§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are expected to be made redundant in the event of the closure of hostels in the west midlands area; and what would be the financial costs.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff will be made redundant in the event of the closure of hostels in the west midlands area; and what would be the financial costs.
§ Mr. MacleanIt will be for the probation committee as employer to decide how to manage the consequences of closures in terms of staff redeployment or redundancy; we have not yet received full accounts of their conclusions.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the occupancy rate of hostels in the west midlands area for each of the last 10 quarters.
§ Mr. MacleanOccupancy figures for the period April 1991 to March 1992 are not readily available on a quarterly basis. The occupancy figures for the most recently available six quarters and for December 1993 are as follows:
Per cent. April—June 1992 78 July—September 1992 74 October—December 1992 74 January—March 1993 79 April—June 1993 60 July—September 1993 71 December 1993 79
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department following the proposed closure of hostels in the west midlands area, what advice will be given to the magistrates courts regarding any future bail hostel remands.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice will be given to the magistrates courts regarding any future bail hostel remands following the closure of bail hostels in the west midlands.
§ Mr. MacleanThere are alternative hostel facilities in the west midlands and in neighbouring probation areas; and it will be for the probation service to bring them to the attention of the courts.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be consulted about the proposed closure of hostels in the west midlands area.
§ Mr. MacleanThe west midlands probation service was notified on 1 December of our closure proposals and given the opportunity to comment.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was(a) the average cost of a weekly place in hostels in the west midlands area, (b) the average length of stay and (c) the average cost of a prison remand place in the west midlands area.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was(a) the average cost of a 251W weekly place in hostels in the west midlands area, (b) the average length of stay and (c) what was the average cost of a prison remand place in the west midlands area.
§ Mr. Maclean(a) The average weekly cost in 1993–94 is £243; (b) this information is not readily available in the form requested; (c) costs for remand prisoners are not kept separately. For 1992–93, the average weekly net operating cost per prisoner at Birmingham prison, the only prison in the west midlands, was £383. Remand prisoners represent just over 40 per cent. of these prisoners.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what capital expenditure was planned for hostels in the west midlands area prior to his Department's statement of 30 November.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any capital expenditure was planned for hostels in the west midlands area prior to the Home Office statement of 30 November.
§ Mr. MacleanA number of proposals for capital expenditure on west midlands hostels had been received prior to the 30 November statement, but none had or have yet been approved.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residents of hostels in the west midlands area were(a) aged under 17 years, (b) 17 to 21 years and (c) 21 years and over at the most recent available date.
§ 713. Mr. MacleanFor the period January to December 1993,(a) none, (b) 368, (c)
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what capital and revenue expenditure will be available for hostel provision in the west midlands area for 1994–95 and 1995–96.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what capital and revenue expenditure will be available for hostel provision in the west midlands area for 1994–95 and 1995–96.
§ Mr. MacleanRevenue grant for approved bail and probation/bail hostels in the west midlands for 1994–95 and 1995–96 will be approximately £1.5 million a year. The amount of capital grant available for hostels in this area will depend on the strength of bids submitted by the probation committee in comparison to those for hostels in other areas.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he expects to be the annual saving as a result of the closure of hostels in the west midlands area.
§ Mr. MacleanWe expect the saving to be in the order of £0.2 million in 1994–95 and £0.4 million in 1995–96.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were(a) re-arrested and charged or (b) breached for failure to comply with requirements at hostels in the west midlands area for the latest period for which statistics are available.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were either re-arrested and charged or breached for failure to comply with requirements at hostels in the west midlands area for the latest period for which statistics are available.
252W
§ Mr. MacleanFor the period January to December 1993, the information requested is as follows:
Number Re-offended 54 Absconded and breached 210 Breached for failure to comply with hostel rules 219