Businesses and interested individuals can find out about potential opportunities on two dedicated websites - Business Wales and Sell2Wales - which are managed by the Welsh Government. Both sites have a dedicated North Wales project page where suppliers and local businesses are encouraged to submit an expression of interest for future construction positions. The development will be seeking to create long-term work opportunities for local suppliers.

This is to support the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) partnership with Lend Lease who has committed to spending £30 million with local businesses and to recruit 50% of the entire workforce from within a 50 mile radius with a target of 70%. Under the contractual arrangements in place, Lend Lease reports to the MoJ on a regular basis on how much of the contract is being spent with companies within a 25 and 50 mile radius of the prison site. To date over £1.6m has been spent with local businesses as part of the early works at the prison site. In addition, the prison is set to boost the regional economy by around £23m a year and create up to 1,000 jobs once operational.

The decision as to who will operate the prison in North Wales has yet to be made.

Any estimate of the likely annual revenue cost of the prison would be commercially sensitive and unsuitable for disclosure at this point.

We will always have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts and will aim to deal with the prison population in a way that gives taxpayers the best possible value for money. Unless there is an unexpected and significant drop in the prison population there are no plans to close further prison capacity in England and Wales in the next 3 years.

The capacity management has been a key element of the Ministry’s efficiency strategy over the past four years. This work ensures the most effective use of the prison estate and the closure of less efficient, uneconomic prison places where there is surplus capacity to do so.

16 Prisons have been closed and two prisons have been re-roled as Immigration Removal Centres since 2010. Our strategy of replacing old, uneconomic prison places with new, modern ones has reduced unit costs and delivered savings of around £155m per annum.

The decision as to who will operate the prison in North Wales has yet to be made. Once a provider has been identified it will be expected that their plans for operation will include the involvement of the voluntary sector and other providers to maximise rehabilitative opportunities for offenders.

Although a decision has not been made on the operator, discussions have taken place with PACT (Prisoner Advice and Care Trust), the voluntary sector umbrella group which focuses on the children and families of prisoners, to inform the design of visits areas and other aspects of the build which have implications for children and families.

Under the contractual arrangements in place, Lend Lease are required to report to the MoJ how much of the contract is being spent with companies within a 25 and 50 mile radius of the prison site. In addition Lend Lease has committed to spending £30 million with local businesses and that 50% of the entire workforce will be recruited from within a 50 mile radius. Lend Lease will report against these targets and the MoJ will monitor these accordingly.

The North Wales Prison Employment, Skills and Engagement Committee is also being created to focus on enabling the delivery of apprenticeships, training and local employment and work placement days.

Lend Lease have committed to employing at least 50% of the workforce locally to the prison and have committed to providing 100 apprenticeships throughout the contract. The MoJ will monitor this during the contract duration to ensure that these commitments are delivered.

Once operational, it is estimated that the prison will create around 1,000 jobs and boost the local economy by around £23m per year.

The prison will be a huge benefit to the region. Once operational it is estimated that the prison will create around 1,000 jobs and boost the local economy by around £23m per year.

Members of Parliament from North Wales have been kept informed at key project milestones or of issues of regional interest including site selection, identification of a preferred contractor and a local supplier event. I will continue to ensure that Members are kept informed at future key milestones.

MoJ is working with Lend Lease and local stakeholders to achieve the commitments made for the project, including providing 100 apprenticeships throughout the life of the project and 500 work placements per year.

This includes the creation of a North Wales Prison Employment, Skills and Engagement Committee that is focusing on enabling the delivery of apprenticeships, training and local employment and work placement days.

Lend Lease were announced as the contractor for the design and build of the prison in North Wales on the 30^th May 2014 and the Project Partnering Agreement contract was signed on the 15^th July 2014.

The Ministry of Justice plans to appoint a prime contractor to build the prison in spring 2014 with work on site beginning in summer 2014. The prison is expected to be fully operational by late 2017.

