To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each category D prison for which the Prison Service has responsibility for each of the last five years, (a) how many prisoners have absconded (b) how many prisoners who absconded were caught and returned to prisons, (c) how many prisoners at (b) served all or part of the remainder of their sentence in a category C or above prison, (d) how many prisoners have absconded who have yet to be recaptured and (e) how much annual investment has been made in each of the category D prisons designed to deter absconding; and if he will make a statement.[120516]

Categorisation relates to prisoners not prisons. Category D prisoners are those who it is assessed can be reasonably trusted in open conditions. The information sought is not collated in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The available information is set out in the following table. Data are given in respect of prisons that are now open or semi-open. Drake Hall was a female open prison until January 2002 when it became a semi-open prison. Hatfield open young offender institution became Moorland open prison in 2002. Morton Hall was re-roled from male open to female semi-open in 2000. Data on the number recaptured may be understated due to under-reporting.No investment has been made in open prisons specifically aimed at deterring absconding, but prisoners allocated to open conditions are selected on the basis of stringent risk assessment procedures. The nature of the regimes in the open estate, with their focus on effective resettlement in the community after release, are designed to encourage the development of personal responsibility on the part of prisoners. Those prisoners who do abscond are usually located in closed, category C, prisons following recapture. In addition to the more

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison cells there are; and of these how many are regarded as safe cells. [120724]

The number of available prison cells changes daily as a result of construction and change in use. At present, the number of cells in use is approximately 45,000. Almost 3,000 safer cells have been installed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to expand the capacity of existing prisons to meet the forecast average population of the prison estate for 2004. [119569]

Funding from the May 2002 budget was provided for 2,320 places to be delivered over the following 12 months.In addition, we have already announced that £60 million will be made available to provide 740 places by March 2004, together with funding for 450 places at Birmingham prison, which are currently scheduled to open by April 2004. A further £138 million has been agreed from the Budget, which will be used to build around 1,000 places over the period 2004–06.Provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill will provide sentencers with a range of new disposals to enable them to impose tough and flexible sentences on offenders who do not need to be given custodial sentences. We are also introducing tough new community sentences such as the 'Intensive Control and Change programme' (ICCP) aimed at cutting offending by 18 to 20-year-olds by tackling their offending behaviour and aiding rehabilitation. We have also extended the Home Detention Curfew scheme to increase the maximum period to four and a half months. limited regime and greater restrictions which apply in such prisons, prisoners who abscond are likely to receive a punishment involving added days and the loss of various privileges. Where eligible, such prisoners would also be extremely unlikely to secure early release on home detention curfew licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unfilled positions there were in the Prison Service in each month since June 2002; by what percentage the Prison Service is understaffed in each prison in the UK; and what measures his Department is taking to increase the number of prison officers into the Prison Service.[120170]

The number of unfilled prison officer grade positions in the Prison Service for each month since June 2002 is shown in Table A. The percentage shortfall in each prison in England and Wales within the public sector is contained in Table B. It has not been possible to collate this information for contracted out prisons and I shall write to the hon. Member when the information is available.There are a number of measures under way to increase recruitment and retention. The National Staffing Unit successfully increased prison officer recruitment from an average 1,000 a year to 2,096 during 2002–03. In line with all other recruitment, responsibility for officer recruitment has now been devolved to area and establishment level in order that areas of specific need can be addressed more effectively by local advertising and recruitment campaigns. The majority of applicants wish to work in their home area and are not prepared to move to where establishments have vacancies. Recruitment campaigns have been and continue to be run in areas where shortages are identified and provision has been made to train a further 2,200 new officers during the current financial year.Shortfalls have occurred at a number of establishments where additional accommodation has been built and recruitment has increased the pressure on training course places. Many establishments which are currently understaffed have recruited staff and are awaiting their availability to start training.In addition, local allowances have been introduced to assist in the retention of staff in areas of high turnover.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of arrangements to prevent prisoners receiving medication attempting to take an overdose; [119797](2) what guidance is given to prisons about the staffing of prison hospital wings by non hospital wing staff; [119799](3) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of medical training given to prison hospital staff. [119800]

[holding answer 17 June 2003]: We intend to publish the report of a review of pharmacy services for prisoners very shortly. The national occupational standards for custodial health care set out the competencies required for the administration of medication, including in circumstances where there is a risk of self-harm.The "Toolkit for Health Care Needs Assessment in Prisons" (University of Birmingham February 2000) provided guidance for prisons and the NHS on the planning requirements for health care services for prisoners. The organisation and staffing of health care centres are matters to be determined by prison governors, in consultation with their local NHS partners. The level and mix of staff at different times of the day are decided locally, subject to the same considerations as for other areas of the prison.Within the context of the prison health reforms, specific studies were carried out on the training and other developmental needs of prison doctors, nurses and

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) sick days were taken and (b) prison officers were on sick leave owing to mental health problems in each prison in each year since 1997. [120104]

Sickness absence is recorded in terms of the reason for absence. The following table provides the number of working days lost and cases recorded among officer grade staff for psychological conditions in each year since April 1999. Reliable sickness absence information is not available prior to 1999.Data relates to prison officer, senior officer and principal officer grades. Over the period, the number of officers in post has risen from 23,875 at 31 March 1999 to 24,825 at 31 March 2003. Information on contracted out prisons is not available as it is commercial in confidence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of (a) suicide, (b) self-harm and (c) violence against staff or inmates have occurred at HMP Styal in each month since January. [120166]

The following tables give the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to (a) reduce overcrowding in prisons, (b) reduce the number of security incidents in prisons reported to the Home Office each week and (c) improve the vetting procedures for employing prison officers into the Prison Service.[120167]

Funding has been provided for 2,820 extra prison places to be built at existing prisons. In addition, two new prisons will be opened at Ashford and Peterborough. Together with building programmes in progress, these will increase the total useable capacity of the Prison Service estate from 74,138 (as at 19 June 2003) to around 78,700 by 2006.Provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill will provide sentencers with a range of new disposals to enable them to impose tough and flexible sentences on offenders who do not need to be given custodial sentences. We are also introducing tough new community sentences such as the 'Intensive Control and Change programme' aimed at cutting offending by 18 to 20-year-olds by tackling their offending behaviour and aiding rehabilitation. We have also extended the Home Detention Curfew scheme to increase the maximum period to four and a half months. Whatever the population pressures, the Government are uncompromising in its response to serious and dangerous offenders: where there is a need to protect the public, they will be held in a secure environment.