Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Prison Maintenance

Tuesday 10 December 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Kim Johnson asked about assessing the merits of insourcing prison maintenance.
  • The previous Government was in the process of setting new contracts for prison maintenance.
  • The Minister stated that all options must be considered to ensure value for money in new contracts or arrangements.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kim Johnson Lab Liverpool Riverside
Justice & Courts
Context

The question arises from concerns over the quality and cost-effectiveness of current private sector contracts for prison maintenance.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential merits of insourcing all prison maintenance? Under the previous Government, a process was already under way to put in place new contracts for prison maintenance. We need to make sure that those contracts deliver good value for the public purse.

Answer from Nicholas Dakin

Under the previous Government, a process was already under way to put in place new contracts for prison maintenance. We need to make sure that those contracts deliver good value for the public purse.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific merits of insourcing were not evaluated or addressed directly.

How: Under Review, Need To Ensure

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Q2 Kim Johnson Lab Liverpool Riverside
Justice & Courts
Context

A prison maintenance contract is set for retendering to the private sector next year. Issues such as unreported repairs and higher costs are cited.

Question

The prison maintenance contract is set to be retendered to the private sector next year. Prisons like Walton in Liverpool struggle with basic repairs, and there is £1.8 billion of unreported repairs within the system. Privatisation leads to higher costs and increased squalor. Can the Minister or Secretary of State call time on this failed experiment and bring prison maintenance back in-house where it belongs?

Answer from Nicholas Dakin

The previous Government paused work on essential maintenance, which has added to the problems we are now dealing with. All options need to be looked at to ensure we get the best possible value for money from any new contracts or arrangements.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment to reverse privatisation was not given.

How: All Options Need To Be Looked At

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Justice & Courts Mental Health
Context

Recent press coverage has highlighted the issue of mould growth in prisons, leading to health concerns.

Question

The Minister referred to a new prison maintenance service. Will this service be able to address specific issues like mould growth? If not addressed, it will lead to ill health among prisoners.

Answer from Nicholas Dakin

Staff at His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service are doing their utmost to tackle issues such as mould growth. The Minister encourages redoubling efforts after the hon. Gentleman's encouragement.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment on handling mould was not given.

How: Doing Their Utmost

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