HC Deb 24 October 1994 vol 248 cc471-2W
Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the timetable for the building and opening of the four new prisons which were announced in October 1993; and what progress has been made in identifying sites and securing planning permission.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility 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 Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 24 October 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the timetable for building new prisons, and the progress that has been made on identifying sites for the new prisons to be built. In September 1993, the Home Secretary announced that six new prisons are planned to be built, including the two announced in Autumn 1992. The first two of these will be in North East Liverpool and South Wales, and outline planning agreement for these has been obtained. It is anticipated that construction work will commence in 1995 and the prisons will open in 1997–98 providing about 1,400 places. Potential sites for the remaining four prisons are still under investigation and it is too early to give a timetable for their building and opening. A site has been identified for the third prison in the Salford area of Greater Manchester. Preliminary meetings have been held with the local planning authority as a prelude to seeking formal planning clearance. Several potential sites for the remaining three prisons have been identified and are under consideration.

Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a decision about the award of contracts for the proposed new prisons at Bridgend, Glamorgan, and Fazakerley, Merseyside; and what is the timetable for the building and opening of the prisons.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility 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 Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 24 October 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the award of contracts for the proposed new prisons at Bridgend and Fazakerley. Invitations to Tender for the provision of prisons at Bridgend and Fazakerley were sent out on 29 July 1994. Tenders are due back on 8 November and we are aiming to sign the contracts by the end of March 1995. We expect construction work to start soon after contract signature. The opening of each prison will depend on the proposals of the two preferred contractors, but we hope that prisoners will be able to be accepted early in the financial year 1997–98.