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19 Jun 2007 : Column 1724W—continued


Working days lost to sickness absence by officer grade staff by establishment private prisons—calendar years 2002 to 2006
Working days lost per officer per year
Establishment 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Doncaster

8

9.5

11

11.5

6

Dovegate

16.6

16.4

16.5

16.2

13.5

Lowdham Grange

5

9

15

14

10

Note:
For private prisons, officer grade is prison custody officer. It was not possible to obtain information about the remaining private prisons in England and Wales in the time available to answer this question.

Prisoners

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what percentage of (a) male and (b) female prisoners in each region are not imprisoned in their home region, broken down by age. [142712]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The information requested is provided in the following table.

Prisoners held in prisons outside of their region of origin by age band
Percentage
Male
Prisoners from: 15-17 18-20 21+ Female

East Midlands

100

34

38

71

Eastern

48

58

43

70

London

70

78

63

74

North East

16

14

22

16

North West

23

38

25

41

South East

65

38

33

29

South West

17

32

29

43

Wales

80

35

38

100

West Midlands

18

34

37

86

Yorkshire and the Humber

16

25

26

28

Total

45

44

40

60


Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what estimate she has made of the percentage of prisoners either of whose parents were sent to prison during their childhood. [143065]


19 Jun 2007 : Column 1725W

Mr. Sutcliffe: This information is not collected centrally. However, data from the 1991 National Prison Survey showed that 11.2 per cent. (341 of 3,050 prisoners interviewed) of convicted non-civil prisoners had experienced a parent in prison at some point (not necessarily during childhood).

Prisoners: Transport

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many prisoners were held in prisoner transport vehicles at Crown and magistrates courts (a) before their hearings and (b) after their hearings because of lack of room in court cells in the last month; and for how long in each case. [143010]

Mr. Hanson: There have been no reports of prisoners held in vehicles either before or after their hearings because of a lack of space in court cells.

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many prisoners were returned to a prison or young offender institution after their court hearing different from that from which they were delivered to court in the last month; and how many who were not released from custody were not returned to prison but kept overnight or for longer in (a) police stations and (b) court cells. [143014]

Mr. Hanson: In May 2006 management information provided by our contractors show that there were 1,913 prisoners returned to a different prison or young offender institution after their court hearing to that from which they were delivered to court. The number of prisoners, escorted to court from prison, who following their court hearing were kept overnight or longer in police stations was 3,399; the figure for those kept overnight in court cells was 71.

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners aged (i) 21 or more and (ii) 18 to 21 were returned to prison after court hearings having spent more than (A) two, (B) three, (C) four, (D) five and (E) six or more hours in prisoner transport vehicles in the last month. [143015]

Mr. Hanson: The information requested is as set out on the following table:

Details of journey times from courts to prisons of over two hours—May 2007
2 to 3 hours( 1) 3 to 4 hours 4 to 5 hours 5 to 6 hours Over 6 hours

Male aged over 21

437

187

38

16

11

Female aged over 21

137

40

8

1

3

Male aged 18 to 21

131

42

22

8

2

Female aged 18 to 21

25

7

0

0

0

(1) This excludes information on prisoners escorted from courts in the London and South East whose journeys were between two and three hours as this information is not available.

19 Jun 2007 : Column 1726W

Prisons: Disciplinary Proceedings

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many disciplinary proceedings took place in each prison in each of the last five years; and how many complaints were upheld. [142709]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Information in the form requested is not readily available. Figures on the numbers and types of offences punished under the prison disciplinary system, and types of establishment, for years before 2002 were published in ‘Prison Statistics, England and Wales, 2002’ (Command Paper 5996), chapter 8 available at:

Figures on types of offence and punishments up to 2005 are published in ‘Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005’, Home Office Statistical Bulletin 18/06 at:

The data only include proven adjudication offences nationally, and have not been analysed below this level. The tables on adjudications from chapter 9 of this document (including two tables not included in the bulletin itself) are also available at:

Prisons: Smoking

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice for what reason dormitory accommodation within the prison estate is not considered exempt from the terms of smoking under Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; and if she will make a statement. [142878]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Non-smoking prisoners cannot be required to share accommodation with smokers. Designating dormitories for smokers or non-smokers would not provide sufficient flexibility in the use of accommodation.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many enforcement officers will be designated as responsible for ensuring compliance with Prison Service Instruction 09/2007 in (a) each regional area and (b) each prison establishment; what frequency is anticipated for deployment of enforcement officer visits at each prison establishment; from which budget source enforcement officers will be resourced and at what estimated cost; and if she will make a statement. [142859]

Mr. Sutcliffe: No enforcement officers are being deployed specifically to ensure compliance with Prison Service Instruction 9/2007. In public sector prisons, Prison Service Area Managers monitor compliance with all Orders and Instructions in the course of routine line management contacts and visits. In contracted prisons, the Home Office Controller on site monitors compliance.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much has been allocated to (a) the preparation of risk assessments and (b) reviewing existing assessments on how the health and safety of
19 Jun 2007 : Column 1727W
(i) employees, (ii) visitors and (iii) non-smoking inmates are best protected under the terms of Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from what budget the funding will be drawn; and if she will make a statement. [142860]

Mr. Sutcliffe: No additional budget was required to carry out these risk assessments.

The Prison Service has in place policies and procedures for training staff to carry out risk assessments and for carrying out risk assessments to staff and others who may be affected by its undertakings. These have been used in (a) the preparation of risk assessments and (b) reviewing existing assessments on how the health and safety of (i) employees, (ii) visitors and (iii) non smoking inmates are best protected under the terms of Prison Service Instruction 09/2007.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (1) what estimate she has made of the cost of compliance with Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from what budget these resources will be drawn; and if she will make a statement; [142861]

(2) what estimate she has made of the likely costs arising from the exemption to smoke-free legislation under Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from what budget this will come; and if she will make a statement; [142863]

(3) what budget is available for the (a) commission and (b) display of signs required under Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from where the budget for these signs is sourced; and if she will make a statement. [142880]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The only visible cost of these arrangements will be a one-off cost for installing relevant signs which are manufactured in prison workshops. No estimate has been made of these costs, which are being met from existing local resources.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what mechanisms will be available to ensure that prison cell doors are closed when inmates are smoking, to ensure compliance with Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; and if she will make a statement. [142862]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Prison staff will ensure that cell doors are locked or fully closed when prisoners are smoking.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what estimate she has made of the cost of installing ventilation systems at each prison establishment in consequence of Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from what budget such resources will be drawn; and if she will make a statement. [142864]

Mr. Sutcliffe: There are no plans to install additional ventilation systems.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much has been allocated in (a) HM Prison Service headquarters budget and (b) individual prison establishment budgets for the implementation of stop smoking services under Prison Service Order 3200; and if she will make a statement. [142865]


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