§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the properties owned by the Scottish610W Prison Service in (a) Clydesdale, (b) Lanarkshire and (c) Scotland; and if he will list the total valuations in each category; [15902]
(2) if it is Government policy to sell off Scottish Prison Service property to the highest bidder; what account is taken of the willingness of the sitting tenants to buy; and if he will make a statement; [15899]
(3) what discount is allowed to Scottish prison officers living in tied accommodation when buying their homes; [15903]
(4) what consultation there was with sitting tenants, renting property owned by the Scottish Prison Service, concerning the sell-off of houses and garages. [15900]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe subject of the questions relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. Jimmy Hood, dated 19 February 1997:
611WLord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your questions about properties owned by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and various associated matters relating to disposal procedures.You asked for information abut properties owned by the SPS in specific parts of Scotland, and for the country as a whole. This infonnation is set out in the table attached. The valuation figures have been provided by the relevant District Valuers.You also asked about the policy in relation to selling property to the highest bidder. Government policy is that assets, not required for operational purposes, should be disposed of at the best price possible, with due regard to any special factors, such as the discount sales scheme which operates in relation to staff quarters. The extent of discounts allowed was the subject of one of your further questions. The discount scheme enjoyed by prison officers is equivalent to that operated by local authorities under the "Right to Buy" legislation. Prison officers do not have a statutory right to buy, but, unless there are any limitations on security grounds relating to the sale of the property, officers may purchase quarters at discounts which range from 32 per cent. to 60 per cent. for a house, and 44 per cent. for a flat, depending upon length of tenure.You also asked about what consultation there was with sitting tenants, renting property owned by the SPS, concerning the sell-off of houses and garages. When the discounted sales scheme was introduced in 1981, all SPS staff in rented quarters were advised of the conditions under which they were eligible to purchase, and the level of discounts they would receive. The terms of the discount scheme had been agreed with the relevant trade unions. Since then, staff who have continued to occupy SPS quarters have been reminded from time to time of the opportunity to purchase. Quarters are disposed of only to willing tenants who submit an application to purchase.As regards garages, where these are occupied by SPS staff who are also renting or have purchased an SPS quarter, tenancies would continue until such time as the tenant either wished to purchase, gave up the garage voluntarily or left the Service. In certain cases, where there has been no interest by SPS staff in renting garages, and no internal or external interest in purchase, vacant garages have been rented to private tenants. In these circumstances, if the siting tenant later wished to purchase, the sale would normally take place at a price determined by the District Valuer. Given the small sums of money involved, it has not been the practice to seek then to advertise the property in an attempt to obtain a higher price. If an outside party expressed an interest in purchasing a garage in private tenancy then, in fairness to the sitting tenant, he/she would be offered first refusal, either at the District Valuer's sale price, or at the amount offered by the other party, whichever was the higher.
612W
Scottish Prison Service Property1 Area Total value £ Area sub total £ Clydesdale Constituency 2 garages (Hunters Way, Blackwood) 680 680 Lanarkshire (North and South) 2 houses (Hamilton Drive, Dungavel) 75,000 7 garages (Hamilton Drive, Dungavel) 2,310 4 houses (The Crescent, Longriggend) 104,000 13 garages (The Crescent, Longriggend) 4,030 1 staff club (at Longriggend Remand Institution) 50,000 10 houses (Burns Place, Shotts) 316,000 2 houses (Byron Road, Shotts) 93,500 14 garages (Burns Place, Shotts) 4,620 9 garages (Byron Road, Shotts) 2,970 652,430 Aberdeenshire 1 house (Ashgrove Place, Peterhead) 37,000 1 house (Bell Avenue) 37,500 1 house (Blackhill Crescent, Peterhead) 40,000 1 house (MacKenzie Court, Peterhead) 40,000 1 house (Seaview Gardens, Peterhead) 38,000 14 garages (Brucklay Court, Peterhead) 35,000 21 garages (North Site, Peterhead) 52,500 29 garages (South Site, Peterhead) 72,500 1 staff club (at Peterhead Prison) 80,000 432,500 Angus 1 house (Woodlands Avenue) 35,500 2 garages (Woodlands Avenue) 400 1 staff club (at Noranside Prison) 25,000 60,900 Clackmannanshire 1 house (The Cleaves, Glenochil) 54,000 9 garages (Glenochil Village) 13,500 30 garages (Woodlea Park, Sauchi, Alloa) 60,000 1 staff club (at Glenochil YOI and Prison) 49,000 176,500 Dumfries and Galloway 1 house (Ashfield Drive, Dumfries) 38,000 1 house (Cree Cottage, Penninghame) 43,000 81,000 East Dunbartonshire 1 house (Meadowburn, Bishopbriggs) 58,000 58,000 Edinburgh, City of 1 house (Calder Road, Edinburgh) 62,500 33 garages (Longstone Gardens, Edinburgh) 82,500 1 staff club (at Edinburgh Prison) 200,000 345,000 Falkirk 4 houses (Blairlodge Avenue, Brightons) 193,000 1 house (Polwarth Avenue, Brightons) 46,000 1 staff club (at Polmont YOI) 90,000 329,000 Glasgow, City of 6 houses (Lethamhill Road, Glasgow) 192,000 21 garages (Lethamhill Road, Glasgow) 10,500 1 staff club (at Barlinnie Prison) 180,000 382,500 Highland 1 garage (Old Edinburgh Road, Inverness) 2,750 2,750 Perth and Kinross 2 houses (The Avenue, Castle Huntly) 84,000 10 garages (Castle Grove, Castle Huntly) 4,500 1 staff club (at Castle Huntly Prison) 30,000 17 garages (Mansion Crescent, Perth) 8,500 1 1 staff club (at Perth Prison) 56,000 183,000
Scottish Prison Service Property1 Area Total value £ Area sub total £ Stirling 6 houses (Cornton Cottages, Bridge of Allan) 292,000 4 garages (Castle Vale, Bridge of Allan) 6,000 298,000 West Lothian 1 storage depot (Fauldhouse) 800,000 800,000 Overall Total 3,802,260 1Excluding prison establishment themselves.
§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what training is available to staff within the Scottish Prison Service's estates department in public relations and how to communicate with the general public, and if he will make a statement; [15904]
(2) how many managers are employed within the Scottish Prison Service's estates department; and what are their grades and salaries; [15905]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe subject of the questions relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. Jimmy Hood, dated 19 February 1997:
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your questions about Scottish Prison Service (SPS) Estate Department staff.You asked about the numbers, grades (expressed in terms of pay bands) and salaries of managers employed with the SPS's Estate Department. The information, relating to the Estates Directorate within the SPS's Headquarters in Edinburgh, is as follows:—Head of Estates Directorate
1 x Band H @ £40kBranch Heads
1 xBandH @ £35k2 x Band G @ £30kThere are no specific courses in "public relations and how to communicate with the general public". Normally mangers and their staff receive training in building, professional and construction matters, and also in administration-related topics, reflecting the range of duties they carry out. Contact with the public in such areas is minimal. It is however my view that all public servants where they do come into contact with the public, should deal with them in a polite, courteous and professional manner. Where a development need is identified, training can be provided.