§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the decision was made to purchase a prison ship; what account was taken of experience in using ships for detaining asylum seekers; when Parliament was notified of the decision to purchase; what are(a) the total purchase costs and (b) the estimated running costs; and if he will make a statement. [15782]
§ 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 Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 26 February 1997:
213WThe Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking when the decision was made to purchase a prison ship; what account was taken of past experience in using ships for detaining asylum seekers; when Parliament was notified of the decision to purchase; what are the total purchase costs and the estimated running costs.In order to respond to the rapid rise in the prisoner population several options were considered including the purchase or charter of a prison ship. The decision to purchase the prison vessel "Resolution" (to be renamed the "Weare") was made on 15 January.We are aware of the difficulties experienced in using the "Earl William" for immigration detainees at Harwich in 1987. However, the "Earl William" was a converted ferry: the "Resolution"/"Weare" is a purpose-built vessel. It has been decided not to use the "Weare" to hold immigration detainees.Parliament has not been formally notified of the decision to purchase the prison vessel, however Ministers have been kept fully informed. The cost of purchasing the floating prison is about £3.7 million and the cost of transporting it to the UK is about £800,000. It will provide a total of 400 places. We expect the cost per prisoner place to be approximately £16,200 which compares with an average figure for the category C estate of £16,500 (for the period April—September 1996).