these proposals were made the prison population has risen and the prison service has had to resort to very high levels of police cell use to accommodate prisoners. Yesterday there were 1,244 prisoners in police cells. The use of police cells in this way is entirely unacceptable and I do not now believe that it would be right to continue with the proposed closures, except for Her Majesty's remand centre Pucklechurch and the open unit at Her Majesty's prison Highpoint in 1993–94. I therefore now intend that the establishments in the following list should continue in operation for at least the next two years and subject where appropriate to changes of role. HMYOI Kirklevington To convert to adult use. HMYOI Werrington To remain as a young offender institution. HMP Newell Grange To continue for the present in its temporary role as an adult open prison. HMYOI Finnamore Wood Camp To remain as a young offender institution. HMP Oxford Closure to be deferred and to be used as a decanting facility by London establishments during the present period of large scale refurbishment. HMP Aldington To remain as a training prison. HMP Norwich (Britannia) Closure to be deferred and to be used temporarily to relieve the main establishment while work goes ahead to install integral sanitation. HMP Drake Hall The proposal to mothball one unit will not now go ahead. I have also reached the following conclusions in respect of the proposed changes of role: HMYOI Castington To be retained as a young offender institution. HMYOI Deerbolt To establish a juvenile unit within existing buildings. HMP Nottingham To be retained as a training establishment. HMYOI Lancaster Farms To be used as a remand centre as well as a young offender institution. HMP Risley To be used as both a local and training prison as new accommodation comes into use. HMP Leeds To be used as both a training and a local prison as new accommodation comes into use. HMP Stafford Further consideration will be given to the proposal for this establishment to be converted in part to a local prison in 1995–96. HMP Gloucester One wing to be used as a remand centre. HMYOI Eastwood Park To close as a young offender institution (1992–93) and re-open as a female establishment (1993–94). HMYOI Hollesley Bay Colony To convert in part to adult use. HMP Bedford To convert in part to a remand centre. But further consideration will be given to whether it will in addition be necessary to use some of the accommodation at HMP Woodhill as a remand centre. HMP Reading To convert to a remand centre. HMP Elmley To open as part local and part category C training prison. HMP Coldingley To convert from a category B to a category C training prison. HMYOI Guys Marsh Further consideration will be given to the most effective way of providing an adequate number of remand centre places in the south of England. It is now proposed that for the time being Guys Marsh will be used to hold adult male sentenced prisoners as well as young offenders.

United Kingdom contributions to multilateral agencies 1979–90 in real terms (1990 prices)
£ thousands
Organisations 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
International Labour Organisation 4,871 5,233 3,194 4,620 5,553 5,749 6,252 5,071 4,701 4,881 6,031 5,832
Food and Agriculture Organisation 5,543 6,013 6,066 8,718 9,175 11,548 9,080 9,523 7,102 9,857 9,318 9,626
International Fund for Agricultural Development 1,478 3,290 5,261 6,010 7,300 4,542 4,044 2,967 3,477 2,625
United Nations Development Programme 63,726 28,036 29,357 28,843 27,400 26,912 28,128 27,179 28,358 28,353 28,135 27,114
World Food Programme1 15,672 4,650 3,109 5,288 1,226 1,472 670 647 12,813 5,256 16,960 4,030
United Nations Children's Fund 16,487 9,328 12,340 9,328 8,989 8,534 11,251 10,753 14,795 14,145 13,201 9,285
United Nations High Commission for Refugees 20,072 13,035 9,826 9,721 5,510 10,050 22,583 18,145 18,248 22,532 20,901 19,495
United Nations Fund for Population Activities 8,654 3,738 3,775 4,132 3,999 4,249 6,027 5,824 6,165 6,076 5,951 3,000
United Nations Environment Programme 1,338 1,108 1,007 935 1,111 1,062 1,005 1,294 1,233 1,447 3,246 3,000
1 Contribution to the World Food Programme include subscription payments, commodity purchase and, from 1987, food aid. Prior to 1987 the food aid channeled through WFP could not be distinguished from other food aid, and therefore is not included in this table.