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28 Jun 2004 : Column 25W—continued

Prisoner Escapes

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have escaped from (a) privately and (b) publicly run prisons in each of the last three years. [177845]

Paul Goggins: The escape data sought is set out in the following tables. A prisoner is regarded as having escaped if he or she unlawfully gains his or her liberty by breaching the secure perimeter of a closed prison or when he or she is able to pass beyond the control of escorting prison staff. The data does not include instances where prisoners were recaptured within 15 minutes and no further offence was committed.
Privately operated prisons

	Number of escapes from prisons	Number of escapes from prison staff escort	Total
2001–02	3	3	6
2002–03	Nil	Nil	Nil
2003–04	Nil	1	1

Public prisons

	Number of escapes from prisons	Number of escapes from prison staff escort	Total
2001–02	12	8	20
2002–03	5	12	17
2003–04	10	5	15

Prisoners (Slopping Out)

Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any prisoners in England and Wales are having to adopt the practice of slopping out. [171859]

Paul Goggins: This practice is not in place anywhere except when there are electronic system failures, or where staff operating manual night unlocking are called upon to respond to unforeseen incidents.

Prisons (Assaults on Prisoners)

Mrs. Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been assaulted in (a) privately and (b) publicly run prisons in each of the last three years. [177848]

Paul Goggins: The data collected by the Prison Service is an overall total for assaults within each prison, it does not breakdown assaults on individual prisoners or staff. Our current Key Performance Indicator for Serious Assaults, which offers a better indication of prisoner violence, has been given. However, this does not identify cases of multiple or repeat assault on individual prisoners.
Contracted prisons (privately operated)

	Total number of assaults	Number of serious assaults on prisoners	Rate of serious assaults as a proportion of the prison population (percentage)
2001–02	1,434	48	0.8
2002–03	1,544	55	0.8
2003–04	1,501	90	1.3

 
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Public Prisons

	Total number of assaults	Number of serious assaults on prisoners	Rate of serious assaults as a proportion of the prison population (percentage)
2001–02	9,123	458	0.7
2002–03	9,847	580	0.9
2003–04	10,038	717	1.1

Population pressures and the increase in the number of violent offenders have an impact on the levels of violence in prison.

Although serious assaults were adopted as a new Key Performance Indicator for 2003–04, the data was collected in previous years as additional information. The data given relating to the two previous years is thus consistent.

Reducing violence, in all its forms, is fundamental to the Prison Service objectives and to the resettlement and rehabilitation agenda. In May 2004, the Prison Service's Violence Reduction Strategy was launched. It is now mandatory for public prisons to develop, implement (by November 2004) and maintain a local violence reduction strategy, which will aim to promote a safe and healthy prison environment and foster a culture of non-violence.

While not applying directly to contracted prisons, the Violence Reduction Strategy is used as a basis of best practice which has enabled them to develop their own strategies to reduce serious assaults. Compliance with Health and Safety legislation is a requirement.

Probation Services

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Government will ensure that there is no fall in standards as a result of the privatisation of probation services. [175228]

Paul Goggins: The Government has not proposed the privatisation of the Probation Service. What we have proposed is the introduction of contestability across correctional services which is key to extending and enhancing services to offenders in order to obtain the best value for money for tax payers. We want the most effective custodial and community sentences possible, no matter who delivers them. Contestability will encourage innovation, improve choice and ensure that the standards set by the probation service are built upon under the new service.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultative process has taken place with regard to the privatisation of probation services. [175229]

Paul Goggins: The Government has not proposed the privatisation of the Probation Service. What we have proposed is the introduction of contestability across correctional services which is key to extending and enhancing services to offenders in order to obtain the best value for money for tax payers. We want the most effective custodial and community sentences possible no matter who delivers them.
 
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We are currently engaging in an ongoing consultation with staff, unions and other key stakeholders on the implementation and structure of the National Offender Management Service. The proposed structure on which we are consulting is outlined in the document 'National Offender Management Service-Organisational Design'. Copies of which are available from the House Library.

Psychological Coercive Techniques

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether chartered psychologists (a) have assisted in the past and (b) are assisting (i) the security services, (ii) the police and (iii) his Department's officials in the use or development of psychological coercive techniques; [179168]

(2) to what extent (a) the UK security services, (b) the police and (c) his Department's officials (i) have used and (ii) currently use psychological coercive techniques during their training. [179169]

Mr. Blunkett: No use is made of such techniques.

Seaports/Airports

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which (a) seaports and (b) airports have a dedicated Special Branch presence. [177171]

Mr. Blunkett: The effective policing of sea and airports is the responsibility of the relevant Chief Constable. Airport security was the subject of a comprehensive review by Sir John Wheeler in 2002. Implementation of his findings is strengthening security across the board. Following his recommendation, the National Co-ordinator for Ports Policing (NCPP) has taken on a wider role to encompass the co-ordination of both uniform and Special Branch ports policing.

The NCPP provides a strategic overview of the requirements of port security and ensures that there is effective co-operation between forces. This covers the whole range of ports policing from major air and sea ports to a small ports policing strategy.

The NCPP also provides advice to forces on the deployment of officers at ports but it would not be appropriate to publish this information.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to facilitate the processing of seasonal agricultural workers scheme visas from (a) Romania, (b) Bulgaria and (c) Moldova for May and June. [168379]

 
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Mr. Browne [holding answer 28 April 2004]: On 30 March 2004we suspended the processing of visa applications at the embassies in Bulgaria and Romania for managed migration entry routes, including the Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme (SAWS). On 19 May 2004 I announced that this suspension was being lifted for most entry routes, including SAWS, and the processing of visa applications for those wishing to enter the UK under the SAWS is now taking place as normal.

The suspension of visa processing did not impact on Moldovans directly except that they were unable to apply for visas in Sofia and Bucharest to enter the UK under the SAWS. In the absence of a British visa post in Moldova to which they could apply they had the option to apply for a visa in either Kiev or Budapest.

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