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26 Apr 2004 : Column 760W—continued
Offenders (Supervision)
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of whether multi-agency public protection panels have sufficient resources to ensure that those offenders deemed in the high or very high risk categories are properly supervised or under appropriate surveillance. [165184]
Paul Goggins: The multi-agency public protection panels are funded as part of the core business of the police and probation services. The two sets of annual reports published so far indicate that arrangements are working well.
Two pieces of research are currently being conducted into the multi-agency public protection arrangements. We expect to have the findings of both in the autumn. They will help to indicate, among other things, whether existing resources are being best used.
Paedophilia
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been made available for the (a) monitoring and (b) treatment of paedophiles leaving jail. [164046]
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Paul Goggins [holding answer 26 March 2004]: The protection of the public from the risks posed by sexual offenders has been strengthened by a number of legislative measures and funding decisions the government has taken. The monitoring and treatment of sexual offenders comprise a range of activities, which the police and probation services co-ordinate through the multi-agency public protection arrangements (the MAPPA). It is not possible to breakdown the costs of each MAPPA activity because they will vary according to the level of risk posed by each offender and their circumstances.
The multi-agency public protection panels are funded as part of the core business of the police and probation services. The two sets of annual reports published so far indicate that arrangements are working well.
Pardons
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes in policy have taken place since 1997 on the use of free pardons. [166988]
Paul Goggins: The Criminal Appeal Act 1995 (which resulted in the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 1997) provided those wrongfully convicted who had previously only been able to seek a free pardon with an alternative route of redress. In consequence no free pardons have been issued since 1997 and no changes in policy have been necessary.
Parole Board
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for the increase of £6.5 million in the grant to the Parole Board in the Spring Supplementary Estimates. [165874]
Paul Goggins: The Parole Board's grant in aid for 2004–05 is currently £4.215 million and there are no proposals to increase it.
The higher figure referred to in the Question, includes a notional additional provision shown against the Parole Board. This provision was agreed by the Treasury and is in line with Parliamentary Rules.
Police
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in full-time police officers in Birkenhead has been since 1997. [166484]
Ms Blears: Information on strength at Basic Command Unit (BCU) level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002.
Birkenhead is part of the Wirral. Between March 2002 and March 2003 police strength for the Wirral BCU decreased by 0.9 per cent. (from 515 to 510). The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable and within the Wirral BCU deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.
Prisons
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the work of the Sentencing Guidelines Council will contribute to the stabilisation of the prison population. [167365]
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Paul Goggins: The work of the Sentencing Guidelines will lead to a greater consistency in sentencing. It will in due course consider guidelines in respect of all criminal offences, which will apply to all courts. The Government have made it clear that prison should only be used for the most serious, dangerous and persistent offenders, and that others are better punished in the community.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were released on 10 March. [161629]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 15 March 2004]: Information on the number of prisoners who were released on 10 March 2004 is not yet available.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisoner rehabilitation programmes; and at whom each is aimed. [157377]
Paul Goggins: The Prison Service provide the following offending behaviour programmes which have been accredited by the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel and are aimed at assisting in the rehabilitation process:
Enhanced Thinking Skills—A Cognitive Behavioural Programme for male and female, and can be sequenced with another programme.
Reasoning and Rehabilitation—A Cognitive Behavioural Programme for male and female medium to medium-high risk offenders.
Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage it—This programme is for medium-risk male offenders convicted of assault, public order or criminal damage.
Cognitive Self-Change Programme—It is for adult men aged between 24 and 50. They will be high-risk offenders convicted of at least two violent offences.
Cognitive Skills Booster Programme—A programme for male and female offenders who have already completed a general offending programme.
Healthy Relationships—A programme for prisoners convicted of domestic violence offences or who have a pattern of relationship problems.
Sex Offender Treatment Programmes
Core—The programme is for male medium and high-risk sex offenders.
Extended—It is for male high and very high-risk sex offenders.
Adapted—Designed to suit learning-disabled sex offenders across all risk levels.
Rolling—Programme for male low and medium risk sex offenders, and sex offenders who have completed primary treatment programmes and who are serving long sentences can attend to reinforce learning.
Booster—Programme for male sex offenders to reinforce learning.
Prison Addressing Substance Related Offending (P-ASRO)—Cognitive Behavioural Programme for adult men and young male offenders with low/medium drug dependence and risk of re-offending.
RAPt—Abstinence based 12 Step programme for adult men, women and young offenders with medium to high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.
