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Police Officers' Families (Crime Investigations)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines are given to police authorities on conducting investigations into crimes when a member of a police officer's family is being questioned concerning the incident. [219433]

Ms Blears: There are no specific guidelines given to police authorities regarding investigations into crimes involving members of a police officer's family. Police authorities are responsible for ensuring an effective and efficient police service in the UK and any investigation into a criminal offence would be dealt with by the force in question as an operational matter. Each police force is required to act within statute and any deviation from this could result in disciplinary proceedings. If however the member of the police officer's family, who is being questioned, is an officer themselves then there are internal police regulations which would be followed.

Prisons

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are estimated to suffer from mental health problems in prisons in England and Wales. [208839]

Paul Goggins: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) undertook a survey of mental ill health in the prison population of England and Wales in 1997. A copy of the survey is available on the ONS website at www.statistics.gov.uk.

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend Prison Service Order 1170 in the light of the decision in Regina (on behalf of the Howard League for Penal Reform) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department. [218215]

 
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Paul Goggins: I have confirmed that this question relates to Prison Service Order 1700 which deals with the segregation of prisoners for reasons of good order or discipline or at the prisoner's own request, and that the court case is that of 'SP', a female juvenile trainee.

Following the judgment delivered on 23 June 2004 in the case by Mr. Justice Jack, and pending the appeal to the Court of Appeal, the Prison Service issued guidance on 23 September 2004 to Governors requiring them to comply with the Court's decision, that, where circumstances allow, juveniles should be given the opportunity to make representations against segregation before being segregated.

(The Court of Appeal upheld Mr. Justice Jack's judgment. The Prison Service will amend Prison Service Order 1700 to reflect the interim guidance already issued).

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the In Use Certified National Accommodation was changed in January 2005 at (a) HMP Edmunds Hill, (b) HMP Bullwood Hall, (c) HMP Dovegate, (d) HMP Dover, (e) HMP Foston Hall, (f) HMP Highdown, (g) HMP Hindley, (h) HMP Holloway, (i) HMP Liverpool, (j) HMP Northallerton, (k) HMP Onley, (l) HMP Pentonville and (m) HMP Wetherby; and if he will make a statement. [220487]

Paul Goggins: Changes to prison capacity occur on a regular basis as, for example, prison wings are taken out of use for maintenance or refurbishment and later brought back into service. In January 2005, action was taken to reduce overcrowding in particular establishments, and we reduced the overall operational capacity of the estate by taking some accommodation due for refurbishment out of use slightly earlier than planned. The changes to In Use certified normal accommodation (CNA ¹ ) recorded in January at each of the prisons listed were:

¹ In Use CNA is the uncrowded capacity of the estate after adjusting for accommodation that is out of use.

Prison	Change to In Use CNA and reason for change
Edmunds Hill	Reduced by 148 places when the function of the prison was changed from female to male. Three of the accommodation units are out of use, but can be brought into use when required.
Bullwood Hall	Reduced by 13 places while E-wing is temporarily used to house the education department.
Dovegate	Reduced by 58 places to correct an error on the cell certificate.
Dover(47)	Reduced by 55 places while the Romney Unit is refurbished.
Foston Hall	Reduced by 44 places as a surplus of capacity in the female estate enabled D-wing to be temporarily taken out of use as an economy measure.
Highdown	Reduced by 16 places for electrical rewiring programme.
Hindley	Reduced by 82 while A-wing is refurbished.
Holloway	Reduced by 20 while the DO unit is refurbished.
Liverpool	Reduced by 18 while general refurbishment takes place.
Northallerton	Reduced by 75 while accommodation is repaired following storm damage.
Onley	Reduced by 60 while B-wing is refurbished as part of a rolling programme.
Pentonville	Reduced by 21 while R-wing is refurbished.
Wetherby	Reduced by 10 for a small rolling refurbishment programme.

⁽⁴⁷⁾ Dover is an immigration removal centre managed by the Prison Service on behalf of the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial saving will be made by moving control of privately run prisons from Her Majesty's Prison Service to the Correctional Services Unit in the Home Office. [221147]

Paul Goggins: The cost of establishing the Office for Contracted Prisons, part of the Home Office, to oversee the operation of private prisons, was broadly cost neutral. Better contract and operational management have resulted in improved service delivery.

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason control of privately run prisons moved from Her Majesty's Prison Service to the Corrections Services Unit within the Home Office. [221148]

 
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Paul Goggins: Responsibility for the control of private prisons transferred to the Office for Contracted Prisons in May 2003 as part of the move to create a single correctional service. By doing so it created increased consistency and transparency of custodial services provided by the public and private sectors.

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the cost of moving control of privately run prisons from Her Majesty's Prison Service to the Correction Services Unit within the Home Office. [221149]

Paul Goggins: The transfer of control of private prisons to the Office for Contracted Prisons in May 2003 was broadly cost neutral. Controller costs were transferred without change. Operating costs of OCP HQ were offset by compensatory savings in the public sector Prison Service.
 
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Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes were made to (a) the baseline Certified National Accommodation (CNA), (b) in use CNA and (c) operational capacity at (i) HMP Wolds, (ii) HMP Altcourse, (iii) HMP Forest Bank and (iv) HMP Lowdham Grange in January; and if he will make a statement. [221156]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 10 March 2005]: Changes to prison capacity occur on a regular basis as, for example, prison wings are taken out of use for maintenance or refurbishment and later brought back into service. In January 2005, action was taken to reduce overcrowding in particular establishments, and we reduced the overall operational capacity of the estate by taking some accommodation due for refurbishment out of use slightly earlier than planned. Details of the reasons for changes in operational capacity, baseline CNA, and In-use CNA are given in the table.

Establishment	Reasons for changes in Baseline Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA), In-use CNA, and Operational Capacity
Wolds	Operational capacity reduced by 10 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels. An increase of 20 in both baseline and in use CNA G wing coming into use.
Altcourse	Operational capacity reduced by 121 places due to temporary reduction in overcrowding levels. No change in baseline or in use CNA.
Forest Bank	Operational capacity reduced by 24 places due to temporary reduction in overcrowding levels. No change in baseline or in use CNA.
Lowdham Grange	Operation capacity reduced by 24 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels. No change in baseline or in use CNA.

Note:
Operational capacity is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold without serious risk to good order, security and the proper running of the planned regime. Baseline CNA is the sum total of all certified accommodation in an establishment except, cells in punishment or segregation units, healthcare cells or rooms in training prisons and YOIs that are not routinely used to accommodate long stay patients. In-use CNA is baseline CNA less those places not available for immediate use, for example: damaged cells, cells affected by building works, and cells taken out of use due to staff shortages

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the operational capacity was changed in January at (a) HMP Edmunds Hill, (b) HMP Northallerton, (c) HMP Altcourse, (d) HMP Hindley, (e) HMP Rye Hill, (f) HMP Onley, (g) HMP Dovegate, (h) HMP Dover, (i) HMP Mount, (j) HMP Foston Hall, (k) HMP Liverpool, (l) HMP Forest Bank, (m) HMP Lowdham Grange, (n) HMP Holloway, (o) HMP Pentonville, (p) HMP Bullwood Hall, (q) HMP Highdown, (r) HMP Wetherby and (s) HMP Wolds; and if he will make a statement. [221157]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 10 March 2005]: Changes to prison capacity occur on a regular basis as, for example, prison wings are taken out of use for maintenance or refurbishment and later brought back into service. In January 2005, action was taken to reduce overcrowding in particular establishments, and we reduced the overall operational capacity of the estate by taking some accommodation due for refurbishment out of use slightly earlier than planned. Details of the reasons for changes in operational capacity are given in the following table.

Establishment	Reason for change in operational capacity
Edmunds Hill	Reduced by 150 places when the function of was changed from a female to male prison in January 2005. Accommodation units 1, 2 and 3 will be brought into use as required.
Northallerton	Reduced by 128 places while accommodation is being repaired following storm damage.
Altcourse	Reduced by 121 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels.
Hindley	Reduced by 82 places while A-wing is refurbished.
Rye Hill	Reduced by 64 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels.
Onley	Reduced by 60 places while B-wing is refurbished as part of a rolling programme. A rolling programme of wing refurbishment is in progress.
Dovegate	Reduced by 58 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels.
Dover(48)	Reduced by 55 places while Romney unit is refurbished.
Mount	Reduced by 52 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels.
Foston Hall	Reduced by 51 places as a surplus of capacity in the female estate enabled D-wing has been temporarily taken out of use as an economy measure.
Liverpool	Reduced by 35 places while general refurbishment work takes place.
Forest Bank	Reduced by 24 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels.
Lowdham Grange	Reduced by 24 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels.
Holloway	Reduced by 18 places while DO unit is refurbished.
Pentonville	Reduced by 16 places while R-wing is refurbished.
Bullwood Hall	Reduced by 13 places while E-wing is temporarily used to house the education department.
Highdown	Reduced by 11 places for electrical rewiring programme.
Wetherby	Reduced by 10 places for a small rolling refurbishment programme.
Wolds	Reduced by 10 places due to a temporary reduction in overcrowding levels.

⁽⁴⁸⁾ Dover is an immigration removal centre managed by the Prison Service on behalf of the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate.
Note:
Operational capacity is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold without serious risk to good order, security and the proper running of the planned regime.





 
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