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Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking on how many occasions since 1 September checks have been made on alarm systems and security cameras at Doncaster prison; what are his Department's guidelines; and if he will make a statement. Premier Prison Services, the contractor which operates Doncaster prison, is required by the terms of its contract to ensure that alarm systems and security cameras are regularly checked for effectiveness. Repairs, when required, have to be completed within twelve hours. The on site Prison Service Controller monitors these systems continually to ensure proper operation.
For security reasons it is not usual practice to make public the details of the guidelines.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners at Doncaster prison are currently on rule 43. [39550]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many prisoners at Doncaster prison are currently on Rule 43.
On 23 October the following number of prisoners were on Rule 43.
|Young
|Adult |Offender
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Segregated under Rule 43/own protection |5 |4
Segregated under Rule 43/good order and discipline |18 |16
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates, of what grade and on what dates have (a) escaped or (b) attempted to escape from Doncaster prison since it was opened. [39513]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many inmates, of what grade and on what dates have escaped or attempted to escape from Doncaster prison since it was opened. On 10 August 1994 one remand prisoner changed places with his visitor and left the prison through the visitors' entrance. He was recaptured the same evening. There have been no other escapes or attempted escapes from Doncaster since it opened on 20 June 1994.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the latest figure of the number of assaults on prisoners at Doncaster prison; [39552]
(2) what is the latest figure of the number of assaults on custody officers at Doncaster prison. [39553]
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Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions asking for the latest figures of the number of assaults on prisoners and on custody officers at Doncaster prison.
Figures for 1994 were published in Table 13 of "Statistics or offences against prison discipline and punishments, England and Wales" (Cm.2934) a copy of which is available in the Library of, the House.
The latest available provisional information is for assaults proved at adjudication during January to September 1995 when there were 113 assaults on prisoners and 61 on staff and others.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the incidents at (a) Doncaster and (b) Ford prisons notified to his Department in the last year, indicating the date, type and outcome of each incident. [39498]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking about incidents at (a) Doncaster and (b) Ford prisons notified in the last year, indicating the date, type and outcome of each incident.
Incidents reported to Prison Service headquarters from 1 January to 30 September 1995 are given in the attached table. These incidents are reported for data collection purposes. There is no central record of the outcome of all the incidents.
Type of incident |HMP Doncaster |HMP Ford
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Absconds |0 |11
Assaults |174 |1
Attempted escapes |1 |0
Concerted indiscipline |4 |0
Death of inmate |1 |1
Drug finds |197 |35
Escapes |0 |1
Fires |5 |0
Food refusal |4 |0
Miscellaneous |10 |1
Recapture/surrender |5 |15
Self-harm |36 |0
Temporary release
failure |0 |7
Tool loss |3 |0
Total |440 |72
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those prisoners requiring immediate transfer from Doncaster prison during the last 12 months (a) had self-inflicted injuries and (b) had injuries received as a result of assault from other prisoners. [39549]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many of those prisoners requiring immediate transfer from Doncaster prison during the last 12 months, had self-inflicted injuries, and had injuries received as a result of assault from other prisoners.
Two prisoners have required immediate transfer from Doncaster to outside hospital, between 1 October 1994 and 25 October 1995. One was for reasons of self-harm and one as a result of an assault by another prisoner.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, by grade, the number of
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inmates being held in Doncaster prison on the first day of each month for the last 12 months. [39003]Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking if he will list, by grade, the number of inmates being held in Doncaster on the first day of each month for the last 12 months. The information requested is given in the attached table.
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Remand/trials Convicted/uncoSentenced
Date |Pop |Adult |YOI |Adult |YOI |Adult |YOI |Civils
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 1994 |733 |188 |176 |59 |95 |132 |81 |2
December 1994 |765 |177 |208 |69 |76 |145 |89 |1
January 1995 |723 |165 |209 |62 |71 |132 |84 |0
February 1995 |753 |197 |195 |58 |97 |148 |58 |0
March 1995 |770 |205 |195 |73 |78 |134 |85 |0
April 1995 |765 |201 |188 |63 |79 |152 |82 |0
May 1995 |750 |173 |174 |56 |74 |165 |108 |0
June 1995 |765 |173 |174 |41 |75 |186 |111 |0
July 1995 |734 |160 |146 |59 |106 |166 |94 |3
August 1995 |764 |157 |178 |53 |78 |196 |101 |1
September 1995 |738 |179 |184 |60 |85 |157 |73 |0
October 1995 |758 |178 |173 |60 |104 |176 |67 |0
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contact (a) the Health and Safety Executive, (b) the Environmental Health Office and (c) the fire service has had with Doncaster prison since it was opened; how many inspections of the prison have been made by each of these bodies; and what the findings were in each case. [38964]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about contacts between the Health and Safety Executive, the Environmental Health Office, the Fire Service and Doncaster prison. The Health and Safety Executive examined the alarm systems at Doncaster twice. They considered that the systems were adequate. The local Environmental Health Officer visited on 3 August His report is still awaited.
Doncaster has been inspected by the Home Office Fire and Safety Section on several occasions.
The local fire brigade has visited Doncaster prison on 13 occasions.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases staff shortages at Doncaster prison have been the reason for the non-production of prisoners in court in the past 12 months. [39053]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about cases in which staff shortages at Doncaster prison have been the reasons for the non-production of prisoners in court in the past 12 months.
There have been no cases of non-production in court as a result of staff shortages at Doncaster.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff at Doncaster prison have (a) resigned or (b) been dismissed since the prison opened. [39002]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many staff at Doncaster prison have resigned or have been dismissed since the prison opened.
