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Written question asked by Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 11 April 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 May 2003. It was answered by Hilary Benn (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 May 2003 on behalf of the Home Office.


Home Office

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what financial penalties have been imposed on private prison contractors in respect of privately operated establishments in each financial year since 1997-98; what the reasons were for each penalty; and whether the imposition of a penalty resulted in each case in the withholding of the corresponding amount from the contractor concerned. - Includes table.
Answer

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial penalties have been imposed on private prison contractors in respect of privately operated establishments in each financial year since 1997-98; what the reasons were for each penalty; and whether the imposition of a penalty resulted in each case in the withholding of the corresponding amount from the contractor concerned. [109520] Hilary Benn: The following table shows the financial penalties imposed and the reasons for these penalties. Forest Bank prison and young offender institution has not incurred financial deductions. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Number of occasions Penalty: (£) Reasons (PP= Performance Dates Points) Altcourse Prison Operating contractor: Group 4 Falck 01 2,368.58 PPs for Qtr 2 September 1998 02 195,000.00 PPs & Doubling Qtrs 2, 3 and 4 03 4,144.97 PPs for Qtr 3 December 1998 04 3,954.04 PPs for Qtr 4 March 1999 05 3,511.23 PPs for Qtr 1 June 1999 06 3,304.27 PPs for Qtr 2 September 1999 07 440.40 PPs for Qtr 3 December 1999 08 108,039.25 PPs for Qtr 4 February 2000 09 4.82 PPs for Qtr 4 March 2000 10 34,061.74 PPs for Qtr 1 May 2000 11 9.77 PPs for Qtr 1 June 2000 12 72,644 PPs for Qtr 4 November 2000 Ashfield Young Offender Institution Operating contractor: Primier Prison Services 01 66,310.41 PPs for Qtr 4 January 2002 02 111,552.95 PPs for Qtr 1 April 2002 03 126,026.47 PPs for Qtr 2 July 2002 04 46,417.99 PPs for Qtr 3 October 2002 Blakenhurst Prison Former operating contractor: UKDS. Under Prison Service management since 19 August 2001 25,000.00 Escape November 1998 Dovegate Prison Operating contractor: Premier prison Services 01 168,015.24 PPs for Qtr 1 January 2002 02 116,807.46 PPs for Qtr 2 April 2002 03 141,774.69 PPs for Qtr 3 July 2002 Doncaster Prison and Young Offender Institution Operating contractor: Premier Prison Services 30,000.00 Escape August 2001 Lowdham Grange Prison Operating contractor: Premier Prison Services 01 702.00 PPs for Qtr 1 June 1998 02 45,080,00 PPs for Qtr 3 November 1998 04 6,334.00 PPs for Qtr 4 February 1999 05 11,865.00 PPs for Qtr 4 February 2000 06 5,703.00 PPs for Qtr 1 May 2001 Parc Prison Operating contractor: Securicor 01 54,782.00 PPs for Qtr 4 March 1998 02 1,308.56 PPs for Qtr 1 July 1998 03 298.09 Doubling June 1998 04 750,000.00 PP's for Qtr 3 + doubling November 1998 05 7,520.17 PP's for Qtr 1 + doubling May 1999 06 80,390.38 Doubling Qtr 2 August 1999 07 2,296.94 Doubling Qtr 2 September 1999 08 109,329.27 Doubling Qtr 3 November 1999 09 601.77 Doubling Qtr 4 January 2000 10 7,708.10 PPs for Qtr 1 April 2000 11 5,401.68 PPs for Qtr 2 July 2000 12 3,448.07 PPs for Qtr 3 October 2000 13 59.22 PPs for Qtr 4 January 2001 Rye Hill Prison Operating contractor: Group 4 Falck 60,000.00 Escape June 2002 Wolds Prison Operating contractor: Group 4 Falck 01 3,607.50 PPs for Qtr 3 October 1999 01 10,432.50 PPs for Qtr 4 January 2000 03 15,353.00 PPs for Qtr 2 July 2000 04 9,782.50 PPs for Qtr 3 October 2000 05 4,680.00 PPs for Qtr 4 January 2000 06 11,472.50 PPs for Qtr 1 April 2001 07 3,724.50 PPs for Qtr 2 July 2001 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. With there exception of the £195.000 and £108,039.25 penalties imposed on Altcourse in November 1998 and February 2000, the £750,000 penalty imposed on Parc in November 1998 and the £11,865 penalty imposed on Lowdham Grange in February 2000, the imposition of a penalty resulted in each case in the withholding of the corresponding amount from the contractor concerned. In the case of Altcourse and Parc, the penalties were reduced to take account of early problems with contract monitoring and in the case of Lowdham Grange the penalty was waived in return for a commitment from the contractor to provide additional services beyond the requirements in the contract.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
109520; 404 c605-6W;404 c601-2W
Session
2002-03
Subjects
Finance Fines Private sector Prisons Standards
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk