Prisons heated but children freeze in schools, MP says

School children in Otago were freezing while central heating was being added to a new prison in Northland, United Future MP Judy Turner said today.

Entering the row about the installation of underfloor heating in new prisons, she said a comparison with Alexandra Primary School showed how absurd the situation was.

"Temperatures in Alexandra often don't rise above -2C, while in areas of the primary school rotting boards are allowing water to leak through walls," she said.

"As a former primary school teacher I know that cold, uncomfortable conditions are not only a health concern but also detrimental to a productive learning environment."

Mrs Turner said the Ministry of Education gave Alexandra Primary School $9500 a year for electricity but it cost more than $13,000 to heat it.

"I will be taking this matter up with the Minister of Education and will be urging him to deal expeditiously with Alexandra Primary School's application for rebuilding funds," she said.

"Of course our prisons also need to have heating, but the contrast just shows how unfair it is that our young kids and their teachers suffer from the cold in dilapidated classrooms while we are ensuring that our prisoners stay warm."

In Parliament yesterday the National Party questioned ministers after it was claimed two or three people a week were re-offending to get back in a warm jail.

Law and order spokesman Simon Power said the new Northland, Auckland Women's, Springhill and Otago prisons had underfloor heating in each cell when a recent survey found 96 per cent of homes did not have such heating.

Associate Corrections Minister Mita Ririnui defended the expenditure, saying the building code required an interior temperature of no less than 16C.

Mr Power said Niwa figures showed Northland had an average daily temperature of 16C over the past 12 months.

Mr Ririnui replied that there were times when it was "quite chilly in the north".

- NZPA