The new prison will cost around £250 million to construct and will be Ministry of Justice funded. However, the Ministry of Justice is still in the procurement phase and therefore estimates of spending in each of the financial years are commercially sensitive.

The Ministry of Justice is considering a full range of options relating to the operation of the new prison.

The Ministry of Justice plans to appoint a prime contractor to build the prison in spring 2014 with work on site beginning in summer 2014. The prison is expected to be fully operational by late 2017.

The new prison will cost around £250 million to construct and will be Ministry of Justice funded. However, the Ministry of Justice is still in the procurement phase and therefore estimates of spending in each of the financial years are commercially sensitive.

The Ministry of Justice is considering a full range of options relating to the operation of the new prison.

The Ministry of Justice plans to appoint a prime contractor to build the prison in spring 2014 with work on site beginning in summer 2014. The prison is expected to be fully operational by late 2017.

The new prison will cost around £250 million to construct and will be Ministry of Justice funded. However, the Ministry of Justice is still in the procurement phase and therefore estimates of spending in each of the financial years are commercially sensitive.

The Ministry of Justice is considering a full range of options relating to the operation of the new prison.

The Ministry of Justice plans to appoint a prime contractor to build the prison in spring 2014 with work on site beginning in summer 2014. The prison is expected to be fully operational by late 2017.

The new prison will cost around £250 million to construct and will be Ministry of Justice funded. However, the Ministry of Justice is still in the procurement phase and therefore estimates of spending in each of the financial years are commercially sensitive.

The Ministry of Justice is considering a full range of options relating to the operation of the new prison.

The Ministry of Justice plans to appoint a prime contractor to build the prison in spring 2014 with work on site beginning in summer 2014. The prison is expected to be fully operational by late 2017.

The new prison will cost around £250 million to construct and will be Ministry of Justice funded. However, the Ministry of Justice is still in the procurement phase and therefore estimates of spending in each of the financial years are commercially sensitive.

The Ministry of Justice is considering a full range of options relating to the operation of the new prison.

The name, opening dates and operators of each currently operating prison in England and Wales are provided in the following table. Where a prison is the result of a merger or clustering the date that change occurred is given.

The following companies have been shortlisted as potential prime constructors of the new prison in Wrexham:

Interserve;

Carillion;

Lend Lease; and

Kier.

The plan for the new prison in Wrexham is that it will be constructed to Category B standard comprising of three four-storey house blocks with a compound surrounded by a secure fence measuring 5.2 metres.

The following companies have been shortlisted as potential prime constructors of the new prison in Wrexham:

Interserve;

Carillion;

Lend Lease; and

Kier.

The plan for the new prison in Wrexham is that it will be constructed to Category B standard comprising of three four-storey house blocks with a compound surrounded by a secure fence measuring 5.2 metres.

We are constantly seeking to learn lessons to improve the running of the prison estate, both to improve security and to promote the rehabilitation of offenders.

Opening a new prison is a hugely complex operational and logistical task and the first two years of operation for any new prison are invariably challenging. The majority of prisons that have opened in the past 15 years have mobilisation phase with performance improving over time.

The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the contractors managing the new prisons, to ensure that good practice is shared and that the contractors deliver to their contractual requirements, so that new prisons mature into well-run establishments that reduce the risk of future reoffending by those detained in them.

No decisions have been made on whether the proposed prison in Wrexham will be operated by the public or private sector. Should the operation of the prison be competed, a decision on the operator will be made based on a number of factors including value for money for the taxpayer, safety, security and decency.

Final decisions on the staffing profile and salaries are dependent on the operator but we estimate that between 800 and 1,100 jobs will be created directly at the prison. The variety of jobs created are likely to include management, administrative and support posts, prison officers, instructional officers, healthcare workers, psychologists, chaplains and industrial posts.

In the management of the prison population the aim is always to hold prisoners in establishments that provide the level of security required, are suitable for their gender, age and legal status, provide special facilities appropriate to prisoner needs, are near to their homes or the courts dealing with their cases and provide opportunities to engage with resettlement services before release.