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3 Mar 2006 : Column 1066W—continued
Prisons
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) adult (i) male and (ii) female prison population and (b) (A) male and (B) female young offender institution populations in (1) England and Wales and (2) Kent were on the last date for which figures are available. [54939]
Fiona Mactaggart: The following table from the Prison Service IT system provides figures on the prison population in both England and Wales and Kent, and gives separate figures for adults and young offenders.
(32) Young persons are held in local prisons as well as in young offender and juvenile institutions.
(33) Young persons are aged under 21 but include 21-year-old prisoners who were aged 20 or under at conviction who have not been reclassified as part of the adult population.
(34) Prisons in Kent are: Blantyre House, Canterbury, Cookham Wood, Dover, East Sutton Park, Elmley, Maidstone, Rochester, Standford Hill.
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on (a) prison and (b) young offender institution visits in the first week of a custodial sentence. [55075]
Fiona Mactaggart: It is a requirement that prisoners and young offenders are informed of their statutory right to a social visit on reception, as an integral part of the reception process. Subject to pressing operational factors, there is an expectation that such a visit should take place within 72 hours of their reception into custody. Prisoners and young offenders also have access to telephones and are entitled to a letter at public expense, on reception, as an additional means of communication.
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many married prisoners were divorced in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [55082]
Fiona Mactaggart:
Information on changes of marital state of prisoners whilst in custody is not routinely collected. The most recent survey that addresses this question directly is the National Prison Survey of 1991, The National Prison Survey 1991 by Tricia Dodd and Paul Hunter of Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, London: HMSO.
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The survey was based on a representative simple random sample of all prisoners except juveniles. This found that of prisoners who were married before imprisonment 22 per cent. were divorced or separated at the time of interview in custody.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps are being taken by his Department to improve access to courses by prisoners serving in open prisons, with particular reference to assisting with travel costs; [55472]
(2) what funding is available for prisoners serving in open prisons wishing to undertake education or training courses outside the prison. [55529]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Green Paper 'Reducing Re-Offending Through Skills and Employment' published in December 2005 set out for consultation our plans to improve the learning and skills service for all offenders, including those held in open prisons.
The Department for Education and Skills has allocated £60,000 in financial year 2005–06 to support travel and other costs for offenders in open prisons attending education or training outside the prison. This funding allows offenders access to mainstream post-16 education in further education colleges, with most offenders eligible to have their course costs met by the Learning and Skills Council as part of its responsibilities for planning and funding general post-16 learning.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have been made to his Department's procurement procedures, as a result of the leaks in the roofs of X and Y blocks at HM Prison Spring Hill with particular reference to assigning national building contracts. [55482]
Fiona Mactaggart: No changes have been made to the Home Office's procurement procedures as a direct result of the roof leaks in the blocks at HMP Spring Hill. These type of blocks constructed at HMP Spring Hill and elsewhere on the prison estate were the only modular temporary units (MTUs) readily available for quick purchase and rapid construction to meet the then rapidly rising prison places need. The new Strategic Alliance Partnerships set up in 2003–04 with its updated procurement procedures will in future deal with the demands of high value projects with tight timescales across the prison estate. An improved modular design is being developed through these partnerships and no more units of the design used at HMP Spring Hill will be built.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been provided by his Department for repairs to the roofs of X and Y blocks at HM Prison Spring Hill. [55483]
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Fiona Mactaggart: No central funding has been provided. The suppliers (Elliott Redispace at HMP Spring Hill) are responsible for rectifying defects with the roofs as per the negotiated contract. There are currently ongoing discussions with the suppliers to carry out appropriate further roof repairs.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many rooms are not available for use as a result of roof leakage in X and Y blocks at HM's Prison Spring Hill. [55484]
Fiona Mactaggart: No rooms in either of these blocks are currently decommissioned as a result of leaking roofs. Local estate management in conjunction with the site health and safety officer are keeping the situation under review and will undertake a risk assessment as necessary to establish what further roof repairs may be required.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the contractor who built X and Y blocks at HM Prison Spring Hill on (a) leaking roofs and (b) other issues. [55598]
Fiona Mactaggart: National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Property Unit is engaged in ongoing discussions with Elliot Redispace, the suppliers of the blocks at HMP Spring Hill, to perform cyclical inspections of their modular temporary units across the public prison estate to identify any leakage or other problems and for them to then carry out the necessary repairs at no further cost to the Department.
Repatriation
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on (a) repatriation and (b) granting leave to remain for individuals who have been returned to their country of origin but refused entry to that country; and if he will make a statement. [54809]
Mr. McNulty: Failed immigration offenders whose country of origin has refused to accept them on removal and who have been returned to the UK will not be granted leave to enter or remain. If they are granted temporary admission further attempts to remove them will be made through re-documentation or the use of international instruments as appropriate.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the failed repatriation and return to the UK of individuals who have been deported or left to return to their country of origin but have been refused entry to that country of origin has cost in each of the last five years. [54810]
Mr. McNulty: There is no information on the number of people who have either been removed or deported as immigration offenders but rejected during transit or on arrival at their country of origin and are returned to the UK, therefore it is not possible to establish cost.