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12 Sept 2005 : Column 2624W—continued
Prisons
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms exist for prisoners to appeal against the decisions of independent adjudicators on prison discipline in relation to (a) findings of guilt and (b) punishments awarded; what plans he has to amend the existing appeal procedures; and if he will make a statement. [16034]
Fiona Mactaggart: A prisoner can apply within 14 days of the adjudication to the Senior District Judge for review of the punishment.
These arrangements meet our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and provide an important new safeguard. The District Judges who hear the adjudications are transparently independent and the review by the Senior District Judge ensures even-handedness.
Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed prison officers were injured while on duty at prisons in England and Wales in each of the last five years. [14466]
Fiona Mactaggart:
The number of prison officers sustaining an injury while on duty is not routinely collected. Injuries to officer grades caused by accidents or assaults resulting in absence from work and attracting sick leave excusal are recorded. Sick excusal is granted after seven working days for accidents on duty
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and immediately for assaults. This form of sickness absence for the public sector Prison Service of England and Wales is shown in table 1.
The number of individual cases of sick excusal due to accidents or assaults is not available for 2000–01. Information on the total number of accidents and near-misses are also recorded centrally for the public sector Prison Service of England and Wales since 2003–04. This data cannot be disaggregated by grade. The data in table 2 represent all recorded accidents and near-misses for all staff (including those due to assaults), and not just those where injury occurred.
Information about staff in the Scottish and Northern Ireland prison services is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively. Information on privately managed prisons is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| Recorded accidents and near misses (all staff) | |
|---|---|
| 2003–04 | 8,060 |
| 2004–05 | 9,381 |
| April to July 2005 | 2,285 |
Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed prison officers are employed in prisons in England and Wales; and what their average age is. [14467]
Fiona Mactaggart: At 30 June 2005, there were 24,180 officer grade staff (prison officers, senior officers and principal officers) employed within public sector Prison Service establishments. Their average age was 41 years nine months. Information on the number and ages of staff within prisons managed by the private sector is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the (a) prison and (b) young offenders institutions which (i) offer and (ii) do not offer parenting programmes. [6966]
Fiona Mactaggart:
Many prisons and young offender institutions offer parenting courses and other family learning programmes.
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However, data is not collected centrally about the different types of parenting programmes that are offered across the entire prison estate. Such provision is decided at operational level by the heads of learning and skills in establishments on a needs analysis basis.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage staff turnover was in each (a) private and (b) public prison in England and Wales in (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04 and (iii)2004–05. [14168]
Fiona Mactaggart: Information on staff turnover in the public sector prison service is shown in the following table. Information on staffing turnover in the contracted estate is not collected centrally.
Notes:
1.Healthcare staff transferring to primary care trusts as part of transfer of healthcare commissioning have been excluded.
2.Casual staff are included.
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Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were in (a) prison and (b) young offenders institute in the last period for which figures are available. [14722]
Fiona Mactaggart: On 30 June 2005 there were 65,390 adults held in prison accommodation under prison rules in England and Wales.
On the same date there were 8,490 young adults aged 18–20 (including some 21- year-olds who have not yet been reclassified as adults) held in prison establishments in England and Wales. Of these, 6,461 were sentenced to detention in a young offenders institution under YOI rules. There were a further 1,925 young adults aged 18–20 held on remand under prison rules, and 104 young adults held as civil prisoners.
On 30 June 2005 there were 2,310 juveniles aged 15–17 held in juvenile establishments in England and Wales. Of these, 1,830 were sentenced juveniles held in YOls under YOI rules. There were a further 475 remand juveniles held under prison rules, and five juveniles aged 15–17 held as civil prisoners.
The above information is as recorded on the Prison Service IT system, and excludes those held outside of the prison estate in secure training centres and local authority secure children's homes.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides there have been in prisons in England and Wales in each month since January 2000, broken down by prison. [12854]
Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested with respect to apparently self-inflicted deaths in prisons in England and Wales, January 2000 to June 2005, is available in the Library.
The number of apparently self-inflicted deaths in prisons is a cause of very serious concern to Ministers, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the prisons community. Reducing the number of such tragic incidents is a key priority, and an unprecedented amount of work is being done in this area. A broad, integrated and evidence-based prisoner
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suicide prevention strategy is in place. This balances specific measures for those judged most at risk with broader approaches for prisoners generally.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ratio of staff to prisoners is in (a) prisons operated by the private sector and (b) other prison establishments. [10182]
Fiona Mactaggart: Within public sector prison service establishments there was a ratio of one member of staff to 1.50 prisoners on 30 June 2005.
