§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the current prisoner discharge grant amounts to; when it was last revised; and what plans he has to re-examine the level of grant. [160636]
§ Paul Goggins[holding answer 11 March 2004]The standard rates of discharge grant paid are £46.75 (for prisoners aged 25 and older) or £37 (for prisoners aged 18 to 24). A higher rate of discharge grant (£94.40) is paid to prisoners on release only if there is a need to seek, obtain and pay for accommodation. It is only paid to prisoners with no accommodation arranged in advance if this arises through no fault of the prisoner. The current rates were set in 1995.
The Government are drawing up a National Rehabilitation Action Plan responding to the July 2002 Social Exclusion Unit report on reducing re-offending by released prisoners. The discharge grant is being reviewed as a part of this work.