Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans to let the contract to run Oakhill Secure Training Centre; and who the preferred bidder is for that contract.

The Ministry awarded a PFI Contract, for the design, construction, management and financing of a Secure Training Centre at Milton Keynes (Oakhill Secure Training Centre), to STC (Milton Keynes) Ltd in May 2003. This contract is due to complete in June 2029.

STC (Milton Keynes) Ltd has a subcontract with G4S Care and Justice Services (UK) Limited for the operation of the site. G4S are undertaking a process to sell this contract as part of their announcement in February 2016 to withdraw from the children’s services market. As per previous answers to the house, the Ministry has been in regular contact with G4S and other relevant bodies. This engagement includes monitoring the progress of the potential sale to ensure it does not jeopardise the delivery of services at the Oakhill Secure Training Centre.

Given this is a G4S commercial undertaking, the stage that their process is at and the identity of any preferred buyer, that may be arrived at through that process, are covered by contractual confidentiality considerations and the Ministry is unable to share this information.