§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received regarding capacity in prisons; and what plans he has to increase prison capacity. [73768]
§ Hilary BennMy right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State receives representations on a regular basis regarding capacity in prisons. These come from a wide variety of individuals and organisations.
Her Majesty's Prison Service has already started an emergency building programme to increase capacity by 2,320 places by March 2003. The programme includes building modular temporary units and ready to use units at existing prisons and the deferment of some wing 230W refurbishment schemes. The first of these schemes is already in operation. The Home Secretary also announced on 14 October that an additional £60 million would be provided to the Prison Service in 2003–04 to build further places to open next year. Further additional accommodation will be delivered during 2002 and 2004 as part of the expansion programmes at Her Majesty's Prison Hull and Birmingham.