§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list any sites being considered for new prisons in south Wales; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Peter LloydResponsibility 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. Alex Carlile, dated 13 December 1993:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the sites being considered for new prisons in South Wales.Long term projections of prison population indicate that 800 additional prisoner places will be required in South Wales by the end of the decade. A new prison is needed, therefore, which will provide relief for Cardiff and Swansea prisons and reduce the need to send many prisoners from this area to other prisons, sometimes as far as Dartmoor and The Verne in Dorset. The Prison Service recognises that it should, wherever possible, hold prisoners close to their homes. A new prison in South Wales is vital to this key long-term objective.A search was undertaken to find a suitable site for a new prison in South Wales. In addition to being of an adequate size and shape, together with suitable ground conditions for substantial buildings, it had to be well located in terms of the distribution of population, access to the major road and motorway system in South Wales and public transport. The Parc Hospital site at Bridgend was identified as an ideal location and will be available for use later next year. The purchase of the site is being negotiated and a planning notice for the proposed prison has been served in compliance with Welsh Office Circular 37/84. This is now being considered by the local planning authority, Ogwr Borough Council.