HC Deb 11 June 1996 vol 279 cc65-6W
Ms Lynne

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prison officers were required to work a double shift at Buckley Hall prison on 29 April; and what were the reasons for the requirement; [31921]

(2) how many prison officers were transferred from Wolds prison to Buckley Hall prison in April; what was the total number of shifts carried out by the transferred staff; and if Her Majesty's inspectorate of prisons was

Re-conviction rates within one and two years of discharge from prison or of commencement of probation or community service orders in 1992. Figures in brackets give the range above and below the estimate that rates are likely to vary according to change1
Discharged from custody Commencing probation or community service
Police authority Number sampled 1 year percentage re-convicted 2 year percentage re-convicted Number sampled 1 year percentage re-convicted 2 year percentage re-convicted
Avon and Somerset 338 47(7) 65(7) 360 44(6) 56(6)
Bedfordshire 197 31(9) 44(9) 111 37(11) 52(11)
Cambridgeshire 191 40(9) 52(9) 129 50(11) 61(11)
Cheshire 351 43(7) 55(7) 206 49(7) 57(7)
Cleveland 253 41(8) 62(8) 236 46(8) 61(8)
Cumbria 172 48(10) 64(9) 178 51(9) 64(9)
Derbyshire 325 34(7) 49(7) 189 44(8) 53(8)
Devon and Cornwall 354 40(7) 54(6) 335 41(7) 57(7)
Dorset 136 34(11) 46(11) 150 40(10) 49(10)
Durham 205 44(9) 55(9) 185 39(9) 53(9)
Essex 427 27(6) 47(6) 253 46(7) 59(7)
Gloucestershire 106 46(12) 59(13) 190 44(9) 58(9)

informed of temporary prison officers working at Buckley Hall prison when it visited the prison following the escape of four prisoners on 23 April. [31922]

Miss Widdecombe

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

Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 11 June 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the doubling of prison custody officer shifts at Buckley Hall prison on 29 April 1996 and about the use of detached duty staff at Buckley Hall prison.

On 29 April one member of staff was asked to work a double shift and one member of staff was asked to extend his shift, both for operational reasons.

Four members of staff from the Wolds prison performed detached duty at Buckley Hall prison in April. They were deployed to support their colleagues at Buckley Hall prison and to gain experience in a different work environment. Each member of staff worked a total of five shifts each; these shifts were worked on a supernumerary basis.

Although an inquiry was commissioned into the escape of four prisoners on 23 April 1996, there was a no visit by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons at this time.

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