Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment he has made of levels of (a) assaults, (b) assaults on staff and (c) staffing in public and private prisons.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Ministry of Justice does not hold data covering a comparative assessment that compares staffing or assaults in public / privately managed prisons.
We publish details on staffing in public prisons every quarter in our HMPPS Workforce Statistics, the latest version is from March and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-march-2020. We do not hold data on staffing levels in private prisons.
There were 32,669 assaults in prisons in England and Wales in 2019, of which 26,821 were in public prisons (82% of total assaults) and 5,848 were in private prisons (18% of total assaults).
There were 9,995 assaults on staff in prisons in England and Wales in 2019, of which 8,579 were in public prisons (86% of all assaults on staff) and 1,416 were in private prisons (14% of all assaults on staff).
Please note that Birmingham changed from a private prison to a public prison in July 2019. The figures for Birmingham have not been split between the public prisons total and the private prisons total, all assaults in Birmingham for 2019 were recorded as being in private prisons.
We closely monitor the level of violence in both public and privately managed prisons. This information is used to inform decisions around prison safety, such as procedures and training to support improved safety outcomes.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, , how many drug finds have been reported at each prison establishment in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The number of drug finds in prison each month and the type of drug is published annually in the HMPPS Annual Digest. We cannot give data out that is due for publication. Figures for 2018/19 were published in July 2019. Figures for 2019/20 are not yet published and will be published in the Annual Digest on 30th July. This will include data for January to March 2020. Data for the remainder of 2020 will follow in the 2020/21 Annual Digest to be published next year.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many illicit (a) mobile phones, and (b) SIM cards have been discovered and reported at each prison establishment in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The number of mobile phone and SIM card finds in prison each month is published annually in the HMPPS Annual Digest. We cannot give data out that is due for publication. Figures for 2018/19 were published in July 2019. Figures for 2019/20 are not yet published and will be published in the Annual Digest on 30th July. This will include data for January to March 2020. Data for the remainder of 2020 will follow in the 2020/21 Annual Digest to be published next year.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of active concerted indiscipline have been reported at each prison establishment in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The attached table shows the number of incidents of concerted indiscipline, both active and passive, over the last 12 months per establishment. As a total there have been 104 incidents of concerted indiscipline in this time period. 85 of these were active and 19 were passive.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the BBC report of 9 July 2020 entitled G4S selected to run Wellingborough mega prison, whether minimum staffing levels at the new prison will be contractually mandated; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough has not yet concluded as we are still in the standstill period. We intend to announce the outcome in due course.
The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract. Mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities.
As part of the Prison Operator Competition, subject matter experts scrutinise and validate proposed staffing levels within operators’ bids to ensure delivery of operations to a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative standard. The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough was not about the difference or preference between the public and private sector. We have been clear through this competition we expected bidders to provide high quality, value for money bids that deliver effective regimes to meet the specific needs of prisoners. Our priority is to help prisoners turn their lives around to prevent reoffending and future victims.
We hold both public and private sector prisons to account for the outcomes they deliver. PSI 2017/07 only applies to public sector prisons, however, private prisons will have their own similar systems in place to ensure they provide the required services and use the levels of staff determined as required and appropriate. These are robustly scrutinised for the lifetime of the contract to ensure that the required standards are met.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, construction at the new prison at Wellingborough and early works at Glen Parva has continued safely, with workers following PHE guidance and the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures. We expect the new prison at Wellingborough will open late 2021.
While no decisions have been made on who will operate the recently announced four new prisons, we maintain this government’s commitment to a mixed market in custodial services. It is our ambition that at least one of these new prisons will be operated by the public sector. In this scenario, HMPPS would not be required to go through a bidding process. In the event that any of the new prisons were competed these would be done through the Prison Operator Services Framework via a mini competition. In this case, HMPPS would not take part in the mini competition but would instead provide a public sector benchmark against which operators’ bids can be assessed. If bids do not meet quality or value for money thresholds, HMPPS would take on the operator role.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the BBC report of 9 July 2020, G4S selected to run Wellingborough mega prison, what estimate he has made of the savings to be accrued to the public purse of the decision to appoint a private contractor to run the establishment in comparison with the notional public-sector prepared as part of the bid evaluation process.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough has not yet concluded as we are still in the standstill period. We intend to announce the outcome in due course.
