§ Ms Janet AndersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have escaped from escorts in each of the last three years; and what steps he is taking to reduce this number. [31063]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this 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 Richard Tilt to Ms Janet Anderson, dated 11 June 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about escapes from escort in the last 3 years and about steps being taken to reduce this number.
The table below shows the requested information.
Escapes from escort (financial years) Year Escapes from escort 1993–94 1125 1994–95 166 1995–96 170 1 These figures include escapes from contractor's escorts which were previously the responsibility of the police. There were 23 such escapes in 1993–94; 15 in 1994–95; and 34 in 1995–96. The prevention of escapes from escort is one of nine key performance indicators which are set out in the recently published Prison Service Corporate Plan, a copy of which is in the Library.
The Corporate Plan outlines a reduction in escapes from escort as one of six strategic aims for 1996–1999.
Steps being taken to reduce the number of escapes from escort include: the publishing of figures for all escapes, including escapes from escort, in the Service's monthly security briefing - this highlights any recurring problems; investigating escapes and passing, where appropriate, the findings to prisons and escort contractors; poster and other campaigns to prioritise security to staff; and the issuing of pocket handbooks on security in prisons and in escorting.
A revised security manual is being compiled and will be trialled this year for issue early in 1997.