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Northern Ireland: Prison Service

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Goggins) has made the following Ministerial Statement. I have placed copies of the Northern Ireland Prison Service's corporate and business plan for 2007-10 in the Libraries of both Houses. The corporate and business plan contains key performance targets I have set for the service for 2007-08. These are: no escape for top and high-risk prisoners; no more than three escapes per 1,000 medium and low-risk prisoners; the number of staff assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of three per 100 prisoners; the number of prisoners assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of four per 100 prisoners; an average of at least 20 hours constructive activity per week for each sentenced prisoner; an average of at least 10 hours constructive activity per week for each remand prisoner; to ensure 87 per cent of prisoners serving six months or more are working to a resettlement plan and that 97 per cent of lifers work to a life-sentence plan, including preparation of the plan, within the first six months of sentence; each member of staff should receive an average of five training days; reduce the rate of absenteeism to 13 days per head by 2007-08 with an overall reduction to 11 days by 2009-10; lay the annual report and audited accounts before Parliament prior to the Summer Recess; and ensure the average cost per prisoner place does not exceed £82,500.