§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department first considered the possibility of building a prison in Peterborough constituency; and which Minister evaluated the proposal. [89191]
§ Mr. StrawThe suitability of the site of the former Rockwell/APV works in Peterborough was brought to the attention of the Prison Service in October 1996 and was first visited by Prison Service officials in early November 1996. The then Minister of State responsible for prisons and probation, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin) approved the submission of a formal planning proposal in June 1997. Information relating to whether and when Ministers of the previous administration considered any matter is quite properly not available to Ministers of the present government.
§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what local consultation took place at the time the building of a prison in the Peterborough constituency was first considered; and what consultation there was with the local Member at the time. [89192]
§ Mr. StrawPrison Service officials' first meeting with Peterborough City Council's planning officers took place on 18 April 1997: a second meeting was held on 8 May 1997. I briefed my hon. Friend in June 1997, following the decision by my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin), the then Minister of State responsible for prisons and probation, that the Prison Service should submit a formal planning application.