§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many certified prison custody officers are employed in each private prison in England and Wales. [137846]
§ Mr. BoatengThe number of prisoner custody officers at each privately managed prison is:
Privately managed prison Number Wolds 139 Blakenhurst 231 Doncaster 249 Parc 256 Altcourse 292 Lowdham Grange 117 Ashfield 134 Forest Bank 215
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of the contracts and competitions group within the Prison Service in each of the last three years. [137845]
§ Mr. BoatengThe costs requested are:
533W
Year £ 1997–98 939,134 1998–99 1,122,844 1999–2000 1,379,395
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the Wilson report on the comparative costs of state and private prisons; and if he will make a statement. [137848]
§ Mr. BoatengI refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary gave my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton) on 25 June 1998,Official Report, column 587W. The Wilson report is one of the two reviews referred to in that reply.
§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost is of a prison place in each contracted out prison. [137804]
§ Mr. BoatengThe cost of a prison place in each contracted out prison is:
Prison £ Wolds 26,224 Blakenhurst 22,622 Doncaster 25,335 Pare 39,546 Altcourse 57,908 Lowdham Grange 30,160 Ashfield 39,120 Forest Bank 28,886 The figures represent costs at the end of September 2000 annualised over 2000–01. The average cost per place for the eight prisons is £33,725. The costs for Private Finance Initiative prisons include an element for the repayment of the capital financing charge.
§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sum Premier Prison Services has repaid to the Prison Service as a result of the refinancing of PFI schemes for HM Prisons(a) Lowdham Grange, (b) Ashfield, (c) Dovegate and (d) Hassockfield Secure Training Centre. [137798]
§ Mr. BoatengPremier Prison Services Ltd. (PPS) has not refinanced its Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes. In late 1999 the holding companies of relevant PFI projects and their parent companies were restructured. This mechanical change did not alter the charges paid by the Prison Service or its lender liabilities in respect of Lowdham Grange, Ashfield or Dovegate prisons. The same applies to the Hassockfield Secure Training Centre which is a Home Office project.
§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it has cost on average to build a prison place in each of the contracted out prisons. [137803]
§ Mr. BoatengThe capital cost for each Private Finance Initiative (PFI) prison place is:
534W
£ Parc 53,750 Altcourse 105,000 Lowdham Grange 56,000 Ashfield 75,000 Forest Bank 62,500 Rye Hill 66,667 Dovegate 86,250 The average capital cost per place for the seven PH prisons is £72,167.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accredited offender programmes are running in each private prison in England and Wales. [137847]
§ Mr. BoatengBlakenhurst, Doncaster and Forest Bank prisons each run one accredited cognitive behavioural programme—the Enhanced Thinking Skills programme. Wolds prison runs two accredited programmes: the CALM (Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage It) programme and the Reasoning and Rehabilitation programme. Parc prison is due to introduce Reasoning and Rehabilitation later this financial year.
Rye Hill prison is due to introduce Reasoning and Rehabilitation later this financial year, and the Sex Offender Treatment Programme within the next financial year. Dovegate prison is due to introduce the Sex Offender Treatment Programme within the next financial year. Altcourse and Ashfield prisons do not run any accredited programmes at present.