§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to decommission Her Majesty's Prison Parkhurst's category A status. [478]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. George Howarth, dated 23 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the plans that are in place to decommission Parkhurst prison's category A status.The Home Secretary announced on 16 October 1995 that Parkhurst prison was to be removed from the dispersal estate. The Director of Operations with responsibility for Parkhurst has set up 295W a steering group, headed by the area manager, to manage the process of downgrading Parkhurst prison. The prison service will announce its detailed plans for this process shortly.
§ Mr. HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent to date on improving security at Her Majesty's Prison Parkhurst since the escape of three prisoners on 3 January; and how much of this sum is due to additional costs caused by implementing recommendations of the Learmont inquiry. [391]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. George Howarth, dated 23 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about how much has been spent to date on improving security at Parkhurst prison since the escape of three prisoners on 3 January 1995 and how much of this sum is due to additional costs caused by implementing recommendations of the Learmont inquiry.Since the escape on 3 January, perimeter closed circuit television and alarm systems have been installed and modifications made to the emergency control room at a cost of £1.2 million.Following publication of the Learmont inquiry the Home Secretary announced on 16 October that Parkhurst was to be removed from the dispersal estate. As a result of this announcement further security upgrading work at Parkhurst has been cancelled including two projects which had been let, for which expenditure of £300,000 has been incurred.