Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the document published by his Department on 26 October and titled "Accelerated houseblocks delivery programme addendum to PBC3: summary business case", in relation to the expansion of HMP Hindley, if he will publish the full business case for the project, including any addenda or changes.

Due to commercial sensitivities between contractors working across the Accelerated Houseblocks Delivery Programme (AHDP), we are providing average costs rather than project-by-project figures. Detailed pricing information for individual schemes and projects is not published due to commercial sensitivities.

The average cost per project for heat pump installations, solar panel installations, and heating system upgrades is approximately £7,215,000.

The average cost of installing barless windows is approximately £1.7 million per project. Barless windows are not being installed at HMP Elmley or HMP Bullingdon due to their prison category.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements vary across the programme according to site-specific planning approvals and conditions. Where applicable, sites are required to achieve a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain against the baseline position, either through on-site habitat creation and enhancement or through the purchase of off-site biodiversity units. Completed schemes have achieved between 10% and 11.96% BNG.

In line with HM Treasury Green Book guidance, Net Present Social Value (NPSV) was calculated by comparing the monetised costs and benefits of each option over a 60-year appraisal period. Due to commercial sensitivity, the Department does not publish the detailed breakdown of assumptions underpinning the appraisal, as disclosure could prejudice its commercial position and ability to secure value for money.

The Department also does not publish the value of main works contracts or the full approved business case, as these both also contain commercially sensitive information. A contractor's pricing structures and breakdown costing information is confidential information received from industry, and it is also imperative to protect the Ministry of Justice’s ability to negotiate in future competitions.