§ Mr. Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list(a) the full cost of establishing the young offenders institution at Colchester Military Corrective Training Centre, (b) the maximum number of offenders who can be accommodated at any one time, (c) the number held there each week since it 315W opened, (d) the number of staff employed, how many are Prison Service and how many military, (e) the date when the first offenders were admitted, and (f) the estimated annual running cost; and what are the comparative costs for an offender at Colchester and in a more traditional youth offenders institute. [3918]
§ Ms Joyce QuinThe cost of establishing Colchester young offender institution was approximately £460,000.
There is accommodation available for up to 38 young offenders, although the planned population is 32.
From 20 February the population was 11. It increased to 21 on 4 April and to 29 on 15 May.
Colchester young offender institution has 23 staff. Of these, 13 were appointed from the Military Corrective Training Centre and the others from the Prison Service.
The first young offenders were admitted to Colchester young offender institution on 20 February.
The current estimated running costs for the financial year 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 are £1,006,000. These exclude an estimated charge of £114,292 made by the Ministry of Defence for rental of the accommodation and a contribution in lieu of rates.
Based on the figure for running costs given above and a population of 32, the annual cost per place at Colchester will be about £31,500, compared with about £17,500 in a typical young offender institution.