§ Mr. PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many escapes by convicted prisoners took place in transit (i) between prisons and (ii) between courts and prisons, in the last year for which figures are available and for the year before contractorisation of the prisoner transport system(a) in total prison numbers and (b) as a proportion of the prison population moved in each year. [3391]
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 12 November 1996]Responsibility 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 Mr. David Porter, dated 25 November 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many escapes by convicted prisoners took place in transit between prisons and between courts and prisons, in the last year for which figures are available and for the year before contractorisation of the prisoner transport system in total prison numbers and as a proportion of the prison population moved in each year.The information you requested is not available in the form that you require. Information on the total numbers of prisoners moved annually is not collected centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. We do keep central records of escapes, but 4W before this year did not always record whether the escort was between prisons or between courts and prisons. The attached table shows escapes by convicted prisoners which took place in transit between prisons and between courts and prisons. But in 1992–93 there were two escapes from escorts where central records do not show the destination.Contracting out of escorts has been phased in over a number of years. There are eight contract areas, the first was contracted out on 5 April 1993 and the final and only remaining area will start on 1 April 1997. These contractors, however, deal mainly with unconvicted prisoners.Category A escorts, inter-prison escorts, funeral escorts, hospital escorts and home visits are currently still carried out by the public sector.
KPI escapes by convicted prisoners Year Between prisons Between prison court 1992–931 12 3 1995–962 2 2 1 The last full financial year prior to the privatisation of escorts in Area 7 (East Midlands and Humberside) in 1993–94, the start of a rolling programme of contracting out. 2 The last complete financial year.