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HOME DEPARTMENT
Private Finance Initiatives
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will present to Parliament a report on the operation of all private finance initiative contracts made by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [93025]
Mr. Straw: I have no present plans to present a report to Parliament on the operation of all private finance initiative contracts made by my Department, but the current status of my Department's private finance initiative (PFI) contracts is summarised as follows:
- Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) Casework Programme
- Development of the Information Technology system was delayed, but is now with IND for testing. The IND's reorganised caseworking operation was introduced prior to delivery of the Information Technology system. After an initial deterioration in service to the public, Siemens Business Services (SBS) and IND have co-operated to restore output broadly to previous levels.
- Secure Training Centres (STC)
- Medway STC opened in April 1998. There were problems in the early months, which were outlined in the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) Report published in January. A further inspection by SSI in April 1999 found that considerable improvements had been made to provide a more positive regime.
- Rainsbrook STC opened on 1 July 1999 and there have been no problems to date. Hassockfield STC is due to open in September 1999.
- United Kingdom Passport Agency (UKPA)
- There are two PFI contracts in operation in the UKPA. SBS are responsible for data capture, and Security Printing and Systems (SP&S) are responsible for the manufacture of passports.
- Roll out of services for all six Passport Agency offices was planned for early 1999. Because of difficulties encountered at the first two offices (Liverpool and Newport) to change over to the new system, further roll out has been postponed. Productivity on the new system has been less than that needed to meet demand; backlogs have built up; customer inquiries have increased; and the Agency's performance against a backdrop of high seasonal demand for passports has seriously declined.
- Service credits have been levied on both companies. The UKPA is working closely with SBS to improve productivity, which continues to rise as further system improvements are made. Both SBS and the UKPA have recruited additional staff to deal with backlogs.
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- Gatwick Detention Facilities (Tinsley House)
- Under this project, accommodation is provided by the British Airports Authority and the operation is run by Wackenhut (UK) Ltd. No reductions in payment have been made on either contract and there have been no operational difficulties.
- Prisons
- There are currently three Design, Construct, Manage and Finance (DCMF) prisons operating: Her Majesty's Prison Altcourse, Her Majesty's Prison Parc, and Her Majesty's Prison Lowdham Grange.
- Despite some early teething troubles, in particular at Her Majesty's Prison Parc where an action plan to improve performance was implemented, all three prisons are now operating satisfactorily and provide much needed accommodation for the Prison Service. A Prison Service appointed controller provides permanent on site contract monitoring at each prison with contract management and performance audits being administered by Prison Service Headquarters centrally. Where performance does not meet the standards specified in the contracts, contractors incur financial penalties. Following performance improvements, the level of penalties imposed on contractors has decreased substantially.
- Contracts for three further DCMF prisons, Forest Bank, Ashfield and Onley have been signed, but they have not yet opened (Onley was signed on 22 July 1999).
- The contract for Coldingley prison industries workshop was terminated on 31 January 1999.
- Prison PABX System
- Delays were experienced during the installation phase of the contract, and this resulted in a reduction in payment. Since completion of the installations in October 1997, the systems have performed well and are providing a good service. The Prison Service holds regular meetings with the supplier to ensure that the quality of service is maintained.
Prison Shops
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison service establishments have contracted out their shops (a) following competitive tendering, (b) without competitive tendering and (c) in total; if he will list the companies which operate each of the shops; what is the expected saving to the Prison Service from contracting out prison shops; and if he will make a statement. [92904]
Mr. George Howarth:
The information requested is given in the table. I will write to the right hon. Member in respect of the four prisons for which information on the savings made is not immediately to hand.
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(23) Contract awarded to coincide with reopening of prison in 1997
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Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the accuracy of police stop and search statistics; and if he will make a statement. [92889]
Mr. Boateng:
Police forces submit statistics on the number of recorded stops and searches under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) annually to the Home Office. These are published in 'Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System', a copy of which is available in the Library.
The Government accept that there is likely to be a disparity between the number of stops and searches made by the police under the PACE and the number of stops and searches recorded by police officers. Home Office research 'Ethnic Monitoring in police forces: A beginning' (FitzGerald and Sibbitt 1997) noted variations in the recorded use of stop and search under PACE in different police areas, with the possibility that under- recording is higher in the provincial forces than in the Metropolitan Police Service.
There is also likely to be a higher public perception of stops given that most people do not distinguish between voluntary non-recorded stops, and stops carried out under PACE which should be recorded.
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The Stephen Lawrence report recommended that a record be made of all stops and stops and searches, including "voluntary" stops. The Home Office is considering further this recommendation and has commissioned research to gather information on current practices within forces with a view to testing the practical implications of the Inquiry's recommendations. The Metropolitan Police Service has been running its own pilot projects to help develop a plan to manage the tactic fairly and effectively. The Home Office will work with the Metropolitan Police Service in testing the Stephen Lawrence Report's recommendations.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of stop and search have been recorded in (a) the constituency of Edmonton and (b) the borough of Enfield in each of the past five years; what proportion of those stopped and searched were (i) black and (ii) subsequently arrested. [93606]
Kate Hoey:
The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has provided the following summary of information on stop and search for the years 1994-1998 for Edmonton and Enfield Police Divisions. The Divisions make up an area which equates to the London Borough of Enfield plus Cheshunt (Hertfordshire) to the North.
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| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Searches (including unattended vehicles) | 4,419 | 3,039 | 2,088 | 4,721 | 5,237 |
| Percentage of people searched who were black | 18.4 | 17.8 | 25.0 | 21.8 | 22.7 |
| Percentage of people searched subsequently arrested | 12.9 | 10.4 | 12.5 | 9.9 | 12.8 |
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