Bindra Mahesh: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBindra Mahesh: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 19 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:5939. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.MAHESH BINDRA (NZ First) to the Minister of Corrections: Does he have confidence in Serco?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (Minister of Corrections): I expect Serco to live up to its responsibilities under the contracts that it has signed with the Department of Corrections. Where it has not lived up to the contracts Serco will suffer penalties. My confidence in its management of Mt Eden Corrections Facility will depend on the outcome of the reviews currently under way and the action taken to address the issues that they raise.Mahesh Bindra: Is he satisfied with the staff-to-prisoner ratio in the Serco-run Auckland South Corrections Facility?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: The safety of the public staff and prisoners is paramount and I expect all of our prisons—public and private—to reflect that. The contract requires that Serco operates a safe and secure site while meeting all applicable legislative and international requirements. It is my expectation that Serco follows this and that it be accountable for that at Wiri.Mahesh Bindra: Is he satisfied that that level of staffing is adequate to ensure the safety during unlocked hours of both staff and prisoners in the units at the Serco-run Auckland South Corrections Facility?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: As I saidin my answer to the previous question my expectations are that Serco follows the international requirements and the applicable legislative requirements. My understanding—and I have been given reassurances about this—is that the staffing levels are adequate.Kelvin Davis: How can he have confidence in Serco in light of last week’s report that Serco is deliberately avoiding health and safety laws and is under-reporting injuries having reported only one incident since the start of the year where a guard slipped playing touch football and pulled a hamstring?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: As that member knows there is currently a review by the chief inspectorate going on at Mt Eden Corrections Facility with the Ombudsman providing oversight and they will be dealing with these issues in due course.Mahesh Bindra: If all of his answers are true how can he be confident in Serco given that just 6 weeks after the opening of the Serco-run Auckland South Corrections Facility a staff member suffered serious head injuries in an attack by a prisoner?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Well as I said in answer to the previous question there is currently a review going on in terms of all violence inside Mt Eden Corrections Facility and until that review has been finalised we cannot comment on it.Mahesh Bindra: Point of order—Mr SPEAKER: No listen—I can anticipate it. I am going to invite the member to repeat that question for the benefit of the Minister.Mahesh Bindra: If all of his answers are true how can he be confident in Serco given that just 6 weeks after the opening of the Serco-run Auckland South Corrections Facility a staff member suffered serious head injuries in an attack by a prisoner?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: We take all incidents of violence at both public and private prisons seriously and this incident will be taken seriously too.