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The Nuclear Free Local Authorities have written to the prisons’ minister seeking a government guarantee that Haverigg Prison, will remain open, and local jobs saved, were the nuclear waste dump to be built in South Copeland.
Nuclear Waste Services have recently identified ‘Areas of Focus’ in each of the three Search Areas which are being investigated for their potential to host a Geological Disposal Facility. The GDF shall be the eventual ‘forever’ repository for Britain’s stockpile of legacy and future high-level nuclear waste. The facility will require a surface site which shall receive waste shipments before they are taken beyond ground and out through tunnels under the seabed. One of these ‘Areas of Focus’, designated ‘West of Haverigg’, wraps around the prison site.
In his letter to Lord Timpson, the Chair of the NFLAs, Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, identifies that over 200 staff work at the prison, including over 100 from the local area, and that many local businesses also supply goods and services to HMP Haverigg.
Cllr O’Neill wonders whether the GDF, as a massive construction project lasting at least ten years, would force the closure of the prison and whether in any case an open prison could remain open long-term with a co-located operational GDF, and asks the Minister if the government can ‘guarantee to keep the prison open and ensure that any GDF will not be located at any part of the Area of Focus that would compromise its existence?’.
Ends//..For more information, please contact NFLA Secretary Richard Outram by email to: richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk
The letter to Lord Timpson with notes and appendices follows:
The Rt Hon Lord Timpson OBE,
Minister of State for Prisons,
Ministry of Justice,
By email to hmppscorrespondence@justice.gov.uk
CC The Hon Michelle Scrogham,
MP for Barrow and Furness,
By email to michelle.scrogham.mp@parliament.uk
18 February 2025
Re. A guaranteed future for HMP Haverigg?
Dear Lord Timpson,
I am writing to you as Chair of the UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities to ascertain if you can give any guarantee, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, that HMP Haverigg will remain open if a Geological Disposal Facility is built in Southwest Cumbria?
If you will permit me to provide some background.
Nuclear Waste Services, a division of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, is charged with finding a location for a Geological Disposal Facility, the final repository for Britain’s legacy and future high-level nuclear waste.
The GDF is expected to be built in the 2040’s and become operational from 2050. Waste shipments would be transported from storage at Sellafield to a land-based surface site approximately one kilometre square, taken underground along accessways, and deposited in tunnels deep beneath the seabed.
Three Search Areas in the UK are currently under consideration, designated Mid Copeland, Cumbria; South Copeland, Cumbria; and Theddlethorpe / Withern in East Lincolnshire.
This letter concerns South Copeland.
Here Nuclear Waste Services have identified an area titled West of Haverigg which they deem to be an ‘Area of Focus’. A map showing this area is reproduced below as Appendix 1. Three other ‘Areas of Focus’ have been identified in the other two GDF Search Areas.
NWS intends to conduct more intensive geological investigations in these areas, seeking ministerial approval at a later stage to carry out deep borehole drilling at those sites deemed to be most geologically promising by NWS. One of these ‘Areas of Focus’ will most likely become the eventual surface site for the GDF, providing the geology is sound and NWS obtains a favourable response in a Test of Public Support.
The West of Haverigg ‘Area of Search’ flows around the site of HMP Haverigg.
Although there is no certainty that this Area of Search’ will be selected as the prospective site of the surface facility, given that the GDF is a massive civil engineering project that has been compared by an NWS official ‘to building the Channel Tunnel’, necessitating an extensive period of construction lasting at least ten years, it seems inconceivable that the prison could remain open during this period if the surface site, which will be the construction focus, were located nearby? Furthermore, once the GDF became operational, it would be a high-security site; our concern then is that the co-location of a prison would be incompatible.
Haverigg Prison is built on the site of the old RAF Millom airfield training centre, and was opened in 1967. It is a Category D open prison with 490-ish male inmates. It is a facility specialising in the detention and rehabilitation of offenders with convictions relating to sexual offences. All prisoners take part in full-time employment and/or training. Workshops include timber manufacturing, construction, plastering, industrial cleaning, and horticulture. Haverigg Prison’s gym also provides training related to gym courses and qualifications as well as recreational PE, and was the first to organise an official prison Parkrun. The prison has a traditional library facility which also includes IT suites and training facilities, self-help and employment advice. In January 1999, HMP Haverigg was awarded a prestigious Charter Mark, particularly for its Physical Education and Library provision.
Our NFLA Secretary sent several Freedom of Information requests to the Ministry of Justice to identify how many local jobs could be lost should the prison close, as well as ascertaining the impact on local contractors and suppliers engaged in business with HMP Haverigg. We also wished to identify the contribution made by prisoners carrying out work within the local community and the positive impact of the training and support provided by prison staff and support agencies in reducing recidivism and turning around the lives of inmates in readiness for release. These FOI requests and MoJ responses are reproduced as Appendix 2.
On jobs, Ministry of Justice officials were able to advise that they employ a total of 206 full-time (80%) and part-time (20%) staff, both operational (prison officers) and non-operational (ancillary roles). Of these, 110, over half, reside in the local LL18 postal district. However this excludes the number of staff engaged at this prison who are employed by other agencies, such as the local and regional NHS, and it was surprising to learn that ‘there is no legal requirement for MoJ to collate data relating to contractors and suppliers that work at HMP Haverigg’ so it is impossible to make a determination as to the dependence of the local supply chain on business with the prison.
On rates of recidivism, Ministry officials did not supply any specifics for the prison but instead referenced the latest national available statistics[i]. However, in a report which followed an unscheduled prison visit by inspectors in May 2021, it was recognised by HM Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor that Haverigg, in providing specialist accommodation and rehabilitation to older male sex offenders, ‘is fast becoming a very capable establishment and is progressing to a point where it soon may well be one of the better open prisons in the estate.’ It was notable that ‘All eligible prisoners had some form of purposeful activity…The employment hub was a particularly helpful service for prisoners’ and that ‘Prisoners benefited from a high standard of technical training. They developed significant new skills, knowledge and behaviours through vocational training.’[ii]
UK Government advice on the prison records that: ‘All prisoners work or train full time at Haverigg. Training and learning opportunities are focused on skills gaps in the job market and designed to improve prisoners’ chances of getting work on release. Professions include timber manufacturing, building, plastering, plumbing, industrial cleaning and agriculture. Prisoners can also train and work towards qualifications in the leisure industry through the gym’.[iii]
On community activities, Ministry officials advised that prisoners are engaged in litter picking and landscaping which has ‘received positive feedback from various community members for their impact on the local area’. The prison also holds a weekly market in Millom to promote the products made by HMP Haverigg, which has ‘significantly contributed to fostering strong relationships between the prison and the community’. Additionally, prisoners also support the local churches by maintaining church yards.
Minister, the NFLAs are greatly concerned that the prison, its jobs, and the valuable and specialist work it is carrying out particularly in rehabilitation, could be lost should the Geological Disposal Facility be built West of Haverigg.
We would be eager to receive your reassurance that HMG would guarantee to keep the prison open and ensure that any GDF will not be located at any part of the Area of Focus that would compromise its existence.
Thank you for taking the time to review this letter. Please in the first instance reply to our NFLA Secretary, Richard Outram, by email to richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk
Yours Sincerely,
Councillor Lawrence O’Neill,
Chair, UK/Ireland Nuclear
[i] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/proven-reoffending-statistics-april-to-june-2022/proven-reoffending-statistics-april-to-june-2022
[ii] https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_reports/hmp-haverigg/
[iii] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/haverigg-prison
Appendix 1: The area titled West of Haverigg
Surface (dark green) /Accessway (hatched) Areas of Focus
Appendix 2: FOI requests and MoJ responses
First FOI request emailed to Ministry of Justice 6 May 2024
Dear HMP Service,
I wish to make an enquiry under the FOI Act.
I would like to ask please:
- How many full-time and part-time employees are employed at HMP Haverigg, as Prison Officers or in ancillary roles, all grades, all roles?
- How many full-time and part-time people are employed by HMP Haverigg who live in the postal district LA18 (Haverigg and Millom)?
- How many contractors and suppliers from the LA18 postcode support the work of the prison?
- If you can provide rates of recidivism for offenders leaving HMP Haverigg as opposed to other of His Majesty’s Prisons? If better than average delighted to hear this.
- Are there any particular examples of positive activities that prisoners from HMP Haverigg have engaged in that support the local LA18 community?
Many thanks. I look forward to your response
Thank you
Richard Outram, NFLAs Secretary
First FOI response from the Ministry of Justice dated 4 June 2024
Dear Richard Outram
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – 240506002
Thank you for your request received 6 May in which you asked for the following information from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ):
[reiteration of questions from original request].
Your request is being handled under the FOIA.