Within the contracted estate there was a ratio of one member of staff to 1.78 prisoners on 30 June 2005.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the prison population is held in private prisons. [10183]
Fiona Mactaggart: On 30 June 2005, 9.66 percent. of the total prison population was held in the contracted prison sector.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the extent of racism in the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement. [13394]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Commission for Racial Equality's (CRE's) formal investigation into race relations in the Prison Service was published in December 2003. The investigation was conducted in three prisons (Brixton, Feltham and Parc), identified by the Prison Service and Her Majesty's Chief Inspectorate of Prisons. Its findings were accepted in full by the Prison Service.
As a result of the Investigation, the Prison Service is working closely with the CRE to ensure that race equality is managed more effectively across all of the Service's functions, activities and core business requirements. A joint action plan was produced: Implementing Race Equality in Prisons: A Shared Agenda for Change" which represented a milestone for race relations in the service. The plan forms the basis of a long-term strategy for the Prison Service and will ensure that all establishments fully comply with the legal requirements of the Race Rations (Amendment) Act 2000 and embed the lessons learned from the CRE investigation.
The Prison Service is developing robust measures to identify matters of concern and how to address them, focusing in particular on:
Over the last 12 months, the Race and Equalities Action Group has revised the Prison Service Race Equality Scheme, which sets out how the service will meet its general statutory duty under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity, and promote good relations between people of different racial groups during 2005–08.
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Over the next three years, establishments and policy leads will be undertaking impact assessments of all functions, policies and activities within the Prison Service. These assessments will provide evidenced analysis of whether there is the potential for adverse impact or whether there has been actual adverse impact on any racial group. Where there is such evidence, establishments and policy leads will consider what changes need to be made, and make the changes.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Sheppey improvement process was assessed; and by whom. [15624]
Fiona Mactaggart: The market test of the Sheppey prisons was suspended and replaced by a performance improvement test following a meeting between my right hon. friend the Home Secretary and the Prison Officers Association on 18 May. The process of the performance improvement test follows procedures similar to those previously used by the Prison Service. A specification for the performance improvement test was issued by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) on 30 June. The Prison Service has until 30 September to put forward their proposals in response to the specification. The proposals will be evaluated by NOMS and the outcome should be announced by the end of October.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time was between each death in prison custody, initially assessed as self-inflicted, and the opening of the inquest into that death in each of the last five years; and in how many cases there was a delay of more than one year. [16035]
Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the instances when (a) prison governors and (b) prison officers were investigated for taking drugs into London prisons in each month since January; how long each investigation took; what conclusions each reached; and if he will make a statement. [14203]
Paul Goggins: At Brixton prison an investigation took place in June and July 2005 into the conduct of one member of staff. The disciplinary process is underway. At Wandsworth, one member of staff was investigated in July 2005. This resulted in advice and guidance being issued about the handling of drugs taken from a prisoner's possession. At Wormwood Scrubs, one officer was dismissed in January 2005 and another in March 2005, both as a result of investigations begun in 2004.
There have been no such incidents at Belmarsh, Feltham, Holloway, Pentonville and Latchmere House.
Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has carried out into the operational viability of prisons with a capacity of around 2,000 places. [14434]
Fiona Mactaggart:
As the options for the prison estate are considered, strategic need and operational viability are key criteria. Large multi-functional prisons are among the options, and would enable prisoners to progress through their sentences while remaining close
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to their families and community support, and provide better regimes to help rehabilitate prisoners and reduce re-offending. They would also be designed for purpose and efficiency.
No decision to proceed with any such prison has yet been made. If the decision is to be made, all factors, including the detailed operation of such a prison, will be considered.
Broadly, we are satisfied that a large prison appropriately designed with separate sections and zoning is operationally viable.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prime function he has specified for private prisons in England and Wales. [14174]
Fiona Mactaggart: The prime functions for contracted prisons in England and Wales are:
to protect the public by holding in custody those committed by the courts in a safe, decent and healthy environment.
to reduce crime by providing constructive regimes which address offending behaviours and improve education and resettlement opportunities when released.
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