§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for what reasons the Merseyside Probation Service has not been contacted to supply the probation input into HMP Altcourse; [24174]
(2) what contractual arrangements exist for seconded probation officers at Her Majesty's Prisons at (a) Mold, (b) Doncaster, (c) Blakenhurst and (d) Buckley Hall; [24175]
(3) if the contractual arrangements for the secondment of probation officers will be used at (a) Her Majesty's Prison in Altcourse and (b) the new prison at Bridgend; [24176]
(4) if he will make a statement on the terms and conditions of employment of the private social workers at Her Majesty's Prison, Altcourse. [24281]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 22 January 1998]: At Altcourse prison, the contractor and Merseyside Probation Service have now entered into an agreement for the secondment to the prison of probation officers.
The contracts for the Wolds and Parc prisons require the contractor to negotiate the terms of probation service input with the local probation service. Responsibility for the provision of probation service staff at Blakenhurst, Buckley Hall and Doncaster prisons lies with the relevant Prison Service area manager.
518WThe contractual conditions for seconded probation officers at the six privately managed prisons now open, Altcourse, Blakenhurst, Buckley Hall, Doncaster, Parc (Bridgend) and Wolds are drawn from the Framework Document published by the Prison Service under cover of Instruction to Governors 30/93 and entitled "National Framework for the Throughcare of Offenders in Custody to the Completion of Supervision in the Community". The Framework Document also applies to the secondment of probation officers to directly managed prisons. The terms and conditions of service of the qualified social workers at Altcourse prison are a matter for their employer, Group 4.