§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the planned expenditure for constructing prisons in Scotland over the next three years; and what is the design capacity of each planned prison. [17695]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonOne new 500-cell prison is planned at Bowhouse, Kilmarnock as part of the private finance initiative. The earliest opening date is 1999, from which time an annual payment would be made by the Scottish Prison Service to the successful contractor for operating the prison, which would include an element to reflect construction costs. Provision to meet the estimated initial costs of the prison is included in the Scottish Prison Service's financial allocation of some £186 million for 1999–2000. Additional prison places required in the light of the early release proposals in the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Bill would also be financed through the PFI. As the new places would not come on stream until after the time period covered by the Government's current public expenditure plans, no financial provision has yet been made.