§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the timetable for the site purchase, planning, building and opening of the proposed new prison in Salford;
(2) whether the proposed new prison at Salford will he planned, built and run by private sector companies;
(3) how many prisoners will be held at the proposed new prison at Salford, announced on 18 October;
(4) whether the proposed new prison in Salford, announced on 18 October, will be one of the six new prisons announced by the Home Secretary in October 1993.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythResponsibility for these matters 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 Questions about the announcement on 18 October by the Prison Service of plans to build a new category B prison in Greater Manchester.Discussions are taking place about the purchase of the site and about the planning implications, but a formal planning notice has not yet been submitted to the relevant planning authority, Salford City Council. Subject to the outcome of these discussions, it is envisaged that tenders could be invited for the prison's construction by the summer of 1995, which would enable the prison to open before the end of the financial year 1998–99.Our initial assessment is that the site is large enough to accommodate up to 800 prisoners but the level of occupancy will be one of the issues for discussion with the planning authority.This will be one of the six prisons announced by the Home Secretary on 2 September 1993, for which the design, construction, management and finance will be contracted out to the private sector.