'Catastrophic' Prison Lease to Cost Taxpayers Over £100 Million
A disastrous decision by the Ministry of Justice to lease a prison contaminated with high levels of a toxic gas is set to cost the UK taxpayer more than £100 million, according to a damning report from Parliament's spending watchdog. The Public Accounts Committee concluded that the 10-year deal for HMP Dartmoor, signed in 2022, was agreed 'in a blind panic' by senior officials desperate for prison places.
A Deal Struck Amid 'Blind Panic'
The committee's investigation revealed that officials from HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) failed to secure a good deal and committed to the lease before conducting further crucial tests for radon gas. The category C facility in Princetown, Devon, which housed many sex offenders, was subsequently closed in 2024 after radon readings up to 10 times higher than the safe limit were found in parts of the jail.
The government has admitted it knew about 'elevated readings' of the gas as far back as 2020, with reports suggesting problematic levels were detected even earlier, in 2007. Radon, a radioactive gas linked to lung cancer, is responsible for an estimated 1,100 deaths in the UK annually.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Conservative chair of the cross-party committee, did not mince his words, stating the MoJ's handling of the situation was 'an absolute disgrace, from top to bottom.' He rejected the department's justification that the lease was a sensible move to secure prison capacity, calling Dartmoor a perfect example of a department grabbing at any solution under pressure.
Financial and Human Consequences
The financial fallout is severe. Under the contract terms, the MoJ cannot terminate the lease until at least December 2033. Taxpayers are now footing a bill of around £4 million per year for an empty prison, covering rent, rates, and security. On top of this, the government must pay approximately £68 million for required fabric improvements over the lease period.
The human cost is also mounting. The closure forced the relocation of 682 inmates and 159 staff. More than 500 former prisoners and officers are now pursuing legal claims against the government, alleging their health was endangered. The Prison Officers Association's national chair, Mark Fairhurst, said it was 'abhorrent' that the failure had not resulted in consequences for the decision-makers.
Despite the criticism, the MoJ's permanent secretary, Jo Farrar, defended the 2022 decision, arguing the prison system was at risk of running out of places and Dartmoor provided over 600 spots. A ministry spokesperson stated the current government 'inherited a crisis' in the prisons system. The Health and Safety Executive's investigation into the radon levels at Dartmoor remains ongoing.
