HC Deb 16 January 1998 vol 304 cc325-6W
Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about education spending in prisons. [21305]

Ms Quin

[holding answer 15 January 1998]: Prison Service expenditure on prisoner education was £36,956,000 in 1995–96, £34,481,000 in 1996–97; and the Service estimates that in 1997–98 it will have spent £36,266,000.

The very high numbers of prisoners combined with the need for financial restraint have placed education budgets under pressure. However, we are committed to the provision of constructive regimes for prisoners and wish to see prison education making a positive and cost-effective contribution to the overall aim of protecting the public from crime. The £43 million which the Government have made available to the Prison Service over this year and next is intended not only to help it house the higher than expected population, but also to maintain quality of regimes.

The Prison Service is helping governors get better value for money by: encouraging them, through the core curriculum and in other ways to focus on what will be effective in reducing crime and recidivism; and integrating education with other regime activities, such as work and offending behaviour courses.