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Private Prisons
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to revise the existing contracts for private prisons in respect of cost reductions in the state sector. [13277]
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 5 February 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the revision of contractual requirements for the contractually-managed prisons in regard to cost reductions in the public sector.
No decision has been taken about whether the services provided by contractually-managed prisons should be changed. However, consideration is being given to whether this can contribute to the Prison Service's cost-reduction strategy for 1996-99.
Resettlement Grants
Mr. Churchill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have (a) applied for and (b) been granted a resettlement grant to meet their repatriation costs to their country of origin; what has been the average cost of such grants; and how many were to non-United Kingdom citizens. [13735]
Mr. Kirkhope: Resettlement grants are not available under the voluntary repatriation scheme run by the International Social Service of the United Kingdom on behalf of the Home Office. The scheme provides limited financial assistance towards travel and baggage costs. A total of 7,390 applications have been received under the scheme between 1972 and 1995 inclusive, and 2,545 individuals have been assisted financially during that period. The average cost per individual assisted in 1994-95 was £1,200. British citizens are not eligible for assistance.
Ethnic Minority Business Advisory Group
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the ethnic minority business advisory group was established; how many times it met;
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 49
what were the results of its meetings; and what factors led to its being disbanded. [13100]
Mr. Kirkhope:
The first meeting of the ethnic minority business advisory group was held on 8 December 1992. There were four more meetings. It provided a forum in which issues of concern to ethnic minority businesses could be raised with mainstream business support organisations and relevant Government Departments. The transfer of the ethnic minority business initiative grant scheme into the single regeneration budget and the establishment of the Government offices for the regions, which moved the focus of activity from central to regional level, were the principal factors in the disbandment of EMBAG.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the annual expenditure on education at Her Majesty's prison Holloway for each of the past 10 years, the total weekly teaching hours available and the number of teachers in post; and if he will make a statement. [12272]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 31 January 1996]: 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. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 5 February 1996:
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 50
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the Prison Service first issued instructions for the use of restraints on women prisoners attending hospital; and if he will list the dates of subsequent instructions issued. [12420]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 31 January 1996]: 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. Alex Carlile, dated 5 February 1996:
Ms Coffey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on informing police authorities of the release of offenders convicted of manslaughter and murder. [13004]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 1 February 1996]: 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 Ms Ann Coffey, dated 5 February 1996:
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 51
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about education expenditure at Holloway Prison.
Information for the last six years is given in table one, attached. Information is not available before then.
The weekly teaching hours and teachers in post for the years 1993-94 and 1994-95 are given in table two.
Information before then is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
£
1989-90 354,024
1990-91 346,182
1991-92 523,297
1992-93 429,526
1993-94 390,223
1994-95 441,805
Weekly teaching hours Teachers in post
1993-94 228 7 full time
31 part time
1994-95 270 7 full time
27 part time
Salaries £ Materials (VT, CIT, pre-release) £ Education capital £
1990-91 285,525 53,122 7,535
1991-92 403,129 87,634 32,534
1992-93 343,837 67,553 18,136
1993-94 321,817 68,406 nil
1994-95 383,871 47,967 9,967
1995-96 348,000 58,900 2,000
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking on what date the Prison Service first issued instructions for the use of restraints on women prisoners attending hospital, and the dates of subsequent instructions.
The policy on the use of restraints on all prisoners in hospital, including women prisoners, is a long standing one. Guidance on the use of restraints under Prison Rule 46 was set out in a variety of circular instructions, standing orders and letters to individual governors. These instructions were issued over many years.
The Security Manual, which codified security instructions was first issued in autumn 1991. A section bringing together instructions on handcuffing, including handcuffing of women prisoner generally and prisoners of either sex in hospital was added in October 1992. Amendments in April 1994 gave further guidance about handcuffing women. In April 1995 an amendment to the manual gave guidance about complying with medical requests when handcuffing women prisoners attending hospital, including for childbirth. In November 1995 a letter was sent to governors which reiterated the policy that women in labour and childbirth should not be restrained.
On 18 January, the Home Secretary Announced a revised policy to the House. This took into account the meeting I had with representatives of the Royal College of Midwives on 15 January. Instructions reflecting the new arrangements were sent to governors on 19 January.
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General, to reply to your recent Question about the policy on informing police authorities of the release of offenders convicted of manslaughter and murder.
The current procedure for informing the police of the final discharge of all prisoners on completion of sentence is that on or about 28 days before discharge, the establishment where the prisoner is serving completes a Form 99. This form is then sent to the National Identification Service (formerly National Identification Bureau) at New Scotland Yard.
The form gives all personal details of the prisoner, including, if known, his CRS number. Details of the present conviction, offence, committing courts and sentence are also included as is the discharge address, if known.
The relevant instructions to establishments to carry out this procedure are contained in Prison Service Standing Order 1I (Discharge of Prisoners), paragraph 11 and Prison Service Circular Instruction 40/1992, paragraph 8.
Under the arrangements introduced in April 1995 governing the release on temporary licence of prisoners, the Prison Service must notify the police about such releases in cases where the post trial report prepared by the police indicates that notification is required. Post trial reports are completed on any offender serving a custodial sentence (of any length) involving sex, violence or drugs and in respect of any prisoner serving a custodial sentence of 12 months or more.
The notice of temporary release is faxed to the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) of the police service in whose area the prison is located, at least 5 working days before the temporary release is due to take place. The force FIB will then relay the information either to the police service which originally dealt with the offences and/or the police service to which the prisoner will be going on temporary release.
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