UK Inquiry Tracker

Improving the prison estate

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 4 Jun 2020 Closed: 2 Dec 2020 Parliament page

In the 2015 Spending Review the Government committed £1.3bn in to provide up to 10,000 prison places as part of the Prison Estate Transformation Programme (PETP), to be partially funded from the sale of prisons. The Ministry of Justice contracted out facilities management of prisons to private companies Amey and … Read more In the 2015 Spending Review the Government committed £1.3bn in to provide up to 10,000 prison places as part of the Prison Estate Transformation Programme (PETP), to be partially funded from the sale of prisons. The Ministry of Justice contracted out facilities management of prisons to private companies Amey and Carillion, the latter replaced by GFSL, a government company, when Carillion collapsed. In August 2019, the Government committed to creating another 10,000 prison places, to meet expected higher demand from the planned recruitment of 20,000 police officers. The NAO’s report ‘Improving the prison estate’ examines the condition and capacity of the prison estate, its approach to maintaining prisons, and progress it has made in transforming the estate. The report finds that the Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) has not maintained its estate to the necessary standard, so that prisoners are held in unsafe, crowded conditions. Government tried to improve prison conditions and capacity by contracting out facilities management services and replacing old unsuitable accommodation with new prisons places. However, these programmes have not delivered. The report concludes that contractors have not performed as hoped, expected savings from outsourcing have not materialised, and there are severe maintenance backlogs. The report also finds that the Prison Estate Transformation Programme now expects to create only 3,566 prison places against an original target of 10,000 new-for-old places. It concludes that HMPPS has been slow to formulate a long-term strategy, instead focussing on reacting to immediate population and maintenance problems. It faces a significant challenge to meet the new commitment to create 10,000 additional prison places. The Committee will question officials from the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, on the current condition of the prison estate, and how they intend to deliver on the Government’s pledge to create an additional 10,000 prison places. The Committee is inviting views on the issues raised by the NAO report, and any extra implications arising from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic – please submit your evidence here by close of Thursday 25 June 2020. Show less

6 Recommendations

30 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

3 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 6 events

14 May
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, HM Prison & Probation Service, re Update response to PAC 15th Report of Session 2019-202…

30 Apr
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, HM Prison & Probation Service, re Updated repose to the Public Accounts Committees 15th …

11 Feb
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, HM Prison & Probation Service, re COVID-19 and the Prison Estate, dated 09 February 2021

18 Nov
2020

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifteenth report from Session 2019-21

11 Sep
2020

Report published

Fifteenth Report - Improving the prison estate

29 Jun
2020

Oral evidence

Improving the prison estate

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

29 Jun 2020

View on parliament.uk

Improving the prison estate

Clive Beard · Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service Dr Jo Farrar · Ministry of Justice Sir Richard Heaton · Ministry of Justice

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Fifteenth Report - Improving the prison estate	HC 244	11 Sep 2020	36	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 result

9 Conclusion Acknowledged

Fifteenth Report - Improving the p…

Lack of investment has also resulted in severe maintenance backlogs within the prison estate.

Lack of investment has also resulted in severe maintenance backlogs within the prison estate. As at April 2019, HMPPS had around 63,200 outstanding maintenance jobs. HMPPS also estimated that it would cost £916 million to address its backlog of major … Read more

Government Response

The government agreed with the committee's observation, committing to publish prison population projections by the end of 2020 and provide an update on new prison builds and temporary accommodation plans by April 2021, but did not specify concrete new actions directly addressing the maintenance backlog.

HM Treasury

View details

Government Response AI assessment · 35 of 6 classified

Accepted 18

Acknowledged 1

Not Addressed 16

Total 6 recs + 30 conclusions

Correspondence 3 letters

14 May 2021 Correspondence from Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, HM Prison & Probation Service, re Update response to PAC 15th Report of Session 2019-2021: Improving the prison estate, dated 30 April 2021

Parliament page

30 Apr 2021 Correspondence from Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, HM Prison & Probation Service, re Updated repose to the Public Accounts Committees 15th Report Session 2019-2021: Improving the prison estate, dated 5 February 2021

Parliament page

11 Feb 2021 Correspondence from Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, HM Prison & Probation Service, re COVID-19 and the Prison Estate, dated 09 February 2021

Parliament page