HC Deb 14 May 2002 vol 385 c600W
Mr. Wilshire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the fire precautions that will be required in the contract to build the new women's prison at Ashford, Middlesex. [54323]

Beverley Hughes

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: The draft contract for the new prison at Ashford, Middlesex states that:

Generally the risk of accidental fire outbreak in prison buildings is low, due to the constant level of supervision and control. However, the serious consequences of such events, however rare, must be anticipated and controlled. Individual buildings and the site as a whole will be assessed for risk".

The construction work at Ashford will be in line with existing Prison Service protocols and standards for fire precautions. The contractor is subject to the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 (as amended in 1999). In addition, a review into fire safety in prisons is almost complete. As the construction of the prison has not yet started it would be possible to change the specification to incorporate any changes required by the review, including the fitting of sprinklers.