Premier welcomes the NAO Report as it provides detailed and up-to-date information on the operational performance of the PFI prisons. It confirms that, on average, PFI prisons are performing much better than their public sector counterparts. It also confirms that the PFI prisons have outperformed public sector prisons in the decency agenda.
The underlying statistics also provide useful information not previously available, that until 2001-02, the PFI prisons had better escape rates and in two of the past five years, no escapes at all.
The Report recognises that competitive tendering of prison management in the UK has delivered a number of areas of best practice that could be copied elsewhere in UK government. At the same time, it recognises the need for further improvement and makes a number of key recommendations which Premier broadly supports.