§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present number of prison officers working at each of the London prisons who are listed as waiting to be allocated a prison officer quarter.
§ Mr. Peter LloydSince the introduction of the fresh start agreement in 1987, prison officers are not entitled to 463W the provision of a prison service quarter. Consequently there are no records kept at any of the London prisons for officers waiting to be allocated a prison service quarter.
This is because when official quarters become available, they are advertised by the governor within the establishment. All applications are considered by him, and factors such as the length of service, seniority and compassionate grounds, are taken into account in making an allocation.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what survey has been undertaken by his Department as to how prison officers newly posted to work in London prisons find suitable affordable accommodation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydNo survey has been undertaken by the prison service as to how prison officers newly posted to London prisons find suitable accommodation. Since fresh start, prison officers are no longer quarters entitled.
However, in recognition of the difficulties experienced by new prison officers, whose first posting, like that of other newly recruited civil servants, does not constitute a public expense transfer, officers who are purchasing property in high cost areas, and those posted to establishments in the south-east of England, including London, have since 1989 been able to claim up to £5,000 relocation expenses.
Officers who are transferred to London prisons on permanent compulsory transfer terms are entitled to reimbursement of the expenses incurred in moving home. If they own a property, its sale at the current market value is guaranteed through a Home Office scheme operated by the Black Horse Relocation Company. Financial assistance to officers transferring at public expense from a cheaper to a more expensive area and whose outgoings have necessarily increased is available in the form of additional housing cost allowance. Officers may apply for an advance of salary for house purchase which is repayable, free of interest, over a 10-year period.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total amount of revenue received by his Department from the sale of prison officers' quarters in England and Wales in each of the past 10 years.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe total amount of receipts from the sale of prison officers quarters in England and Wales in each of the past 10 years were as follows:
Receipts £ million 1982–83 6.8 1983–84 16.1 1984–85 16.6 1985–86 11.1 1986–87 12.1 1987–88 6.7 1988–89 61.0 1989–90 44.0 1990–91 22.0 1991–92 16.8 11992–93 5.6 Total 218.8 1 (To date).
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers' quarters have been464W purchased or built for prison officers (a) in Greater London and (b) in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe numbers of quarters built or purchased in each of the last 10 years were as follows:
Year Built Purchased 1982–83 — — 1983–84 — — 1984–85 — 160 1985–86 100 — 1986–87 — — 1987–88 80 — 1988–89 58 — 1989–90 — 13 1990–91 — 13 1991–92 — 16 1991–93 (to date) — 6 Totals 238 208 Following the introduction of fresh start in 1987, prison officers were no longer entitled to quarters and quarters purchased since then have been for chaplains, farm managers and agricultural workers at the new prisons. The only quarters provided in the Greater London area were seven purchased for HM prison Belmarsh, Woolwich, in 1990–91.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of prison officers' quarters that have been sold in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe total number of prison officers quarters sold in each of the last 10 years were as follows:
Number sold 1982–83 463 1983–84 779 1984–85 739 1985–86 441 1986–87 455 1987–88 250 1988–89 2,260 1989–90 1,502 1990–91 698 1991–92 538 11992–93 152 Total 8,277 1 to date
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officer quarters at each of the London prisons are still owned by his Department.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe number of prison officers' quarters owned by the Department at each of the London prisons is as follows:
465W
Number Belmarsh 9 Brixton 172 Feltham 91 Holloway 150 Latchmere House 22 Pentonville 92 Wandsworth 144
Number Wormwood Scrubs 182 Total 862