Mr. John Clinton:

As the Comptroller and Auditor General pointed out, one is not comparing like with like. Our nearest counterparts in Northern Ireland, for example, work a 34 hour week. We work a 47 hour week. They have different payments and staffing levels. They have huge staffing levels compared to here, given the system in place there. There are also different systems in England, dating back to an agreement in 1987 which allowed people to buy out houses as part of the deal which did away with their rent allowance. They were allowed to buy their accommodation. There are various pay scales and a number of prisons run by Group 4 and private sector companies. Therefore, there is not a direct comparison.