HC Deb 07 September 2004 vol 424 cc961-5W
Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget is for each prison library in 2004–05; and how many local authority-employed librarians work in prison establishments on a(a) full-time and (b) part-time basis. [187237]

Mr. Browne

The following table shows allocations to each prison establishment to purchase library services. The figures include maintenance of the book stock, exchange of stock within a year and off-site administration of the service.

Information on the number of local authority-employed librarians working in prison establishments is not held centrally. A survey conducted in February 2004 found that Public Library Authority (PLA) library managers delivered 2,608 on-site hours per week while PLA library assistants delivered 2,230 per week. This equates to 134 full-time equivalent library staff across the prison estate.

The Prison Service is currently working in partnership with the Public Library Authorities to develop a new and wider ranging specification for prison libraries that addresses the learning and skills agenda as well as providing information, advice and guidance. A new framework for resourcing the new service is also being developed.

Library budgets 2004–05
Establishment £
Acklington 39,088
Albany 31,842
Ashwell 17,906
Askham Grange 7,302
Aylesbury 15,875
Bedford 22,013
Belmarsh 62,491
Birmingham 72,523
Blakenhurst 36,716
Blantyre House 12,364
Blundeston 20,563
Brinsford 19,730
Brinsford YJB 16,885
Bristol 21,117
Brixton 58,634
Brockhill 15,176
Buckley Hall 18,618
Bullingdon 42,588
Bullwood Hall 5,430
Bullwood Hall YJB 361
Camphill 38,845
Canterbury 19,123
Cardiff 16,089
Castington 17,648
Castington YJB 12,532
Channings Wood 28,399
Chelmsford 19,815
Coldingley 11,850
Cookham Wood 8,427
Dartmoor 24,469
Deerbolt 15,887
Dorchester 17,768
Dover 12,758
Downview 25,126
Drake Hall 13,385
Durham 22,940
East Sutton Park 6,217
Eastwood Park 19,951
Eastwood Park YJB 529
Edmunds Hill 813
Elmley 49,666
Erlestoke 14,054
Everthorpe 32,959
Exeter 10,585
Featherstone 15,797
Feltham 30,869
Feltham YJB 8,548
Ford 33,591
Foston Hall 23,830
Frankland 24,602
Full Sutton 28,606
Garth 37,723
Gartree 15,435
Glen Parva 20,273
Gloucester 20,062
Grendon/Spring Hill 16,020
Guys Marsh 17,549
Haslar 19,597
Haverigg 28,022
Hewell Grange 11,743
High Down 27,457
Highpoint 29,345
Hindley 11,233
Hindley 10,292
Hollesley Bay 5,078
Holloway 56,463
Holme House 55,948
Hull 60,309
Huntercombe 16,506
Kingston 14,072
Kirkham 25,645
Kirklevington 9,102
Lancaster Castle 5,803
Lancaster Farms 32,355
Lancaster Farms 8,499
Latchmere House 2,240
Leeds 36,278
Leicester 17,409
Lewes 30,049
Leyhill 15,602
Lincoln 20,726
Lindholme 24,872

Library budgets 2004—05
Establishment £
Littlehey 22,854
Liverpool 30,591
Long Lartin 21,305
Low Newton 18,454
Maidstone 19,209
Manchester 158,515
Moorland 43,833
Morton Hall 36,364
New Hall 158,442
New Hall YJB 3,259
North Sea Camp 11,978
Northallerton 34,756
Norwich 40,987
Nottingham 34,053
Onley 51,758
Parkhurst 32,056
Pentonville 37,094
Portland 16,637
Preston 17,985
Ranby 47,480
Reading 21,975
Risley 15,140
Rochester 27,904
Send 14,283
Shepton Mallet 5,615
Shrewsbury 12,474
Stafford 14,367
Standford Hill 20,700
Stocken 22,741
Stoke Heath 10,306
Stoke Heath 9,274
Styal 11,305
Sudbury 25,933
Swaleside 35,296
Swansea 17,474
Swinfen Hall 33,953
The Mount 38,786
The Verne 14,944
Thorn Cross 8,387
Thorn Cross YJB 3,009
Usk/Prescoed 16,745
Wakefield 23,789
Wandsworth 124,646
Warren Hill YJB 22,254
Wayland 25,885
Wealstun 35,478
Weare 17,597
Wellingborough 28,321
Werrington YJB 9,498
Wetherby YJB 32,241
Whatton 21,085
Whitemoor 25,972
Winchester 29,418
Woodhill 36,932
Wormwood Scrubs 43,773
Wymott 34,154

Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the 10-year custodial population projections referred to in paragraphs D18 and D19 of the Home Office Online Report 38/04. [187235]

Paul Goggins

Long-term prison population projections are produced for a seven year period. The latest published projections cover the period up to 2009. These were first presented in the April 2003 prison population monthly brief, published in September 2003, which can be found on the Home Office website at http:// www.homeoffice.gov uk/rds/prisonsl.html

David Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what review of the policy towards(a) prison workplace and (b) prisoner smok#ng is planned; and if he will make a statement. [185643]

Paul Goggins

[holding answer 22 July 2004]: No departmental review of smoking in prison workp#aces (where this is permitted) and prisoner smoking is planned. Governors are still operating under Instruction to Governors 16 of 1996, which instructs them where to ban smoking in prisons and gives them discretionary powers 10 extend this ban to other parts of the prison. Smoking policies are included in the Health and Safety Standard and are audited by the Prison Service Standards A udit Unit.

In 2003 the Department of Health and the Prison service published 'AQUITTED: Best practice guidance for developing smoking cessation services in prisons'. Extra funding of £500,000 has been made available for each of the three years up to 2006. The launch of 'AQUITTED' was supported by a programme of training seminars for staff of prisons and their local Primary Care Trusts. The effectiveness of the initiative is being evaluated and a report is expected in 2005.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost was of the new healthcare centre at HMP Holloway in the Department's budget on 1 January; what the latest estimate is of expenditure on the new centre; and how many(a) inpatient beds and (b) day centre places (i) were planned on 1 January and (ii) are planned for the new centre. [186109]

Paul Goggins

On 1 January 2003, the estimated capital cost of the new healthcare centre at Holloway prison was £5.85 million with 23 in-patient beds and 30 day centre places planned. The latest estimates for costs, in patient beds, and day centre places remain the same.

Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) prisoners, (b) women in prison, (c) juveniles and (d) young offenders are held (i) over 50 miles and (ii) over 100 miles from their committal court town. [187060]

Paul Goggins

An individual prisoner's court details are recorded to show first court appearance, committal, remand, conviction or sentencing. Information specifically on committal court details could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. As at 7 July 2004, the latest date for which information is available, details were available for 70,213 prisoners, or 9.3 per cent. of the total prison population of 74,771, on that day. This information is shown in the following table.

Distance Total population Female population Juvenile population Young offender population
Under 50 miles
Total number of prisoners 45,632 2,151 1,639 5,184
Percentage 65 52 63 65
50–100 miles
Total number of prisoners 14,990 1,039 814 1,828
Percentage 21 25 31 23
100+ miles
Total number of prisoners 9,591 930 167 944
Percentage 14 23 6 12
Total 70,213 4,120 2,620 7,956