‘Catastrophic’ MoJ leasing of jail with toxic gas set to cost more than £100m

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Rajeev Syal Home affairs editorJanuary 7, 2026 at 06:00 AM

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A UK parliamentary committee has determined that the Ministry of Justice's 2022 lease of HMP Dartmoor, a prison with high levels of radon gas, will cost taxpayers over £100 million. The prison, leased from the Duchy of Cornwall for 10 years, was closed in 2024 after radon levels were found to be up to ten times the recommended limit. Despite knowing about elevated radon levels since 2020, the Ministry signed the lease without further testing, driven by a need for prison spaces. The government is now paying £4 million annually for the unusable prison, plus £68 million for site improvements, and cannot terminate the lease until 2033. The committee criticized the deal as a "catastrophic failure" and questioned why the lease was signed given the known health risks.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Health Security Agency 40% Duchy of Cornwall 60% Geoffrey Clifton-Brown 65% UK ×270% Public Accounts Committee 75% HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) ×380% HMP Dartmoor ×585% Ministry of Justice ×290%

Keywords

prison leasing 90% radon gas 80% hmp dartmoor 70% ministry of justice 70% toxic gas 60% public accounts committee 60% prison places 50% financial cost 50% lung cancer 40%