To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment exercises his Department has conducted into the possibility of establishing an extra prison in the (a) West Chelmsford constituency and (b) mid Essex area during the past five years. [15072]

During the last five years, the Prison Service has had brought to its attention a number of sites in Essex for the possible construction of new prisons. None of these were in the West Chelmsford constituency and, without exception, to date all have been considered unsuitable.