Doncaster prison opened on 20 June 1994. 629 staff have been recruited in all grades at Doncaster. 127 have since resigned and 12 members of staff have been dismissed. 14 of the staff resigned to take up posts in establishments in the public sector.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been paid by his Department for loss, destruction, or damage to Doncaster prison since it was opened; and if he will indicate the circumstances and amount of each separate payment. [38962]
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Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arranged for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how much money has been paid by his Department for loss, destruction or damage to Doncaster prison since the prison opened and if he will indicate the circumstances and amount of each separate payment.
No payments have been made in respect of loss, destruction or damage to Doncaster since it opened.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) staff and (b) people applying to become staff at Doncaster prison since it was opened have been refused Home Office certification as fit to perform such duties, and of these, how many have later reapplied and received such certification. [39021]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about unsuccessful applications for certification to work at Doncaster prison.
Twenty one people have been refused certification as prisoner custody officers to perform custodial duties at Doncaster prison. None of them was employed at the prison following its opening in June 1994 or subsequently reapplied for certification.
Director General of the Prison Service
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria have been used in the past to assess the size of the Director General of the Prison Service's
performance-related bonus. [39602]
Miss Widdecombe: The former Director General was eligible for payment of a performance bonus of up to 35 per cent. of his basic salary. The amount payable was assessed on the basis of both qualitative and quantative measures reflecting performance against the Prison Service's key targets as set out in the agency's corporate and business plans.
Ms Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of the financial settlement for the ex-Director General of the Prison Service. [39604]
Miss Widdecombe: The former Director General has issued a writ claiming compensation. The matter is being dealt with by the Treasury Solicitor on behalf of the Home Office.
Fire Services, Wales
Mr. Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the fire services in Wales. [39584]
Mr. Kirkhope: The long-standing proposal to establish three brigades in Wales following local government reorganisation from next April is based on clear and unequivocal professional advice from Her Majesty's
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Chief Inspector of Fire Services and from the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers' Association. After careful consideration of the comments made during the recently completed consultation process, the Government intend to proceed with a three-brigade structure from next April.Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received from local authorities in Wales and other bodies, concerning the future structure of local government and consequent implementation in the organisation of the fire service; and if he will make a statement. [38984]
Mr. Kirkhope: My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations from local authority interests and others about the brigade structure in Wales, including comments on draft combination schemes from the constituent authorities of each proposed combined fire authority and the existing county fire authorities. The proposal to establish three brigades was based on clear and unequivocal professional advice from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services and from the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers' Association. After careful consideration of the position in the light of the above representations and comments, the Government intend to proceed with a three brigade structure for the fire service in Wales from next April. The draft combination scheme orders were laid in Parliament on 24 October.
Television Licence Fee
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently serving sentences in British prisons for non-payment of the television licence fee. [39739]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Directory General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many people are currently serving sentences in British prisons for non- payment of the television licence fee.
The latest available information is for 30 September 1995. On that date there were four people in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for non-payment of a fine imposed for using a television without a licence.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were serving a prison sentence for the non-payment of a television licence fee as at 10 October. [39754]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many people were serving a prison sentence for the non-payment of a television licence fee as at 10 October.
The latest available information is for 30 September 1995. On that date there were four people in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for non-payment of a fine imposed for using a television without a licence.
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Drugs Rehabilitation Services
Mr. Rathbone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the detailed arrangements for drugs rehabilitation services which have been put in place in the mandatory drugs testing prisons in England and Wales; and what measurements of efficiency are being made. [39811]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. Richard Tilt to Mr. Tim Rathbone, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question on the arrangements for drugs rehabilitation services which have been put in place in the mandatory drugs testing prisons in England and Wales; and what measurements of efficiency are being made.
By the end of the year all prisons will have developed a local drugs strategy which will include arrangements to identify individuals with drug problems and the provision of treatment, counselling and support. The strategy will include a timed implementation plan with performance measures and monitoring arrangements. The local strategy will form part of a prison governor's contract with his/her area manager and will be subject to audit.
In addition, the Prison Service is substantially expanding the number and type of drug treatment programmes and services. The first phase of expansion involves 13 pilot projects spread over 22 establishments. The projects include therapeutic communities, dedicated treatment units, detoxification, education, counselling and throughcare. We aim to have let the contracts for all these projects by the end of the year. They will be subject to independent evaluation over an 18 month period and the results will inform the future provision of drug treatment programmes throughout the Service. Proposals for 29 establishments to be included in the second phase of the pilot drug treatment programmes have been received and will be implemented during 1996.
Mandatory drug testing (MDT) is being introduced to all establishments in a rolling programme which will be completed by the end of March 1996. All prisons introducing MDT are required first to send staff to attend a Prison Service drugs strategy course and to develop supportive responses to those prisoners who test positive. An evaluation programme to examine the longer- term impact of MDT has already been established.
Mock Air Attacks on Prisons
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions or guidance have been issued to prison governors since 27 September 1994 concerning the employment of mock attacks by low flying military jets in an attempt to resolve prison incidents. [38122]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what instructions have been issued to prison governors since 27 September 1994 concerning the employment of mock attacks by low flying military jets to resolve prison incidents.
No instructions have been issued with regard to incidents in prisons.
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Blakenhurst Prison
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to ensure that the company running Blakenhurst prison in Birmingham recognises trade unions. [38083]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. John McAllion, dated 30 October 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about trade union recognition at Blakenhurst prison.
Whether or not a trade union is recognised at a contracted out prison is a matter for the contractor. The contractor at Blakenhurst prison, United Kingdom Detention Services, has decided not to recognise a trade union to represent staff.
There is a staff consultative committee at Blakenhurst which enables staff representatives to meet with senior managers on a regular and formal basis.
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