To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average annual cost was of running approved premises performing similar functions to the Prospect Hostel in Exeter in 2005-06. (104761)

Approved premises in the main estate do not perform directly comparable functions to the Prospects premises. Whereas most approved premises are a public protection resource for the management of high risk offenders, the Prospects premises were established to provide an accommodation, interventions and support package targeted at released prisoners convicted of acquisitive crimes to fund their drug habit.

In 2005-06 the average grant payment to an approved premises in the mainstream estate was £535,730.