Assembly lasy night on the running of the Woodshop Plus scheme which helps prisoners learn new skills.

He said the scheme, which was temporarily shut down this week, had laudable aims but suffered from poor management.

He told the House: "Unfortunately you do get rotten eggs.

"People involved in the programme were not terribly responsible with money, they were not the sort of people with financial integrity.

"I had reports from constituents that there were doubtful transactions and hard drug activity going on in the area.

"Of course as the area MP it was something that I needed to address because my constituents were reporting these activities.

"I am pleased to see the newly-appointed board concerned with the Woodshop in order to regroup and reorganise.

"It's unfortunate the last Government left the Woodshop in the lurch in the lead-up to the last election. It suffered from a lack of supervision.'' The board is now trying to incorporate Woodshop Plus into Government's plans for Alternatives to Incarceration and is trying to make the programme more accountable.

The move left scheme founder Cleveland Simmons fuming that he had been the victim of the political game.

He was reported as saying that the scheme should have been kept running while problems were ironed out.

And former National Liberal Party leader Charles Jeffers said the programme offered practical help in rehabilitating inmates and should have been kept going unless a better alternative could be found.