| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Prisoners (Education)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many hours were spent in education by prisoners in each financial year since 1987-88; [15986]
- (2) what estimates he has made of level of (a) numeracy, (b) literacy and (c) educational and vocational qualifications of prisoners on (i) first reception into prison and (ii) leaving prison; [15971]
(3) how much was paid by the Prison Service to local education authorities for teaching services in each financial year since 1985-86. [15987]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the 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 20 February 1997:
20 Feb 1997 : Column: 745
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your three recent questions about education provision in prisons.
Information on the number of hours spent in education by prisoners is not available in the form requested. Since the contracting out of prison education in 1993 the number of hours spent in education by prisoners has been collected on a calendar year basis. The total number of prisoner hours spent in education was 9.2 million in 1994, the first full year under the contract arrangements, rising to 9.4 million in 1995. The predicted hours for 1996 are expected to be similar to 1995.
Education hours for the financial years before contracting out, as published in the Prison Service Annual Report, are set out in the attached table.
The Prison Service has made no specific estimates of the level of numeracy, literacy or educational and vocational qualifications of prisoners on first reception into prison and on leaving prison. Since 1 January this year, all prisoners are invited to take the Basic Skills Screening Test on reception into prison. This will provide comparative data on the level of literacy and numeracy among prisoners at the beginning and end of their sentences.
The amounts paid by the Prison Service to local education authorities for teaching services are set out in the attached table. Expenditure for 1993-94 onwards covers all education providers contracted to supply teaching services to prison establishments, not just local education authorities.
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| 1987-88 | 5.56 million |
| 1988-89 | 6.84 million |
| 1989-90 | 7.75 million |
| 1990-91 | (36)Not available |
| 1991-92 | 7.55 million |
| 1992-93 | 7.57 million |
| April to December 1993 | (37)Not available |
(36) No figure published because the disturbances of that year made returns unreliable and incomplete.
(37) Developing and implementing the contracting-out process prevented figures from being collected for this period.
| Financial year | £000s |
|---|---|
| 1985-86 | 10,849 |
| 1986-87 | 13,445 |
| 1987-88 | 14,984 |
| 1988-89 | 17,395 |
| 1989-90 | 20,235 |
| 1990-91 | 22,924 |
| 1991-92 | 26,245 |
| 1992-93 | 28,383 |
| 1993-94 | 27,628 |
| 1994-95 | 33,069 |
| 1995-96 | 33,573 |
Private Employment Agencies
Mr. Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the private employment agencies used by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available, indicating (a) the names of the agencies, (b) the numbers employed by the agencies in work for his Department, (c) the total cost to his Department of using employment agencies and the median cost paid to the agency per person recruited and (d) the average length of contract for persons recruited via such agencies. [16177]
Mr. Howard:
The information recorded centrally is set out below. Additional information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information given for the agencies has been provided by the Director General of the
20 Feb 1997 : Column: 746
Prison Service and the chief executives of the Passport Agency, the Forensic Science Agency and the Fire Service College.
20 Feb 1997 : Column: 747
Home Office (excluding the Agencies)
(a) The following employment agencies have been used by central personnel units in the last three years:
Alfred Marks
Belle Recruitment
Brook Street
Excel Recruitment
Josephine Sammons
Kelly Services
Manpower
Michael Page Finance
Office Angels
Purcon
Reed Employment
Other agencies may have been used by local managers.
(b) This information is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
(c) The total cost to central personnel units was approximately £260,000 in 1995 and £592,000 in 1996. Additional costs may have been incurred locally. The median cost paid to the agency per person recruited could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
(d) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The majority of agency staff used are typists and secretaries who are booked on a weekly basis as required to provide cover for staff on sick leave, maternity leave or annual leave.
HM Prison Service
(a) The following employment agencies have been used by the central personnel unit in the last three years:
Account Temps
Adecco Alfred Marks
Badenoch and Clark
Capita
Certes
DBI Associates
Excel
Harrison Willis
Hays Accountancy Personnel
Inline KPG
Insight
Josephine Sammons
Manpower
Reed Employment
R. Page
(b) On 17 February 1997 the following agency staff were working in the Prison Service: 16 personal secretaries, four analysts, two administrative staff, 12 accounts clerks and 19 accountants. The total number of agency staff used in a year is not recorded.
(c) This information is not recorded centrally as costs are met from local budgets.
(d) This information is not recorded centrally as the arrangements in each case are made by local managers.
Passport Agency
(a) The following agencies have been used in the last two years:
Kelly Services
Manpower
Maureen Lynn RA
(b) 1995: two agency staff were used.
1996: four agency staff were used.
(c) The total cost was £2,603.67 in 1995 and £25,865.14 in 1996.
(d) Agency staff have been used for periods between 11 hours and eight months.
Forensic Science Service
(a) The following agencies have been used in the period 1993-94 to 1995-96:
Alfred Marks
Blue Arrow
Brook Street
Ecco
Excel
Harrison Willis
Lab Staff
Purcon
The information available in response to (b), (c) and (d) is as follows:
| 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96(38) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of agency staff used | 6 | 23 | 47 |
| Total cost | £66,000 | £254,000 | £763,000 |
| Average length of stay (in weeks) | 31 | 30 | 42 |
(38) The establishment of the National DNA Database required a number of temporary posts at the outset which were subsequently converted to permanent positions.
Fire Service College
(a) The following agencies have been used in the period April 1995 to date:
Apex
Infomatch
Premier (CBR)
(b) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
(c) The total cost in 1995-96 was £33,147 and the total cost to date in 1996-97 has been £60,157. These figures include VAT which is not recoverable as the Fire Service College has exempt status for VAT purposes.
(d) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Open Prisons (Foreign Prisoners)
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if convicted foreign nationals may be held in open prison. [16108]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Peter Bottomley, dated 20 February 1997:
20 Feb 1997 : Column: 748
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about whether convicted foreign nationals may be held in open prisons.
Foreign nationals serving a sentence of imprisonment may not be held in open conditions if they are subject to removal from the United Kingdom at the end of the sentence under provisions of the Immigration Act 1971. This may be by reason of a court recommendation for deportation, a notice of intention to deport, a deportation order, a notice of illegal entry or a notice of refusal of leave to enter.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |