GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT SENDS COST OF TRANSFERRING PRISONERS SOARING - HEATH

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 28th Oct 2007

The amount of money being spent transferring prisoners has leapt by 43% since 2001, figures released by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

The cost of inter-prison transfers and court escort services has increased from £105.1 million in 2001/02 to £150.5 million in 2006/7.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Heath MP said:

"The soaring cost of transferring prisoners highlights the chronic overcrowding in British prisons, which is a problem entirely of the Government's making.

There can be no other good reason why the cost of ferrying prisoners around has rocketed by so much in just six years. It is a direct result of bad management, government incompetence and a penal system in a state of perpetual crisis.

Some movement of prisoners is obviously unavoidable, but is it really necessary to spend £150 million of public money moving so many inmates around the country?"