To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent reductions there have been to budgets of (a) prisons and (b) other detention facilities in respect of the financial year 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. (240316)

Prison budgets for 2008-09 have not been reduced below 2007-08 levels. However, among various changes to prison budgets (e.g. for inflation, increased capacity, efficiency measures etc.) there was a package of savings totalling £29 million directed at public sector prisons, which included local efficiencies; further clustering of services; and a standardisation of the core day in most prisons which took place in June 2008.

Spending on prisons has increased in real terms by 42 per cent. since 1996-97 (to 2007-08).