§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total cost involved in appointing the prisons ombudsman since the post was readvertised in November 1993; and how this sum is broken down;
(2) how prisoners will be informed of their rights to complain to the prisons ombudsman and of the procedures involved;
(3) what will be the procedure to be followed by prisoners wishing to make complaints to the prisons ombudsman; and if he will make a statement;
(4) what budget is to be allocated to the office of the prisons ombudsman for the year 1994–95; and how this is broken down;
(5) How many (a) men and (b) women applied for the post of prisons ombudsman, following its readvertisement in November 1993; how many (i) men and (ii) women were shortlisted; and how many (1) men and (2) women were interviewed for the post.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe total cost of appointing the prisons ombudsman since the post was readvertised in November 1993 was £55,200. This sum consists of a £20,332 fee for the services of an executive search agency, £20,086 for the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment and Assessment Services and £14,781 for advertisements placed in the national press.
Prisoners will be informed of their rights to complain to the prisons ombudsman through a revised Prison Service leaflet on requests and complaints, the next reissue of the prisoners' information pack and any means the prisons ombudsman may decide appropriate. The procedures to be followed by prisoners are set out in the document "The Prisons Ombudsman: A Note on Arrangements", a copy of which is available in the Library.
For 1994–95 the allocated budgets are £462,000 for salaries, £15,000 for travel and subsistence, and £400,000 for the costs of establishing and operating the office.
There were 352 male and 50 female applicants for the post of prison ombudsman. Six candidates, all male, were shortlisted and interviewed.