‘Catastrophic’ MoJ 10 year lease of Dartmoor prison from Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall to cost UK over £100m due to toxic gas leaks, lease signed in ‘blind panic’ leaves all repair costs to MoJ

A report released by the committee said officials from HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) failed to negotiate “a good deal” and signed it in 2022 before carrying out further radon tests.

“Under the contract terms, the department cannot terminate the lease until at least December 2033. Overall, HMPPS is currently paying around £4m per year for an unusable prison. This includes rent, business rates and security costs.

“Additionally government must pay additional costs – around £68m – on fabric improvements to the Dartmoor site over the period of the lease,” the report said.