We have considered your request for information, but we are unable to answer it without further clarification. Section 1(3) of the FOIA does not oblige us to answer requests where we require further clarification to identify and locate the information requested.
You may find it helpful to know that directly employed staff at HMPPS work with a number of partners including NHS commissioned staff and other parties. So that we provide you with the right information for questions 1 and 2, are you asking for this information specific to HMPPS staff who work in prisons?
On receipt of this information, we will continue to process your request.
Yours sincerely
[Name redacted by NFLAs]
HM Prison and Probation Service Briefing and Correspondence Team
Second FOI request sent to Ministry of Justice 4 June 2024
Dear HMPPS Correspondence Team,
In answer to your question the answer is YES in response to Question 1 and 2.
Thanks
Essentially asking MoJ to send details of HMPPS staff – ideally the NFLAs would have liked details of all staff incl. NHS commissioned staff and other parties by MoJ seem unable to supply this.
Second FOI response from the Ministry of Justice dated 1 July 2024
Dear Richard Outram
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – 240604029
Thank you for your request received 4 June in which you clarified for questions 1 and 2 of your FOI request, you require information specific to HMPPS staff who work in prisons.
Your reference, your original request was:
[reiteration of questions from original request].
Your request is being handled under the FOIA.
We have considered your request for information, but we are unable to answer it without further clarification. Section 1(3) of the FOIA does not oblige us to answer requests where we require further clarification to identify and locate the information requested.
So that we provide you with the right information for question 4, please can you provide a timeframe for the period in which you require this data for. On receipt of this information, we will continue to process your request.
Outside of the act and on a discretionary basis, the Proven Reoffending statistics by Local Authority or Probation Region can be accessed via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/proven-reoffending-statistics-april-to-june-2022/proven-reoffending-statistics-april-to-june-2022
Yours sincerely,
[Name redacted by NFLAs]
HM Prison and Probation Service Briefing and Correspondence Team
Third FOI request emailed to Ministry of Justice 1 July 2024
Dear K Durham,
Please remove my request for information under Question 4. I shall examine the link you kindly sent me.
I am assuming you will now be in a position to respond to Questions 1, 2, 3 and 5 based on clarification previously supplied on Questions 1 and 2?
Thank you.
Third FOI response from the Ministry of Justice dated 30 July 2024
Dear Richard Outram
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – 240701017
Thank you for your request of 1 July in which your removed question 4 from your previous request (240604029).
[reiteration of questions 1, 2, 3 and 5 from original request].
Your request has been handled under the FOIA.
I can confirm that the MOJ holds the some of information that you have requested.
However, the MOJ does not hold any information in relation to question 3 of your request. This is because there is no legal requirement for MoJ to collate data relating to contractors and suppliers that work at HMP Haverigg. This responsibility lies with the contractor / supplier.
The FOIA does not oblige a public authority to create information to answer a request if the requested information is not held. The duty is to only provide the recorded information held.
Additionally, in relation to question 5, this cannot be answered by the provision of recorded information, it is not possible to handle it under the Freedom of Information Act.
It may be helpful if I explain that the FOIA gives individuals and organisations the right of access to all types of recorded information held, at the time the request is received, by public authorities such as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). Section 84 of the FOIA states that in order for a request for information to be handled as a FOI request, it must be for recorded information. ‘Recorded information’ includes printed 2 documents, computer files, letters, emails, photographs, and sound or video recordings.
The FOIA does not cover information that is in someone’s head. For example, a FOI request would be for a copy of a policy, rather than an explanation as to why we have that policy in place, or actions that have taken place as a result. On occasion, the MoJ receives requests that do not ask for recorded information, but ask more general questions about, for example, a policy, opinion, action, or a decision. When this is the case, we respond as official correspondence rather than as a FOI request. You can find further details at the ICO website.
For the avoidance of doubt, we are responding to question 5 of your enquiry as official correspondence.
I have provided the information for questions 1 and 2 below.
Outside of the FOIA, and in relation to question 5 of your request, prisoners at HMP Haverigg work with the local council in Millom and Haverigg, engaging in activities such as gardening, litter picking, and landscaping outside of their official duties. These initiatives have received positive feedback from various community members for their impact on the local area. Moreover, the prison holds a weekly market in Millom to promote the products made by HMP Haverigg, which has significantly contributed to fostering strong relationships between the prison and the community. Additionally, prisoners from HMP Haverigg also support the local churches by taking care of the church yards to ensure they are well-maintained.
