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Vulnerable Prisoner Units

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) male and (b) female prison inmates are held in vulnerable prisoner units in prisons in England and Wales. [70280]

Hilary Benn: On 31 May 2002 there were 3,911 male prisoners held in vulnerable prisoner units. There are no vulnerable prisoner units in the female estate. The female estate does not have any dedicated units specifically for vulnerable prisoners as they are managed within the general female population. There are some beds reserved for women who are vulnerable from the nature of their offence but these are only in very small numbers and not in designated units.

Prisoners

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated timetable will be for implementing the enhanced wages scheme for prisoners outlined in the Social Exclusion Unit's latest report; and if he will make a statement. [67837]

Hilary Benn: An action plan setting out the Government's response to the report will be published later this year.

Prison Service

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the final Key Performance Indicator targets for the Prison Service for 2002–03. [72976]

Hilary Benn: The Prison Service Business Plan for 2002–03, published in February 2002, included Key Performance Indicator (KPI) measures for the year but at that stage not all the associated targets had been finalised.

23 Jul 2002 : Column 1076W

The full set of measures and targets for 2002–03 are listed as follows:

To ensure no escapes of Category A prisoners;


To ensure that the number of escapes from prisons and from escorts undertaken by Prison Service staff, expressed as a proportion of the average prison population, is lower than 0.05 per cent.;


To ensure that the number of escapes from contracted out escorts is no more than one per 20,000 prisoners handled;


To ensure that the number of positive adjudications of assault on prisoners, staff and others, expressed as a proportion of the average prison population is lower than 9 per cent.;


To ensure that the number of prisoners held two to a cell designated for one, expressed as a proportion of the average prison population does not exceed 18 per cent.;


To ensure that the number of minority ethnic staff in the prison service, expressed as a proportion of the total work force is at least 4.5 per cent. by April 2003;


To ensure that average staff sickness does not exceed nine working days per person by April 2003;


To ensure that the average cost per uncrowded prison place does not exceed £38,743;


To ensure that the average cost per prisoner does not exceed £36,539;


To ensure 7,100 accredited offending behaviour programme completions in 2002–03, including 950 sex offender treatment programmes;


To ensure that prisoners spend on average at least 24 hours per week in purposeful activity;


To ensure the rate of positive results from random mandatory drug tests is lower than 10 per cent. by April 2003;


To achieve a 5 per cent. reduction in the number of self inflicted deaths expressed as a rate per 100,000 of average population compared with 2001–02;


Prisoners to achieve 45,000 key skills awards and 28,800 in basic skills including 10,800 at level 2, 12,000 at level 1 and 6,000 at entry level;

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To ensure 28,200 prisoners have a job, training or education place after release by April 2003; and


To develop and pilot a joint indicator with Department of Health to reduce waiting times for mental health transfers and to implement the KPI from April 2003.

Prisoners (Feltham)

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours per day the (a) 16 to 18-year-old and (b) over 18-year-old prisoners at Feltham receive (i) compulsory education, (ii) extra-curricular education, (iii) sport and (iv) general exercise; and if he will make a statement. [67311]

Hilary Benn: Education is only compulsory for those under school leaving age; they receive 15 hours of education per week at Feltham in five, three-hour sessions. Anyone over this age cannot be ordered to undertake education, as it is not classified as work.

On extra-curricular education, there are currently no evening classes at Feltham. It is hoped that the prison's local recruitment campaign will deliver sufficient staff to make this possible.

With regard to participation in sporting activities, juveniles (under 18s) are currently receiving an average of 4.9 hours of physical education (PE) a week. Young offenders are currently receiving an average of 5.4 hours per week. However, attendance at PE is voluntary.

For general exercise, all prisoners receive a daily minimum of 30 minutes of time in the open air. Those in segregation receive one hour a day, weather permitting.

London Probation Service

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time, (c) agency and (d) temporary staff work for the London Probation Service. [69430]

Hilary Benn: The latest figures from the London Probation Area show that they currently employ 2,836 staff in total; 2,137 of which are full time employees, 530 are part time, 89 are agency staff and 80 are on temporary contracts.

Forensic Science Service

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the Forensic Science Service. [72977]

Mr. Denham: A review of the Forensic Science Service will commence on 2 September and is expected to be completed by spring 2003. The review team, independently lead by Robert McFarland, a former chief executive of the BOC Group, has been appointed and preliminary work is already under way. A steering group, chaired by one of my officials, will oversee the review and recommendations will be made to me in due course. I will report back to the House on its findings.

The review process will provide extensive opportunities for consultation work with internal and external stakeholders and will follow the procedures recommended in the guidance for the review of executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies published by the Cabinet Office.

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Auld Review

Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government expect to publish a detailed response to Sir Robin Auld's, Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales, and John Halliday's, Making Punishments Work—A Review of the Sentencing Framework for England and Wales. [72981]

Hilary Benn: 'Justice for All' presented to Parliament on 17 July set out our policy on reform of the criminal justice system. We made clear that we are indebted to Sir Robin auld and John Halliday for their extensive and thorough review of the criminal courts and sentencing policy. Today we publish a detailed response to all their recommendations and copies will be placed in the Library.

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list his Department's total expenditure by month in each financial year since 1997–98. [32794]

Mr. Blunkett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Boateng) on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 692W.

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how much his Department underspent its expenditure limits in the financial year 2000–01. [40831]

Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 7 March 2002]: The Home Office full, financial year outturns for the years 1998–99 to 2000–01 are shown in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 5401) published by the Treasury in May 2002.

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total under-spend in his Department was on (a) capital and (b) non-capital expenditure in each financial year since May 1997. [34026]

Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 7 February 2002]: The Home Office full, financial outturns for the years 1998–99 to 2000–01 are shown in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 5401) published by the Treasury in May 2002.

The full, financial outturn for the 1997–98 financial year was shown in the previous Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 5101).

Departmental Report

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of publishing his Department's annual report for each of the past five years. [70479]

Beverley Hughes: The information is as follows:

£

Home Office annual report	Design	Print	Total cost
1999	28,120.37	15,200.00	43,320.37
2000	20,639.46	14,681.00	35,320.46
2001	57,695.66	22,842.00	80,537.66
2002	30,411.35	17,967.98	48,379.33

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The costs for 1998 are not readily available. To obtain the 1998 figures would amount to disproportionate costs.

We believe the benefit to Parliament and the public of publishing a detailed account of our work is considerable, facilitating more open government.

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