Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many expressions of interest his Department received from private-sector providers in the Framework Agreement for the provision of prison operator services in England and Wales.

Following the launch of the competition to establish a framework of prison operators, from which the operators of the new prisons at Wellingborough and Glen Parva will be selected, the department received 20 expressions of interest from potential providers.

Due to commercial sensitivity, the department will not publish the list of the private-sector providers that submitted expressions of interest. However, of these 20, six potential providers submitted Selection Questionnaire responses (G4S, Sodexo, Serco, MTC, Interserve, MITIE).

On 6 December, the department held an event where potential bidders were given the Operator Competition Services Brochure. I have placed a copy in the House library.