§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on proposed changes to the funding of prison education; if it is his policy to devolve funding to the Department of Education and Employment; if it is his policy to ring-fence prison education funding(a) overall and (b) in each individual prison budget; and what the proposed time-scale is for the changes. [134676]
§ Mr. BoatengA joint Prison Service and Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) partnership will be established to build on the policy framework for prison education. The plan is for funding for prison education to be transferred to DfEE from April 2001. It will be ring-fenced but detailed arrangements have yet to be finalised.
Accountability for management control and responsibility for delivery will remain with the Director General of the Prison Service. It is envisaged that close working between the Prison Service and DfEE will be beneficial for prisoners.
There will be a joint Ministerial announcement early in 2001 which will set out the details of the partnership and funding arrangements.