Prison Building Programme

HC Deb 19 November 1992 vol 214 cc348-9W

18. Mr. Streeter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the Government's prison building programme.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Eighteen of the 21 new prisons in the Government's current building programme have now opened, providing nearly 9,500 additional places. The remainder will open within the next 18 months, providing a further 1,800 places. In addition, this year we shall be spending some £200 million on improving the existing estate.

The Government's future plans include two new prisons, providing 1,200 places, on which construction work will begin in 1995–1996, as well as a continued high level of investment in the modernisation of existing prisons.