The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract. Mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities.
As part of the Prison Operator Competition, subject matter experts scrutinise and validate proposed staffing levels within operators’ bids to ensure delivery of operations to a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative standard. The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough was not about the difference or preference between the public and private sector. We have been clear through this competition we expected bidders to provide high quality, value for money bids that deliver effective regimes to meet the specific needs of prisoners. Our priority is to help prisoners turn their lives around to prevent reoffending and future victims.
We hold both public and private sector prisons to account for the outcomes they deliver. PSI 2017/07 only applies to public sector prisons, however, private prisons will have their own similar systems in place to ensure they provide the required services and use the levels of staff determined as required and appropriate. These are robustly scrutinised for the lifetime of the contract to ensure that the required standards are met.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, construction at the new prison at Wellingborough and early works at Glen Parva has continued safely, with workers following PHE guidance and the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures. We expect the new prison at Wellingborough will open late 2021.
While no decisions have been made on who will operate the recently announced four new prisons, we maintain this government’s commitment to a mixed market in custodial services. It is our ambition that at least one of these new prisons will be operated by the public sector. In this scenario, HMPPS would not be required to go through a bidding process. In the event that any of the new prisons were competed these would be done through the Prison Operator Services Framework via a mini competition. In this case, HMPPS would not take part in the mini competition but would instead provide a public sector benchmark against which operators’ bids can be assessed. If bids do not meet quality or value for money thresholds, HMPPS would take on the operator role.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the BBC report of 9 July 2020, G4S selected to run Wellingborough mega prison, whether the successful contractor will be required to follow Prison Service Instruction 07/2017, Regime Management Planning, to ensure that the regimes are safe, decent, secure, resilient and sustainable.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough has not yet concluded as we are still in the standstill period. We intend to announce the outcome in due course.
The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract. Mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities.
As part of the Prison Operator Competition, subject matter experts scrutinise and validate proposed staffing levels within operators’ bids to ensure delivery of operations to a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative standard. The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough was not about the difference or preference between the public and private sector. We have been clear through this competition we expected bidders to provide high quality, value for money bids that deliver effective regimes to meet the specific needs of prisoners. Our priority is to help prisoners turn their lives around to prevent reoffending and future victims.
We hold both public and private sector prisons to account for the outcomes they deliver. PSI 2017/07 only applies to public sector prisons, however, private prisons will have their own similar systems in place to ensure they provide the required services and use the levels of staff determined as required and appropriate. These are robustly scrutinised for the lifetime of the contract to ensure that the required standards are met.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, construction at the new prison at Wellingborough and early works at Glen Parva has continued safely, with workers following PHE guidance and the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures. We expect the new prison at Wellingborough will open late 2021.
While no decisions have been made on who will operate the recently announced four new prisons, we maintain this government’s commitment to a mixed market in custodial services. It is our ambition that at least one of these new prisons will be operated by the public sector. In this scenario, HMPPS would not be required to go through a bidding process. In the event that any of the new prisons were competed these would be done through the Prison Operator Services Framework via a mini competition. In this case, HMPPS would not take part in the mini competition but would instead provide a public sector benchmark against which operators’ bids can be assessed. If bids do not meet quality or value for money thresholds, HMPPS would take on the operator role.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the BBC report of 9 July 2020 entitled G4S selected to run Wellingborough mega prison, when the new prison will receive its first prisoners.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough has not yet concluded as we are still in the standstill period. We intend to announce the outcome in due course.
The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract. Mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities.
