What business targets it has set for the Scottish Prison Service for 2002-03.

I have taken the opportunity to review the targets that I set for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) for 2001-02. Many of the targets remain relevant to the business of the service. I have, however, decided to make minor adjustments to some of the targets to better reflect the range of work undertaken by the service on behalf of the public and to ensure that the targets continue to provide detail on the service's performance while driving continual improvement in critical areas of delivery. I have also extended the targets, where applicable, to cover a three-year period to 2005. This will provide a real measure of improved performance over that period.In previous years, the service has continued to deliver improved performance in the face of progressively more demanding targets across a range of key indicators. I have therefore continued to tighten a number of targets in order to ensure that the public can remain confident that the SPS remains focused on the maintenance of secure custody and good order while providing proper standards of care and real opportunities for prisoners to address their offending behaviour making a real contribution to a safer Scotland.The service has an excellent custodial record which I expect it to continue to deliver on, with the introduction of a new Prisoner Supervision System in April 2002. This has required a change to a more generic security measure, however the new targets set continue to demand improved performance. In terms of good order the service has made excellent progress over the last few years in significantly reducing the number of serious assaults on staff and prisoners. The targets for both will continue to be demanding. However, I have noted the increase in prisoner assaults this year against a particularly difficult target set last year and have therefore adjusted the target with a clear view to the service decreasing the number of assaults progressively over the next three years.In line with the SPS commitment to Correctional Excellence, I have set an increasing target for the delivery of both prisoner education and offending behaviour interventions over the next three years. In order to reflect the work carried out in addressing the offending behaviour of shorter term prisoners I have included the completion of SPS Approved Activities within the targets for programmes completed. I have, however, required that increasing proportions of programmes delivered are accredited and that the service continues to deliver a minimum of 700 programmes.Misuse of drugs remains a major issue within the community and within prisons and therefore remains a priority for the SPS. Last year I set a target for the number of prisoners clear of in-prison drug use and I have retained that target at 85%. This is a demanding target that needs to balance increased security measures with providing real opportunities for prisoners to change their behaviour and to live in drug-free environments. The target set represents a challenging reduction in detected drug use within prison. We shall initiate a review of MDT and how it is carried out to judge its effectiveness and suitability in light of experience in new technology. I have also set efficiency targets for the Scottish Prison Service, measured in terms of the Cost per Prisoner Place. The targets set include a supplementary investment target to make savings of up to £12.5 million in current expenditure to invest in capital in order to fund the building of new houseblocks and to make much needed improvements around the SPS estate.The new targets will be challenging for the SPS and the setting of targets for three years will help to drive real improvement in service delivery. Reducing reoffending must be a key aim for any prison service. The targets I have set will contribute to that. I will also be requiring the SPS to publish alongside its targets, the "return to custody" rates for prisoners. Understanding the impact of prison