§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the selection of prisons for market testing. [26488]
§ Mr. HowardIn August last year, the Prison Service announced a shortlist of establishments which were either poor performers or had been judged to have particular scope for improvement. The Prisons Board intended to select for market testing one or two establishments from this list, but in an attempt to resolve a complaint to the central arbitration committee about this process, selection was deferred.
The central arbitration committee heard the complaint 1 February and published its determination 27 March. I will place a copy in the Library. The Prison Service is today responding to the central arbitration committee 654W determination by providing some additional information about the basis on which the short list was prepared.
Because of this regrettable delay, the information on which the present short list was prepared is now out of date. A fresh selection process will instead be conducted in due course.