As part of the Prison Operator Competition, subject matter experts scrutinise and validate proposed staffing levels within operators’ bids to ensure delivery of operations to a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative standard. The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough was not about the difference or preference between the public and private sector. We have been clear through this competition we expected bidders to provide high quality, value for money bids that deliver effective regimes to meet the specific needs of prisoners. Our priority is to help prisoners turn their lives around to prevent reoffending and future victims.
We hold both public and private sector prisons to account for the outcomes they deliver. PSI 2017/07 only applies to public sector prisons, however, private prisons will have their own similar systems in place to ensure they provide the required services and use the levels of staff determined as required and appropriate. These are robustly scrutinised for the lifetime of the contract to ensure that the required standards are met.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, construction at the new prison at Wellingborough and early works at Glen Parva has continued safely, with workers following PHE guidance and the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures. We expect the new prison at Wellingborough will open late 2021.
While no decisions have been made on who will operate the recently announced four new prisons, we maintain this government’s commitment to a mixed market in custodial services. It is our ambition that at least one of these new prisons will be operated by the public sector. In this scenario, HMPPS would not be required to go through a bidding process. In the event that any of the new prisons were competed these would be done through the Prison Operator Services Framework via a mini competition. In this case, HMPPS would not take part in the mini competition but would instead provide a public sector benchmark against which operators’ bids can be assessed. If bids do not meet quality or value for money thresholds, HMPPS would take on the operator role.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 29 June 2020 on Prisons Update, HCWS320, whether the public sector will be allowed to bid to operate the four new prisons.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough has not yet concluded as we are still in the standstill period. We intend to announce the outcome in due course.
The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract. Mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities.
As part of the Prison Operator Competition, subject matter experts scrutinise and validate proposed staffing levels within operators’ bids to ensure delivery of operations to a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative standard. The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough was not about the difference or preference between the public and private sector. We have been clear through this competition we expected bidders to provide high quality, value for money bids that deliver effective regimes to meet the specific needs of prisoners. Our priority is to help prisoners turn their lives around to prevent reoffending and future victims.
We hold both public and private sector prisons to account for the outcomes they deliver. PSI 2017/07 only applies to public sector prisons, however, private prisons will have their own similar systems in place to ensure they provide the required services and use the levels of staff determined as required and appropriate. These are robustly scrutinised for the lifetime of the contract to ensure that the required standards are met.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, construction at the new prison at Wellingborough and early works at Glen Parva has continued safely, with workers following PHE guidance and the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures. We expect the new prison at Wellingborough will open late 2021.
While no decisions have been made on who will operate the recently announced four new prisons, we maintain this government’s commitment to a mixed market in custodial services. It is our ambition that at least one of these new prisons will be operated by the public sector. In this scenario, HMPPS would not be required to go through a bidding process. In the event that any of the new prisons were competed these would be done through the Prison Operator Services Framework via a mini competition. In this case, HMPPS would not take part in the mini competition but would instead provide a public sector benchmark against which operators’ bids can be assessed. If bids do not meet quality or value for money thresholds, HMPPS would take on the operator role.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether workplace risk assessments were (a) shared and (b) agreed with staff unions before the decision to reopen courts was taken; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
As a Government, we have outlined the risks posed by the COVID-19 virus, and the control measures required to avoid exposure and transmission. In parallel, we have been clear that the work of the justice system must continue throughout the prevailing public health emergency. Accordingly, it has been necessary to keep some courts and tribunal buildings open, and we are working hard to open more so long as that can be achieved safely.
HMCTS is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all staff, members of the judiciary and visitors to its sites, as far as it is reasonably practical whilst they are on the premises.
In order to aid implementation of the required control measures, and to monitor and assure ourselves of compliance, we developed and implemented an assessment tool to be carried out in each of our open sites.
The tool was developed in consultation with trade union health and safety representatives. The finalised tool was issued to each site, with instruction that it should wherever possible be completed in conjunction and consultation with a Trade Union representative. I understand that wherever possible our officials did conduct those assessments with trade union colleagues, and continue to do so as the results are regularly reviewed.
We are confident that our open sites are safe, and can confirm risk assessments will be available to be shared on request very soon.