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89W<br />
Written Answers<br />
26 OCTOBER 2009<br />
Written Answers<br />
90W<br />
Mr. Straw: The following table shows that there is<br />
only one offender currently unlawfully at large who was<br />
serving a sentence for any of the four index offences<br />
named. Data prior to the periods shown in the table is<br />
not available centrally and could be provided only at<br />
disproportionate cost.<br />
Absconds (which are from open prisons) and escapes<br />
(from closed prisons) have been falling for some years<br />
and 2008-09 recorded the lowest number of absconds<br />
and escapes on record. Tracking down prisoners unlawfully<br />
at large who may be a danger to the public is taken very<br />
seriously by the police and 96 per cent. of absconded<br />
prisoners are rearrested and returned to custody.<br />
Prisoners still unlawfully at large in October 2009 following an escape or abscond and broken down by specific index offences<br />
Prisoners unlawfully at large with an index offence of:<br />
Murder Attempted murder Rape Attempted rape<br />
Escapes since 1 April 1998 0 0 0 0<br />
Absconds since 1 April 2004 1 0 0 0<br />
Prisoners: Per Capita Costs<br />
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice<br />
what the average cost of keeping a person in prison was<br />
(a) in each year since 1997 and (b) in the latest period<br />
for which figures are available. [295817]<br />
Maria Eagle: The average direct establishment cost of<br />
keeping a person in prison for the years since 1997 is<br />
shown in the following table:<br />
Average cost per prisoner<br />
£<br />
2006-07 26,737<br />
2005-06 26,993<br />
2004-05 26,412<br />
2003-04 25,718<br />
2002-03 24,241<br />
2001-02 23,105<br />
2000-01 23,292<br />
1999-2000 21,751<br />
1998-99 20,502<br />
For these years the average costs comprise the public<br />
sector establishments’ direct resource expenditure as<br />
published in the Annual Report and Accounts of Her<br />
Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS).<br />
For the last two years (2008-09 and 2007-08) an<br />
overall cost per prisoner including prison related costs<br />
met by NOMS outside of HMPS has been calculated as<br />
follows:<br />
Overall average cost per prisoner<br />
£<br />
2008-09 41,000<br />
2007-08 39,000<br />
The overall average costs comprise the public sector<br />
establishments’ direct resource expenditure, increased<br />
by an apportionment of costs borne centrally by HMPS<br />
and the National Offender Management Service; and<br />
the resource expenditure of contracted-out prisons also<br />
increased by certain costs borne centrally. This involves<br />
some estimation. The figures do not include prisoners<br />
held in police and court cells under Operation Safeguard,<br />
nor expenditure met by other Government Departments<br />
(e.g. for health and education). The prisoner escort<br />
service is included.<br />
Prisons<br />
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
Justice what recent assessment he has made of the risk<br />
of disorder in prisons in England and Wales. [295325]<br />
Maria Eagle: While major disorder within prisons is<br />
notoriously difficult to predict the National Offender<br />
Management Service does monitor routinely the stability<br />
of prisons both at local and national level.<br />
The latest assessment shows that, although roof climbs<br />
and other incidents at height have increased, other<br />
incidents relating to disorder such as concerted indiscipline,<br />
barricades, hostage taking and assaults, have not shown<br />
an overall increase and in some cases have decreased.<br />
Staff continue to perform an excellent job in maintaining<br />
control and order within prison establishments.<br />
Prisons: Overcrowding<br />
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
Justice what recent estimate he has made of levels of<br />
overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales; and if<br />
he will make a statement. [295324]<br />
Maria Eagle: At the end of September 2009, 24.1 per<br />
cent. of prisoners in England and Wales were held in<br />
overcrowded accommodation.<br />
It remains our priority to reduce overcrowding by<br />
increasing capacity through building new prisons, expanding<br />
existing prisons and making more effective use of the<br />
estate.<br />
Road Traffic Offences<br />
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice<br />
what proportion of (a) all traffic collisions and (b)<br />
traffic collisions on motorways resulted in a criminal<br />
prosecution in the latest period for which figures are<br />
available. [294715]<br />
Claire Ward: Information available on the Court<br />
Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal<br />
Justice Reform on offences involving vehicles does not<br />
identify the circumstances which resulted in a prosecution.<br />
A defendant might be proceeded against for an offence<br />
of careless driving, dangerous driving, driving while<br />
impaired by drink or drugs etc. Any of these offences<br />
might directly or indirectly have caused or helped cause<br />
a collision.
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