Overview
- The Public Accounts Committee estimates around £4m a year is being paid for an unusable site plus roughly £68m in fabric improvements over the lease.
- Contract terms prevent an exit before December 2033, locking the public into long-term costs while the prison remains closed.
- HMP Dartmoor shut in 2024 after radon readings reached up to 10 times recommended limits, and an HSE review of radon rules is still ongoing.
- More than 500 former inmates and prison officers have filed claims over potential health impacts, with decisions on remediation or an early lease exit still pending.
- The Ministry of Justice defends the 2022 lease as a response to a capacity crisis, while the Duchy of Cornwall as landlord continues to receive rent.