Prison 12 Step programme—For adult men, women and young offenders with medium to high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.
Substance Treatment Offender Programme (STOP)—Cognitive Behavioural Programme for adult male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.
Action on Drugs—Cognitive Behavioural Programme for adult men and young male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.
FOCUS—Cognitive Behavioural Programme for adult male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.
Ley Prison Programme—Cognitive Behavioural Programme set in a therapeutic milieu for adult male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.
North West Therapeutic Community—Therapeutic community for adult male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.
In addition the Prison Service provides a range of education programmes and other activities aimed at rehabilitation and increasing the opportunity for prisoners to find employment and accommodation on release.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 1 March, Official Report, column 721W, on prison education, if he will make a statement on increased partnership working to improve opportunities for learning and skills across the range of prison activities. [162355]
Paul Goggins: The Government is investigating the scope for a delivery partnership between the Learning and Skills Council and the Prison Service (and in time the National Offender Management Service)—together with other key players such as Jobcentre Plus-to provide a more flexible, individually focused learning and skills service. The Government is planning to try out new models of partnership and delivery, beginning in the autumn with a small number of pathfinders. Meanwhile, the Government is looking to newly appointed Heads of Learning and Skills to maintain a focus on learning at senior level within each establishment, to help overcome obstacles to communication and joint working across regimes, and to develop imaginative partnerships with organisations, including voluntary organisations, beyond the prison walls which can enhance prisoners' resettlement prospects.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on local strategies and initiatives developed by prisons for older prisoners. [164429]
Paul Goggins: The Prison Service does not have a separate national Strategy for older prisoners but seeks to meet the needs of older prisoners through individual circumstances.
Some local initiatives have been developed, including remedial fitness programmes for older prisoners, at a number of establishments. One establishment has set up an occupational therapy group, which provides prisoners of retirement age with the opportunity to work, do gardening, clean windows or tidy the prison grounds. At least one establishment has installed an activities day room for older prisoners and have developed links with the Salvation Army who run a club for the over 60's. An elderly life sentence prisoner unit designed to accommodate 15 elderly prisoners is scheduled to open in late June 2004 at HMP/YO1 Norwich.
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Following concerns expressed about the care of elderly prisoners, I have commissioned the Chief Inspector of Prisons to undertake an independent thematic inspection of older prisoners. The report of this inspection is expected to be published in the Summer.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the capital reductions costs for the private finance initiative prison contract became overstated; and what measures will be implemented to prevent a recurrence of overstated capital reduction costs for the contract. [165875]
Paul Goggins: There are no capital reductions costs for Private Finance Initiative prisons.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prisoners were sharing cells designed for single occupancy in each of the last 10 years. [166796]
Paul Goggins: The number of prisoners sharing cells designed for one person and the percentage, expressed as a proportion of the average prisoner population, is given in the table. Validated figures for 2003–04 are not yet available.
| Percentage doubling | Number doubled | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 20.4 | 14,586 |
| 2001–02 | 17.0 | 11,440 |
| 2000–01 | 17.2 | 11,292 |
| 1999–2000 | 18.9 | 12,222 |
| 1998–99 | 18.4 | 12,024 |
| 1997–98 | 18.2 | 11,548 |
| 1996–97 | 16.8 | 9,498 |
| 1995–96 | 16.5 | 8,506 |
| 1994–95 | 17.1 | 8,426 |
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to transfer the Foundation Training Company resettlement programme following the re-rolling of Edmunds Hill Prison. [166867]
Paul Goggins: An appraisal of Edmunds Hill is currently taking place following the decision to re-role this establishment. The future of the Foundation Training Company (FTC) resettlement programme at Edmunds Hill is one of the issues under consideration; it is envisaged that the FTC will remain at Edmunds Hill, subject to appropriate funding.
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual average population of (a) HMP Liverpool and (b) HMP Altcourse was in each of the last six years; and what the present population is of each. [166987]
Paul Goggins:
The population on 31 March 2004 and annual average population in each of the last six years of (a) HMP Liverpool and (b) HMP Altcourse is given in the table.
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| Liverpool | Altcourse | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2004 | 1,449 | 988 |
| 2003 | 1,434 | 995 |
| 2002 | 1,448 | 955 |
| 2001 | 1,297 | 800 |
| 2000 | 1,274 | 818 |
| 1999 | 1,432 | 751 |
| 1998 | 1,451 | 630 |
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