HC Deb 11 March 2004 vol 418 cc1674-5W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all prisons issue prisoners with a plastic sack marked HM Prison Service to contain their belongings on discharge; and what assessment he has made of alternatives to this practice. [156033]

Paul Goggins

Plastic sacks stamped with the Prison Service logo are used to store prisoners' property while they are in custody. The Prison Service has made it clear that their use for prisoners' property on discharge is not acceptable. Since October 2002 the Prison Service has made available to prisons plain nylon barrel bags for use for prisoners' property on discharge. These have been well received by prisoners and staff.

Mr. Laws

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the average weekly hours of purposeful activity in(a) privately run prisons and (b) state run prisons; and if he will make a statement.[156829]

Paul Goggins

During this financial year, to the end of January prisoners undertook an average of 23 hours of purposeful activity per week in public sector prisons and 26.3 hours in contracted out prisons.Note: These figures are provisional and have been taken from establishment purposeful activity returns for the financial year 2003 to present.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are housed in modular temporary units, broken down by prisons. [159278]

Paul Goggins

[holding answer 5 March 2004]: The number of prisoners accommodated in Modular Temporary Units (MTUs) is not held centrally. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 10 February 2004, Official Report, column 1431 for the capacity of MTUs across the prison estate, broken down by establishment.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sites are being assessed as potential new sites for prisons. [159279]

Paul Goggins

[holding answer 5 March 2004]: The Prison Service is actively seeking potential sites suitable for the development of prison establishments. The details of any individual sites cannot be disclosed for commercial reasons.