Prisons: Food

Mr. Ruffley
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost is of the daily food allowance for prisoners in (a) prison cells and (b) police station cells; and when they were last changed.

Maria Eagle
The public sector Prison Service does not set a daily food allowance. Each governor sets a food budget based on the establishment's requirements. The average daily food cost per prisoner in public sector prisons for 2006-07 was £1.97. In establishments operated by the contracted sector this figure ranged from £2.10 to £3.07

Under the terms of Operation Safeguard, police forces may be reimbursed for the costs of food, at around £12 for each prisoner over a 24 hour period.

Prisoners are also held as ad-hoc lockouts (i.e. when the designated prison's reception will be closed before their arrival time). Basic charges for holding a prisoner per night includes an element for providing meals.