§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that the educational needs and progress of prisoners are assessed before they are transferred between prison establishments. [54064]
§ Beverley HughesWe will put in place arrangements for all prisoners to have access to a full assessment of learning needs on reception and a supporting individual learning plan. In the longer term we want to make the transfer of records of individual achievement from prison to prison more efficient as part of a wider strategy to support effective management information systems through information technology. This should eradicate the need for prisoners to be re-assessed before of after they are transferred to a new establishment within a reasonable timescale.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to assess the individual educational needs of prisoners when they first enter custody; what plans he has to replace the global education targets set for the Prison Service with incentives for establishment and prison staff to improve the education attainments of individual prisoners; and if he will make a statement. [54065]
§ Beverley HughesAll prisoners are offered a basic skills screening test at reception. We plan to improve initial assessment by introducing a greater range of diagnostic tests and are piloting computer-based initial assessment in basic skills for juveniles in selected young offender institutions and secure units.
We are widening education targets at national and establishment level to enable prisons to be more flexible in responding to the learning needs of their population. Prison education is now covered by the Adult Learning Inspectorate, which will monitor teaching and training standards to ensure they meet the needs of learners and enable them to progress. Under the Basic Skills Quality Initiative, all establishments will be supported in producing an action plan for delivering basic skills. We will also provide training to instructors and prison officers to enable them to support prisoners' educational needs.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to give prisoners over 16 years a statutory right to receive education while in custody. [54063]
238W
§ Beverley HughesWe have no plans to make education a statutory right to prisoners who are not of compulsory school age. But we will increase access to education for all prisoners through extra resources over the next two years and by continuing to remove barriers to learning.
§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were serving custodial sentences in each of the last three years, broken down by location. [53824]
§ Beverley HughesThe number of women serving custodial sentences on the 30 June in the last three years, broken down by prison is given in the table.
Establishment 1999 2000 2001 Total 2,436 2,666 2,899 Askham Grange 119 119 134 Brockhill 56 77 68 Bullwood Hall 133 156 161 Cookham Wood 146 141 151 Drake Hall 224 172 232 Durham 100 94 100 East Sutton Park 97 71 91 Eastwood Park 165 221 177 Foston Hall 166 164 155 Highpoint 194 188 229 Holloway 199 210 154 Low Newton 61 161 197 Morton Hall — — 185 New Hall 266 279 238 Send 88 198 216 Styal 331 335 320 Winchester 91 79 91
§ John McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners who are Irish citizens have died in United Kingdom prisons in each year since 1996. [53245]
§ Beverley HughesThe numbers of deaths since 1996 in establishments in England and Wales of prisoners who were Irish citizens are set out in the table. 239W
Year Self-inflicted deaths1Irish prisoners3 Natural causes deaths2 Irish prisoners3 1996 0 0 1997 0 0 1998 1 0 1999 3 1 2000 3 0 2001 2 2 20024 1 0 Total 10 3 1 Not all self-inflicted deaths result in an inquest verdict of suicide. 2Not all deaths initially classified as being due to natural causes result in an inquest verdict of natural causes. 3Includes only those prisoners who are known to be Irish citizens. 4Up to and including 28 April 2002.
§ Dr. VisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young prisoners have been subjected to restraint under Rule 52 of the Rules for Young Offenders Institutions since April 2000; and what sort of restraints were used in each case. [52137]
§ Beverley HughesThere have been nine young prisoners between the age of 18 and 21 years of age placed in restraint under Rule 52 during the stated period. The only restraint available for use under Young Offender Institution Rules 2000, Rule 52, is the body belt and it was used on 11 separate occasions at the following locations:
Location Date Guys Marsh June 2000 Glen Parva August 2000 Reading September 2000 Portland September 2000 Brockhill 1October 2000 Feltham March 2001, August 2001 Dover August 2001 Swinfen Hall March 2002 1Three separate occasions
§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made on developing policies for the aftercare of wrongfully convicted prisoners; and what plans he has to consult on his proposals. [51941]
§ Beverley HughesI have now received the report of the working group established to consider this issue and I am considering its recommendations. I am also considering the extent to which there should be consultation on the proposals contained in the report. I will make an announcement shortly.