Our ref: FOI/57902/09/AL

Dear Mr Simpson

Freedom of Information Act Request

I refer to your email of 30 January 2009 requesting the following information:

“In newspaper reports and in response to Freedom of Information

requests it was revealed that 12,948 consoles were in Her Majesty's

Prisons in England and Wales. Understandably this disgraceful and

disgusting policy of providing over 15% of the prison population

with computer games was changed when PSI 2008/32 on prisoners

access to game consoles was issued.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 please provide all

information on the number of Game Consoles that were removed

because of this change in policy. I do not seek the exact number of

consoles currently in England and Wales prisons (although if that

figure is available it would be useful) but following that PSI the

Prison Service or Ministry of Justice must have some idea how many

consoles have been removed or placed in to storage”.

I can confirm that the information that you have requested is not available centrally. To provide you with all the information on the number of game consoles that were removed because of introduction of Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 32/2008 in September 2008, we would have to contact all the establishments and ask them to count each consoles within their establishment. It will take an inordinate amount of time to collate the information and then undergo the process of analysis on the information held which could then extrapolate further information. We estimate that it will take us more than 3 ½ days to locate, retrieve and extract the information requested.

Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the appropriate limit. The appropriate limit for central Government is set at £600, which represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3 ½ working days in determining whether the Department holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting the information. However, we have provided you with some relevant information below.

Of the 12,498 games consoles available in prisons as at July 2008, 11,233 were the personal property of individual prisoners and therefore only 1,265 had been provided at public expense.

In accordance with PSI 32/008, prisoners who have reached the enhanced level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme continue to be allowed to have their own games consoles in their cells as an earned privilege. These consoles must be surrendered if a prisoner falls to a lower privilege level. Therefore, the exact number of consoles in possession varies from day to day. Those which are not allowed in possession are held in the individual prisoner's stored property.

Of the remaining 1,265 games consoles that had been purchased at public expense, the latest generation models - Playstation 3, X box 360 and Nintendo DS - were to be withdrawn entirely. But most of these consoles were older models. Under PSI 32/2008, they continue to be available to enhanced level prisoners to use in association, but no more games consoles are to be purchased at public expense.

The procedures set out in PSI 32/2008 apply to all prisoners over 18 years of age. The Instruction is available on the Prison Service website at:

http://psi.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/PSI_2008_32_prisoner_access_to_games_consoles.doc

I trust you find the above information helpful.

If you are unhappy with the result of your request for information, you may request an internal review within two calendar months of the date of this letter by writing to Data Access & Compliance Unit, Information Directorate, Ministry of Justice,1^st Floor - Area C, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

Amrit Lotay (Ms)

Access Rights Unit

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