Official Warning Issued to Prison Service Over Radon Gas at HMP Dartmoor
Introduction
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has started the process of issuing a 'Crown Censure' to the prison service. This action follows reports that staff and prisoners were exposed to dangerous levels of radon gas at HMP Dartmoor for a long period of time.
Main Body
An investigation by the HSE found that radon levels at the old Victorian prison were much higher than the legal limits for several years. Although data from 2020 showed that the gas levels were unacceptable, the prison service did not inform the HSE about the problem until February 2023. As a result, the site began to be evacuated in late 2023, and the process was completed by August 2024. There are now several serious consequences for the government. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is facing a large lawsuit from former staff and inmates who claim the government was not honest about the gas exposure. Furthermore, the government continues to spend about Β£4 million a year on the closed facility because of a Β£100 million lease signed in 2022. A public spending watchdog has described this financial decision as a 'catastrophic failure.' This problem is not limited to HMP Dartmoor. The MoJ is currently checking 42 other prison and probation sites, and 16 prisons have been identified as potentially contaminated. Lawyers are already contacting people from six different sites, including HMP Exeter and HMP Portland. While a private security company is currently managing the site, it is unclear if the prison will ever open again, especially since much of the essential equipment has been removed.
Conclusion
HMP Dartmoor remains empty and cannot be used while the prison service waits for a formal hearing to confirm the official warning.
Learning
β‘ The 'Passive' Power-Up
At A2, you usually say: "The government spent money." At B2, you focus on the action or the object, not just the person. This is called the Passive Voice. In the news article, this is used to make the report sound official and serious.
π Spotting the Pattern
Look at these examples from the text:
- "The site began to be evacuated..."
- "...16 prisons have been identified as potentially contaminated."
- "...equipment has been removed."
Why use this? If you say "Someone removed the equipment," it sounds like a story. If you say "The equipment has been removed," it sounds like a professional report. This shift is a key marker of B2 fluency.
π οΈ How to Build It
To move from A2 to B2, stop focusing only on who did it. Use this formula:
Object + Form of 'To Be' + Past Participle (Verb 3)
| A2 Style (Active) | B2 Style (Passive) | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| The HSE found a problem. | A problem was found by the HSE. | More formal/objective. |
| They are checking sites. | Sites are being checked. | Focuses on the sites, not the people. |
| The government signed a lease. | A lease was signed. | The lease is the important part here. |
π‘ Pro-Tip: The 'Hidden' Doer
Notice that in the sentence "16 prisons have been identified," the author doesn't tell us who identified them. In B2 English, we omit the person when:
- We don't know who they are.
- It is obvious (e.g., inspectors identify prisons).
- We want to emphasize the result, not the person.