To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the contracts to (a) manage and (b) build and manage, prisons under the private finance initiative have been let to Group 4 Securitas or consortia including Group 4 Securitas; which of those contracts was awarded after competition in response to the lowest cost bid; and if he will make a statement. [13725]

[holding answer 3 November 1997]: Group 4 Securitas manages Her Majesty's Prison Wolds and Her Majesty's Prison Buckley Hall, and is part of the consortium awarded the contract to design, construct, manage and finance Her Majesty's Prison Altcourse under the private finance initiative. These contracts were decided on the basis of the bid and offered best value for money, having taken account of criteria relating to quality and confidence in deliverability.