HC Deb 30 November 2000 vol 357 cc926-7W
Mr. Wigley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the budget for the(a) Police Service and (b) Prison Service was spent in Wales in the last 12 months for which figures are available (i) in actual terms, (ii) as a percentage of total expenditure on these services and (iii) per head of population in Wales. [141011]

Mr. Charles Clarke

In 1999–2000 revenue spend by police authorities on the police service in Wales, supported by Government grants, in actual terms was £375.438 million. This is 5.04 per cent. of total police net revenue expenditure in England and Wales and £127.83 per head of population in Wales.

The only information available for the Prison Service in respect of spend in Wales for the financial year 1999–2000 is the expenditure by Cardiff, Prescoed/Usk and Swansea Prisons and the payments made to the operators of Parc Prison. Spend in 1999–2000 was £54.753 million in actual terms. This represents 2.97 per cent. of the total Prison Service expenditure in 1999–2000 or £18.64 per head of population in Wales. However, because many Welsh prisoners, particularly from North Wales, are held in prisons in England this does not give a true reflection of the impact of Wales on Prison Service costs.