HC Deb 20 May 1999 vol 331 c408W
Mr. Salter

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland Prison Service intends to publish its 1999–2002 Corporate and Business Plan; and what performance targets have been set for 1999–2000. [85207]

Marjorie Mowlam

The Northern Ireland Prison Service's Corporate and Business Plan for 1999–2002 was published today. The following key performance targets have been set for 1999–2000:

  1. 1. To ensure 100 per cent. security for prisoners in high and top risk categories.
  2. 2. To ensure at least 99.5 per cent. security for prisoners in medium and low risk categories.
  3. 3. To ensure that the number of significant breaches of order and control does not exceed 7.1 per 100 prisoners.
  4. 4. To introduce a system of booked visits to a prison establishment by march 2000.
  5. 5. To increase the target number of hours of constructive activity undertaken each week by prisoners by 3 per cent. from 22.85 hours to 23.5 hours.
  6. 6. To offer sentence planning to all eligible prisoners and to achieve a 50 per cent. uptake.
  7. 7. To achieve an average of 5 days training and development per member of staff.
  8. 8. To ensure that the average cost per prisoner place does not exceed £83,4261

1This figure is higher than in 1998–99, as the number of staffed prisoner places has reduced to 1,597 as a result of the closure of 2 Blocks at the Maze. The number may alter again during 1999–2000 in the light of developments. The target net operating costs for 1999–2000 are 3.4 per cent. lower in real terms than the target net operating costs for 1998-99, excluding the exceptional redundancy costs in both years.