§ Dame Angela RumboldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce a decision on the future of Manchester prison (Strangeways).
§ Mr. HowardThe prisons board met yesterday to consider the report of the panel which evaluated the bids for the management of Her Majesty's prison Manchester. It decided to accept the majority recommendation of the evaluation panel that the preferred service provider should be the in-house team. In the face of fierce competition. the in-house hid offers the best value for money and will set new standards for the operation of established local prisons. Subject to the conclusion of a satisfactory service582W level agreement, the team now faces the challenge of delivering its promise of a safe, purposeful and open regime, with active prisoner and community involvement. Performance against these commitments will be closely controlled on a basis comparable to private sector contracts.