HC Deb 17 March 1995 vol 256 cc756-7W
Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many(a) workshop and (b) education places there were in the Prison Service in each of the last 15 years broken down by prison population in each year;

(2) how many workshop places were available for prisoners in each of the last 15 years broken down by the number of places per prison population.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 17 March 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the number of workshop and education places at Prison Service establishments in each of the last 15 years. There is no fixed allocation of places for prisoners to attend education classes. The number of prisoners able to attend full-time or part time education courses is determined according to need. In addition to classroom based teaching there is also tuition for prisoners at other locations, such as in the prison hospital, and teaching staff provide support to prisoners undertaking private study. Information on work places for prisoners in industries and farms is available only from 1987, and from 1988 for vocational training places. This information is given in the attached table, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons library.

training prisons, (f) adult male open prisons, (g) young offender closed establishments, (h) young offender open establishments, (i) young offenders remand establishments, (j) female establishments and (k) non-operational establishments; what is the net headquarters operating cost, and, when this figure is added to the above establishments costs, what is the net operating cost per prisoner place before exceptional items for the Prison Service in England and Wales from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995;

(2) what is the net operating cost per prisoner place per annum for each of the local prisons and remand centres, excluding the contracted-out prisons, in England and Wales from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for these 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 Mr. George Howarth, dated 17 March 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions on net operating costs. Figures for 1994–95 will be published later this year in the Prison Service Annual Report for 1994–95. Figures for 1993–94 have been published in section A of Part Two of the Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.