| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Legal Aid
Mr. Boateng: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total sum expended on providing legal advice assistance and representation under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1993 in each year for which figures are available. [204]
Mr. Kirkhope: The grant paid under section 23 of the Immigration Act 1971 for each year since 1993-94 was as follows:
Refugee Legal Centre
1993-94: £1,890,000 1994-95: £3,000,000 1995-96: £3,100,000
Immigration Advisory Service
1993-94: £2,640,000 1994-95: £2,420,000 1995-96: £2,590,000
Prison Education
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms exist for (a) part-time and (b) full-time teaching staff (i) to promote new educational services for prisoners and (ii) to propose improvements in prison education. [398]
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.
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 296
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 23 November 1995:
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards exist to ensure that part-time Prison Service teaching staff have qualifications of the same calibre as full-time teaching Prison Service staff. [396]
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what mechanisms exist for (a) part-time and (b) full-time teaching staff (i) to promote new educational services for prisoners and (ii) to propose improvements in prison education.
In accordance with paragraph 5.3 of the General Terms and Conditions of Contract covering the delivery of education services, the contractor is required to keep the specifications for courses, curriculum and the overall programme of courses at each establishment under continuous review. The way in which full-time and part-time teaching staff can be involved in this process is best determined and managed by the education contractor. Each governor is responsible for determining which courses will run at the establishment concerned and does this by placing orders with the education provider. The governor may obtain advice from an education and training adviser. If the governor agrees to a proposal from the education provider to change the education programme, an amendment to the orders will be issued. Proposals will usually be made known to the governor by the contractor's on-site representative, the education co-ordinator.
In 1994 the Prison Service awarded a contract to the National Prison Education Consortium to undertake a consultancy to develop a national curriculum framework for prison education. The Consortium consulted widely within and outside the Prison Service, and representatives of the education providers were involved in this process. The final report and recommendations of the consultancy have been accepted by the Prisons Board and disseminated to governors, education providers and chief librarians of public library authorities providing a service to prisons.
The steering committee which has been established to oversee implementation includes representatives of education contractors.
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. George Howarth, dated 23 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what safeguards exist to ensure that part-time Prison Service teaching staff have qualifications of the same calibre as full-time teaching Prison Service staff.
The teaching qualifications required of education contractors' staff teaching in prisons depend upon the nature of the subject and the level to which it is taught rather than the employment status of the teacher. In accordance with paragraph 7.1 of the General Terms and Conditions of Contract covering education services, contractors are responsible for recruiting teaching staff who hold qualifications consistent with those held by staff teaching equivalent subjects at colleges of further education or institutes of adult education. Paragraph 7.2 of the General Terms and Conditions of Contract enables a representative of the Prison Service to attend recruitment panels for teachers whom a contractor wishes to use at a prison establishment. Paragraph 7.4 of the General Terms and Conditions requires that a contractor will, if requested by an authorised Prison Service representative, provide details of the qualifications (including copies of certificates if requested) and experience of any person employed by the contractor for the delivery of education services to the establishment.
Prisoners' Telephone Conversations
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason telephone conversations between solicitors and their clients are tape recorded at
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 297
Her Majesty's Prison Whitemoor; when this practice started; and if he will make a statement. [908]
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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. Chris Mullin, dated 23 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the tape recording of telephone calls between solicitors and their clients at Whitemoor prison.
The policy on the use of cardphones by prisoners is set out in Circular Instruction 21/1992, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. A copy is attached for ease of reference. This states that all calls made by prisoners using the cardphone system will be recorded and are liable to be monitored. Cardphones are provided for use only by those prisoners who consent to this. Cardphones were introduced into most parts of Whitemoor in 1992 and into the special secure unit in June 1995.
Use of a cardphone is a privilege and prisoners are informed that it is not possible to guarantee the confidentiality of conversations with their legal advisers using the system. Prisoners at Whitemoor are advised to communicate legally privileged information either by letter or during a visit.
The arrangements for prisoners' access to the cardphone system at Whitemoor are in accordance with current policy and are the same as those for all closed establishments within the prison estate.
Prison Budgets
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes have been made to the budget allocations of prison governors; on what date these were made; to which financial years they refer; and if he will list the changes in allocation for each private prison. [387]
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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. George Howarth, dated 23 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about changes to the budget allocations of prison governors and private prisons.
Budgets for individual prisons are set at the start of each financial year and then changed as necessary in the light of operational requirements. This year there have been a number of adjustments for directly managed prisons. Payments which the Prison Service makes to the privately managed prisons are unchanged as their precise operating budgets are a matter for the companies concerned.
Prisoners
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are currently restricted to their cells for up to 18 hours a day as a result of (a) staff shortages and (b) sickness leave among prison staff. [135]
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.
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 298
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |