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Secure Facilities
Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the stage reached in the planning process for all sites under consideration for future use (a) as prisons, (b) secure training centres and (c) other secure facilities. [114758]
Mr. Boateng:
As I stated in the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 21 February 2000, Official Report, columns 813-14W, tenders for two new prisons have been let and these prisons are currently under construction at Rye Hill, at Onley near Rugby and Marchington in East Staffordshire. Later this year it is planned to issue tenders for the procurement of a further two prisons at Ashford in Middlesex and Peterborough. There is outline planning permission for both but detailed approval will be needed once the designs are finalised. The Prison Service also has outline planning permission for a new prison at Maghull on Merseyside and is discussing with the local planning authority the submission of a planning application for a new prison in Woolwich, South East London.
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 460W
The Home Office recently acquired the site of the former Youth Training Centre at St. Charles in Brentwood for development as a Secure Training Centre (STC). An application for outline planning permission will be submitted to the local planning authority shortly. This, with the STCs already open at Medway near Rochester, Rainsbrook near Rugby and Hassockfield near Consett in Co. Durham, would bring the STC estate to four establishments with a fifth site yet to be identified.
Other secure facilities for which the Home Office is directly responsible are immigration detention centres. A planning application to redevelop the former Aldington prison near Ashford in Kent as a new purpose-built immigration detention centre has been submitted to the local planning authority. The Immigration and Nationality Department is also preparing a planning application to redevelop its Harmondsworth site near Heathrow Airport to provide another new purpose-built immigration detention centre. These form part of the proposals for implementing the recent White Paper about firmer, fairer and faster immigration controls.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the findings of the working group set up under Lord Laming on prisons. [114759]
Mr. Boateng:
Lord Laming is due to submit his report to me by 1 May. In the interests of thoroughness I have informed him that this may take the form of an interim report, with the full document to be completed as soon as possible. When this is done I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Gray:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the former Government offices in Marsham Street are to be demolished; and what will replace them. [115074]
Mr. Straw:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 20 January 2000, Official Report, column 558W, to the hon. Member for Gainsborough (Mr. Leigh).
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current prisoner population at HMP Forest Bank; when it will reach capacity; what is the current staff/prisoner ratio; what is the expected staff/prisoner ratio at full capacity; how many prisoner custody officers and managers have transferred (a) from HMP Blakenhurst, (b) other privately run prisons and (c) the Prison Service; what incidents have been reported at the establishment since it opened; what amounts have been calculated for financial penalties for contract failures to date; and if he will list the reasons for financial penalties being imposed so far. [114761]
Mr. Boateng:
As at 14 March the prisoner population at Forest Bank prison and young offender institution was 420. It is due to reach full capacity on 11 May this year. The current staff/prisoner ratio is one member of staff to 1.27 prisoners and the expected staff/prisoner ratio at full capacity is one member of staff to 2.29 prisoners.
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 461W
| Transferred from | |
|---|---|
| (a) Her Majesty's Prison Blakenhurst | |
| Managers | 7 |
| Senior Prisoner Custody Officers | 5 |
| Prisoner Custody Officers | 5 |
| (b) Other privately run prisons | |
| Managers | 10 |
| Senior Prisoner Custody Officers | 9 |
| Prisoner Custody Officers | 4 |
| (c) The Prison Service | |
| Managers | (9)3 |
(9) One of whom is on secondment
| Incident | |
|---|---|
| Fights | 3 |
| Concerted indiscipline | 2 |
| Assaults on other prisoners | 7 |
| Assaults on staff | 6 |
| Fires in wastebins | 2 |
| Drug finds | 3 |
| Total | 23 |
Police Recruits
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police recruits began training at Hendon for the Metropolitan police on the course due to commence on 13 March. [115495]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the information requested is 65.
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the maximum number of police officer recruits that can be trained at Hendon for the Metropolitan police (a) on each course and (b) during a year. [115494]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the Recruit Training School at Hendon can normally train a maximum of 190 recruits on each course. There are 10 intakes per year, giving an annual provision for 1,900 recruits. This capacity could be increased, exceptionally, to meet additional demand.
Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the anticipated start dates of police officer recruit courses for the Metropolitan police during 2000 as at 1 January 2000. [115493]
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 462W
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the information requested is: 4 January; 7 February; 13 March; 17 April; 22 May; 26 June; 31 July; 4 September; 9 October; 13 November and 18 December.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of an offence under the Football Offences and Disorders Act 1999 since it came into force. [115381]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
Information on the number of people charged by offence is not collected centrally.
The Football Offences and Disorders Act 1999 came into force on 27 September 1999. Provisional court proceedings data for the fourth quarter of 1999 will become available in June and provisional data for subsequent quarters at three monthly intervals thereafter.
Mr. Hinchliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences have been recorded in respect of (a) confectioners and tobacconists and (b) other retailers of the sale of tobacco products to those aged under 16 in each of the last five years; how many police cautions have been issued; and what has been the average fine levied. [115141]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The offence of selling tobacco to persons under the age of 16 is a summary offence and does not form part of the recorded crime series.
| Year | Total cautioned | Total prosecuted | Total convicted | Average fine (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 13 | 108 | 83 | 228 |
| 1995 | 8 | 173 | 142 | 230 |
| 1996 | 1 | 140 | 119 | 226 |
| 1997 | 5 | 138 | 119 | 242 |
| 1998 | -- | 173 | 135 | 225 |
(10) Offences under Section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1993 as amended by Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991.
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