§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons are the(a) most expensive and (b) cheapest in terms of cost per prisoner; and what criteria govern the differential allocation of funds to these prisons. [73214]
§ Mr. Hilary BennFigures published in the Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts for 2001–02 show that Whitemoor (high security) prison had the highest cost per prisoner at £54,184 and Ford open prison the lowest, at £14,968.
Cost per prisoner figures shown in the annual report for private sector establishments include an element of capital repayment and the figures are not comparable with the public sector.
Criteria used to determine the allocation of funds include internal benchmarking of prisons of similar size and category and assessments of the grading of staff necessary to maintain a safe, decent and healthy environment and to deliver regimes effective in reducing crime. Full consideration is given to the security classification of prisons within the estate, costs being higher in high security prisons and lower in the open estate where the risk of escape and danger to the public is reduced.