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Written statement made by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour) on Thursday, 12 July 2007 in the House of Lords, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisons: Population

My right honourable friend the Minister of State (David Hanson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. In his statement on Tuesday 19 June (Official Report, col. 96) that the Government were to provide an additional 1,500 prison places, the then Lord Chancellor agreed to make available the information about where the first 500 of those new places would be located. That information is given in the following table.

Prison Location (1) Security Category (2) Build Type (3) Number of Places Planned Operational Date (4)
Blundeston, Lowestoft, Suffolk C—Trainer TCM 60 January 2008
Erlestoke, Devizes, Wiltshire C—Trainer TCM 60 January 2008
Kirklevington Grange, Yarm, Cleveland C/D —Resettlement TCM 60 February 2008
Ranby, Retford, Nottinghamshire C—Trainer TCM 60 February 2008
Isle of Wight Conversion of existing buildings - 68 March 2008
Wymott, Preston, Lancashire C—Trainer RBRU 64 July 2008
Ashwell, Oakham, Rutland C —Resettlement RBRU 64 August 2008
Highpoint, Newmarket, Suffolk C RBRU 64 August 2008
Total Number of Places 500
Notes
(1) All new places are in existing adult male prisons.
(2) All prisoners are given a security categorisation when they enter prison. These categories are based on the likelihood that they will try to escape and the danger to the public if they did escape. The description of category C prisoners is: prisoners who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who do not have the resources and will to make a determined escape attempt.
(3) TCM: temporary custodial module. RBRU: rapid build residential unit.
(4) This is the month when the first prisoners are expected to occupy the additional capacity places that have been built.

Officials from the Ministry of Justice have made initial contact with the relevant local planning authorities and will discuss the plans fully with those authorities over the next few months. Separate letters have been sent to the MPs for the constituencies concerned. An announcement about decisions on the remaining 1,000 places will be made after Lord Carter has completed his review of the prison building programme, which was also referred to in the announcement on 19 June.

Secondary information

Type
Written statement
Reference
693 c105-6WS 
Session
2006-07
Related items
Prisons: Population
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Parliamentary proceedings
House of Lords
Subjects
Construction Prisons Location
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written statement on www.publications.parliament.uk