HC Deb 17 December 1998 vol 322 cc741-2W
Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the level of purposeful activity per week undertaken by prisoners, broken down into(a) education, (b) work, (c) training and (d) rehabilitation programmes in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [63671]

Mr. George Howarth

Information on the average weekly time spent by purposeful activity in each of the last five years is given in the table.

Average hours purposeful activity per prisoner per week
Work Education and Training
1998–99 to date 12.9 3.9
1997–98 13.3 4.1
1996–97 13.5 4.3
1995–96 14.3 4.9
1994–95 14.5 5.2

Note:

Work is defined as time spent in support to works and maintenance staff, workshops, farms, gardens, kitchens and other domestic work. Information on Education and Training activities are combined. The year to October information for 1998–99 is provisional and subject to validation by Prisons. The Prison Service does not record separately time spent engaged in rehabilitation programmes.