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A recent report from MPs has criticized the leasing decisions related to HMP Dartmoor, describing the £4 million per year lease on a prison that has remained unused for 18 months as a “needless waste of taxpayers’ money.” The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) highlighted that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) agreed to the lease in March 2022 despite being aware since 2020 of dangerously high radon gas levels at the site.
Located in Princetown, Devon, HMP Dartmoor was officially closed in July 2024 after government tests revealed radon concentrations that exceeded safe limits by up to ten times. PAC expressed skepticism toward the justification offered by HMPPS, which claimed the lease was necessary due to an urgent shortage of prison capacity. The committee rejected this excuse, emphasizing the lack of proper precautions taken before committing to the lease.
The report details several shortcomings in the handling of the lease agreement. It notes that no further full radon risk assessments were conducted prior to signing, and that the lease, which cannot be terminated before 2033, did not include provisions to reduce rent or limit financial exposure from radon-related issues. PAC described the decisions as “poor commercial decisions” and revealed that anticipated improvements could amount to £68 million, with neither the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) nor HMPPS having a definitive plan for the prison’s future. PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown condemned the situation as an “absolute disgrace, from top to bottom,” criticizing the department’s desperate approach to solving problems under pressure.
Going forward, PAC recommended that the MoJ and HMPPS clearly define a course of action for the site. They should then evaluate whether continued expenditure on the currently unused prison is justified or if negotiating an early lease termination would be more appropriate. Additionally, HMPPS has been asked to review and report on the lessons learned from these failures in decision-making and contract management. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson responded by acknowledging the inherited crisis within the prison system and emphasized current efforts to increase capacity through new prison construction and legislative measures aimed at effective sentencing. The MoJ also reassured that the closure of HMP Dartmoor was initially considered temporary, affirming ongoing collaboration with radon specialists to determine if the facility can be safely reopened
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