Ms Caron McCaffrey:

Mess committees were established in 2012 and have operated since then. Governance guidelines were provided to those committees, but as identified by the Comptroller and Auditor General, there were no written agreements. We have now moved to put in place two things, one of which is an annual service agreement that sets out the rules and responsibilities of each party, the activities to be undertaken, the financial arrangements which must be in place, including establishing or maintaining a secure financial accountable system with accounts for all receipts and records of all moneys expended, and reporting arrangements, including an annual statement of compliance. In respect of the annual statement of compliance, part of that is a requirement to provide audited accounts with information categorised, including an analysis of the number of meals, the average cost, and other performance data. The statement of compliance also requires the mess committee to provide assurance that no item for prisoner use and paid for by the Prison Service is used for mess committees for meals provided, including condiments and disposals. There are also other confirmations that are required related to supplier credit. Those arrangements have been put in place.