HC Deb 08 December 1993 vol 234 cc269-70W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what extra money and staffing is now under consideration by his Department to meet the cost of his policy on prison population; 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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated December 1993: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about resources for dealing with the projected prison population. Following the recently announced Unified Budget decisions, the Prison Service will give priority to providing and staffing additional places. These include over 2000 new houseblock places in existing prisons by 1996–97, at a total cost of £120m, and approximately 3600 places in six new prisons. The first two of these are expected to be completed in 1997–98. It is intended that they should be privately financed and the costs will depend on the size, design, role, site and ground conditions. Directly employed staff numbers are planned to increase by 1200 between 1993–94 and 1996–97, at an approximate cost of £30m. It will be for the private contractors to decide the staffing of the new prisons.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current year's budget for each London prison; how much will be spent in the current year in each London prison; 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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated December 1993: Budgets of London Prisons The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the current year's budget for each London prison and how much will be spent in the current year.

The position is set out in the following table:

Establishment Annual budget year 1993–94 Forecast Outturn as year 1993–94 Outturn as percentage of budget
£ £
Belmarsh 20,931,948 20,722,799 99.1
Brixton1 21,226,193 20,732,800 97.6
Holloway 15,194,894 14,917,646 98.1
Latchmere House 2,199,317 2,174,693 98.8
Pentonville 15,292,359 15,183,192 99.2
Wandsworth 21,022,124 20,859,075 99.2
Wormwood Scrubs 20,029,785 19,776,811 98.7
1 Includes the addition of £376,000 for plated meals because the kitchen has been closed.

The figures suggest that there will be an underspend at each of the London prisons but the forecast totals are likely to increase as the prison population is rising during the second half of the financial year. Adjustments may be made to allocations in the year.