Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 184
184
Deferred
Empower prison governors with authority for rapid procurement and repair of security infrastructure
Conclusion
Governors must be empowered with delegated authority and a streamlined process to rapidly procure and repair essential security infrastructure, particularly perimeter netting and functional CCTV systems, within a mandatory timeframe; for example, 72 hours for critical repairs. (Recommendation, Paragraph 85)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response addresses individual drug and alcohol treatment plans, stating that the revised service specification will make transferability a core function, but defers accepting the specific element of transferring plans via p-NOMIS. This response does not address empowering governors for rapid security infrastructure repairs.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
We recognise the importance of maintaining robust security infrastructure across the prison estate and so in the 2025/26 planned capital maintenance programme, approximately £40 million has been invested in security- related projects, including approximately £15 million in the Long-Term High Security Estate (LTHSE). These include CCTV and control room upgrades, perimeter intrusion detection systems, perimeter fencing, netting, and external window grilles. Governors can bid for planned capital projects, which are considered for inclusion in the annual programme of works. However, demand for maintenance far exceeds available funding. Therefore, HMPPS prioritises their planned capital projects based on risk to life, security, capacity and decency. For reactive repairs, current prison Facilities Management contracts require suppliers to respond promptly to critical security asset failures, such as CCTV, in most cases within 24 hours. Where parts are unavailable, a reasonable timeframe is agreed with the supplier based on sourcing requirements. The Government is committed to ensuring professional Facility Management services across the prison estate and has initiated a programme of work to put in place new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for prisons. The intention of the new contracts is to provide a level of investment that addresses the service improvements required to improve and transform delivery. In addition, the MoJ are considering enhancing CCTV by modernising our current technology and strengthening our capability beyond traditional surveillance, integrating advanced AI and analytics. Our focus is on leveraging behavioural detection and predictive analytics to provide proactive security insights rather than reactive monitoring.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