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National Offender Management Service: Finance

Volume 489: debated on Tuesday 10 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will detail the budget for the National Offender Management Service Headquarters for 2007-08, as contained in the National Offender Management Service Strategic and Business Plans 2009-10 to 2010-11, broken down by type of expenditure. (257275)

The following table provides a breakdown of the actual expenditure for the National Offender Management Service Headquarters (NOMS HQ) for 2007-08, which is more up to date than the planning figure shown in the NOMS Strategic and Business Plan. Many of the functions delivered by NOMS during 2007-08 transferred to the new NOMS Agency as part of a restructured Ministry of Justice on 1 April 2008.

Although the item in the plan is described as NOMS HQ it is not simply the headquarters function. The following table shows that the majority of the expenditure was related to centrally managed front line services, including electronic monitoring, prisoner escort services and prison and probation property. Other services at the centre of NOMS such as the Prison and Probation Ombudsman, HM Inspector of Prisons and Public Protection are directly related to front line services.

NOMS HQ administration costs (as used in the Supply Estimates and MoJ Resource Accounts), in 2007-08 were £76 million; or £151 million if HM Prison Service's administration costs are included. This is 1.6 per cent. or 3.2 per cent. respectively of the total NOMS resource expenditure.

NOMS HQ expenditure for 2007-08 can be analysed as follows:

£ million

Prison and Probation Property and Estates and Capacity Planning

557

Electronic Monitoring

84

Prisoner Escort Service (includes Operation Safeguard)

212

Other Programme expenditure

185

Administration Costs expenditure

76

Total resource expenditure

1,114

The £557 million expenditure on Prison and Probation Property and Estates and Capacity Planning relates to costs associated with the custodial and the probation estate including: capital charges; estate management including major maintenance; and, where applicable rent, rates, insurance and utilities.