HC Deb 19 April 1993 vol 223 cc11-3W
Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend privatisation of the court escort service to London; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Blair

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for the further contracting out of prison escort services.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 16 February, column139.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of the contract with Group 4 for prison escort duties; what monitorings carried out of whether the contract is being adhered to; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Graham Allen, dated April 1993:

GROUP 4 COURT ESCORT SERVICE

The Secretary of State has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about the terms of the contract with Group 4 for prison escort duties and what monitoring is carried out or whether the contract is being adhered to.

Details of the operational requirements of the contract were included in the operational specification for the Court escort service for Humberside and the East Midlands placed in the Library of the House at the time of issue of the tender documents. The contract, which is initially for 5 years, covers 7 counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, and Humberside. The contract includes financial remedies to withhold payment for unsatisfactory service, with the option of termination of the contract on default. I attach a summary of the contract conditions and some additional background material.

A Home Office monitor has been appointed, as required by the Criminal Justice Act 1991, to oversee the operation of the service in the area. He is assisted by a deputy.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to the Exchequer for police time in pursuing prisoners who have escaped or have been wrongfully released by Group 4 Security.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 19 April 1993:

GROUP 4 COURT ESCORT SERVICE

The Home Secretary has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the cost to the Exchequer for police time in pursuing prisoners who have escaped or have been wrongfully released by Group 4 Security.

The nature and circumstances of incidents of escapes differ widely from one case to the next and the Prison Service is not charged for costs incurred in recapturing prisoners. The information requested is not, therefore, available.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisoners who have escaped or been wrongfully released by Group 4 Security since they began escort duties; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 19 April 1993:

GROUP 4 COURT ESCORT SERVICE

The Home Secretary has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for a list of prisoners who have escaped or been wrongfully released by Group 4 Security since they began escort duties.

2. Full investigations into the circumstances of each escape are continuing. However we know that:

  1. i. on 5 April a defendant escaped from the dock of Hull Magistrates' Court.
  2. ii. on 6 April a prisoner escaped from a hatch in a four cell van by kicking the secured safety exit from its mountings and climbing out. All similar vehicles have now been modified.
  3. iii. on 8 April a prisoner kicked out the window of a 7 cell van. Again, all similar vans used by the company have now been modified to prevent a recurrence.
  4. iv. on 15 April a defendant escaped by vaulting over the top of the dock at Ilkeston Magistrates' Court.
  5. v. on 16 April in an insecure courtroom at Sheffield Magistrates' Court, a defendant received from bail was sentenced to a custodial sentence. Following a struggle both inside and outside the courtroom, he escaped from two prisoner custody officers who were trying to escort him to the custody area.

In addition to these escapes two further incidents have occurred:

  1. vi. on 8 April a defendant was released in error from Mansfield Magistrates' Court. The clerk has exonerated Group 4 of blame for the incident which arose from administrative error by the court and the prosecuting authorities.
  2. vii. on 10 April a defendant was bailed from Leicester Magistrates' Court on conditions which included a £50 surety. A misunderstanding on the part of Group 4 meant that the defendant was released before the surety had been accepted. Subsequently the court amended the bail conditions to remove the need for a surety.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will conduct an inquiry into the escape and wrongful release of prisoners entrusted to Group 4 Security.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The director-general has on his own initiative conducted such an inquiry.