HL Deb 31 January 2000 vol 609 cc6-7WA
Baroness Serota

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they plan to raise the performance of those prisons that are identified as performing to a poor standard. [HL825]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

The Prison Service responds to recommendations for improvement made by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons in his inspections. In the last year, the Prison Service has enhanced its management of under-performing prisons. To strengthen this development, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary is announcing today the establishment of a working group on Targeted Performance Improvement. Its terms of reference are to develop proposals for enhancing management arrangements to:

  • identify failing prisons;
  • develop special measures to improve performance within such establishments, including effective partnerships with other criminal justice agencies and the private voluntary sectors; and
  • develop a management tool to support the more rigorous line management of all establishments, including ways of recognising good performance and disseminating best practice with particular reference to the development of community partnerships in the locality of each.

The working group is chaired by Lord Laming and its other members are Phil Wheatley, Deputy Director General; Roger Brook, former head of the Audit Commission; Patrick Carter, non-executive Director of the Prison Service; and Una Padel, of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has asked Lord Laming to report to him and the Director General by 1 May this year.