Government鈥檚 prison building programme will cost double the original figure
The cost of the government鈥檚 prison building programme has been estimated at 拢2.3bn 鈥� almost double the original figure put to parliament.
Justice secretary Jack Straw revealed the figure at a select committee hearing yesterday.
When Straw announced the initiative last month, he said he had agreed a 拢1.2bn funding package for the development programme.
The government is intending to provide an extra 10,500 jail spaces by 2014, including up to three 鈥渟uper prisons鈥�.
Andrew Tyrie, the Conservative MP, said: 鈥淚t was highly misleading of Jack Straw in his statement, which was considered a carefully prepared statement, to imply that the cost of implementing the proposals to 2014 would be covered by 拢1.2bn.鈥�
