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Prison Service: Public Appointments

Volume 457: debated on Wednesday 7 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the recent appointments to the deputy governor posts at (a) HM Prison Whitemoor and (b) HM Prison Pentonville; whether the appointments were considered alongside the investigation conducted by Mr. Ron Tasker into performance standards issues at HM Prison Wandsworth; who was responsible for authorising the managed moves; whether the appointments were made following open competitions; and if he will make a statement. (125303)

The process of new deputy governors being appointed to both prisons was managed, and was not as a result of open competition. Managed moves are used where it is in the business interests of the service to do so, including ensuring effective succession arrangements, and are fully in line with service policy. In these cases, the moves were approved by the relevant operational director. The appointments are unrelated to Mr. Tasker’s investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors he took into account in appointing the former London Area Manager to a new role within HM Prison Service; from which Department’s budget within the organisation his role is financed; whether this appointment was advertised in accordance with HM Prison Service’s policies and procedures and awarded as a consequence of open competition; and if he will make a statement. (125304)

Mr. Keith Munns, who has retired, has been retained by the Deputy Director General of the Prison Service to support the completion of a report originally commissioned by Mr. Munns. Mr. Munns is currently working on a fee-paid, sessional basis, where no competition is required, and costs are met from the Deputy Director General’s budget. Given his experience, it is likely that Mr. Munns will be asked to undertake other, specific work on the same basis.