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HOME DEPARTMENT

Learmont Report

Sir Trevor Skeet: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Learmont report. [40082]

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Prison Service

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submission on the Learmont report was first submitted to his Department for consideration. [35862]

Miss Widdecombe: My right hon. and learned Friend asked the Prison Service to examine the operational impact and effectiveness of the Learmont recommendations. The Prison Service has made a number of submissions on various aspects of the Learmont report since it was published on 16 October 1995. Some Learmont recommendations called for fundamental reviews of policy. My right hon. and learned Friend has yet to receive the findings of all these major reviews.

Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there will be a period of consultation following the Government's statement on the implementation of the Learmont report. [35867]

Miss Widdecombe: Our response to the Learmont report and any associated arrangements are still under consideration.

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his latest estimate of the date of publication for his response to the Learmont report; and if he will make a statement; [36486]

Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has, over what time scale and at what cost, to devolve greater responsibility to area managers in the Prison Service in respect of (i) corporate planning, (ii) service delivery, (iii) resource management and (iv) budgets and to develop links from area managers to board level through operational directors; [37773]

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Miss Widdecombe: Details of steps taken by the Prison Service to improve its performance are contained in the interim progress report on the "Review of Prison Service Security in England and Wales and the escape from Parkhurst Prison on Tuesday 3 January 1995--The Learmont Inquiry" given in a table, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The progress report excludes those recommendations identical or very similar to those of the Woodcock report which my right hon. and learned Friend accepted on 19 December 1994. The table gives details of the recommendations already implemented. Six reviews are still in progress in respect of

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recommendations: 1, 88, 97, 98, 101, 107. The remaining recommendations are still under consideration.

I shall report to the House on outstanding issues in due course.

The Prison Service has initiated a wide-ranging programme of action to build on the improvement in its performance in security, including measures taken in response to the recommendations of the Woodcock and Learmont reports.

The Prison Service has pressed ahead with upgrading the high security dispersal estate to standards recommended in the Woodcock report--a programme which Sir John Learmont included in his recommendations. In his review of Prison Service progress towards implementing the Woodcock report, Sir John Learmont reported in December 1995 that


The Prison Service has achieved a sharp reduction in the number of escapes. Escapes in 1995-96 were 59 per cent. down on those in 1994-95 and 79 per cent. down compared to 1992-93.

The security manual has been redrafted emphasising the distinction between what is mandatory and what is discretionary.

The Prison Service has made excellent progress to ensure that security measures are consistently observed.

The Prison Service has strengthened independent security audit which it had in hand before the Whitemoor escape in recognition of the major contribution it has to make to improving security standards.

The Prison Service has pressed ahead with a number of organisational changes designed to ensure that operational management of prisons can be carried out more effectively.

In addition to those reviews still in progress and referred to above, the Prison Service has completed 10 reviews, the conclusions of which are under consideration.

Contracts

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list showing the number, nature and value of contracts awarded, by his Department to Coopers and Lybrand, KPMG, Price Waterhouse, Ernst and Young, Deloitte and Touche, Arthur Andersen, Grant Thonrton, BDO Stoy Hayward, Pannell Kerr Forster, and Robson Rhodes, and their subsidiaries and associates, during 1995 and 1996. [37325]

Mr. Howard: For the period specified, information on the number and nature of contracts let to each listed company and the total sum paid to each company by my Department is given in the table. Individual contract values are not given on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.

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ConsultantNatureTotal value
1 April to date
Coopers and Lybrand and Subsidiaries and AssociatesStrategy development Underpinning and modelling accountancy work(62)£15,143
KPMG and Subsidiaries and AssociatesAudit of procurement procedures Consultancy database Consultancy support quantum Job evaluation consultancy£443,625
Price Waterhouse and Subsidiaries and AssociatesSeminar(62)--
Ernst and Young and Subsidiaries and Associates----
Deloitte and Touche and Subsidiaries and Associates----
Arthur Andersen and Subsidiaries and Associates----
Grant Thornton and Subsidiaries and Associates----
BDO Stoy Hayward and Subsidiaries and Associates----
Pannell Kerr Forster and Subsidiaries and Associates----
Robson Rhodes and Subsidiaries and Associates----
1995-1996
Coopers and Lybrand and Subsidiaries and AssociatesPrivate Finance Initiative Consultancy Support Advice and project support Assessment pay services business strategy Strategy development Project management Customer survey Consultancy Underpinning and modelling accountancy work(62)525,630
KPMG and Subsidiaries and AssociatesReview of Emergency Planning College Identification of competencies of probation officers Accountancy support(62)69,818
Price Waterhouse and Subsidiaries and AssociatesConsultancy Pilot study in number of area probation services(62)222,364
Ernst and Young and Subsidiaries and AssociatesReview of management structure for National Strategy for Police Information Systems Project (NSPIS) Consultancy(62)47,500
Deloite and Touche and Subsidiaries and AssociatesReview of United Kingdom Passport Agency offices Consultancy Research(62)125,165
Arthur Andersen and Subsidiaries and Associates----
Grant Thornton and Subsidiaries and Associates----
BDO Stoy Hayward and Subsidiaries and Associates----
Pannell Kerr Forster and Subsidiaries and Associates----
Robson Rhodes and Subsidiaries and Associates----

(62) Individual contract values are not given on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.


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