§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what time scale he is applying to the private finance initiative for future prisons; and what estimate he has made of the capital costs and annual running costs of these prisons in each of the years of the private finance initiative; [22840]
(2) pursuant to his answer of 28 February, Official Report, column 618, what representations he has received advocating that prison staff secure the management contract to run any future private finance initiative prison; [22841]
(3) pursuant to his answer of 28 February, Official Report, column 618, if he will make it his policy to allocate the contract for the management of any future finance initiative prison to the prison staff. [22842]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe new prison is not expected to open before 1999 at the earliest. Early cost estimates are around £18 million to £20 million per annum. Payments would be revalued using an appropriate772W indicator over the contract period, which is expected to be 25 years. The Secretary of State met the Scottish Prison Officers Association on 29 September 1995, following which he has received no further representations. However, representations from SPOA have been received on this matter by the Scottish Prison Service chief executive. The option of involving Scottish Prison Service staff in a privately financed prison has not been ruled out.