§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison ships are in use; and what plans there are to increase the number. [20960]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 10 December 2001]: The prison service currently operates one prison ship, Weare, which is berthed in Portland Harbour and has been operating successfully as a medium security training establishment since 1997 accommodating 400 men over the age of 25 serving the last nine months of their sentence. There are currently no plans to increase the number of prison ships. However, the prison service is always prepared to consider a wide range of options for safely accommodating the prisoner population when it is rising including the use of floating facilities, but would prefer to give primary consideration to other alternatives which provide better long term accommodation.
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