Written question asked by Sandra Gidley (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 25 February 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 March 2004. It was answered by Paul Goggins (Labour) on Monday, 15 March 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the most recent average cost per year is of (a) keeping a prisoner in a general prison and (b) keeping a prisoner aged 65 years or over in HMP Kingston's specialised wing. - Inc figure.

Answer: Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most recent average cost per year is of (a) keeping a prisoner in a general prison and (b) keeping a prisoner aged 65 years or over in HMP Kingston's specialised wing. [157375] Paul Goggins: The average cost across all establishments of keeping a prisoner during the financial year 2002-03 was £24,241. This figure is expressed in resource terms, excluding headquarters costs, but including items such as the cost of capital and the cost of depreciation on Prison Service assets. The Prison Service does not hold information on the costs of keeping individual groups of prisoners in particular prisons. The costs of keeping prisoners over the age of 65 in HMP Kingston are embedded in the broader costs of running the whole establishment and cannot be disaggregated.

Secondary information