House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 3 Feb 1997 (pt 3)

Lord Lieutenants

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Hertfordshire and Rutland will be (a) counties for the purposes of the Local Government Act 1972 and (b) eligible for Lord Lieutenants under the terms of the Lieutenances Bill [Lords]. [14061]

Sir Paul Beresford: Rutland and Hertfordshire will both be counties for the purposes of the Local Government Act 1972, following local government reorganisation in April 1997 and April 1998 respectively. They will have their own lieutenancies.

Sellafield

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reopen the inquiry into plans for an underground laboratory at Sellafield to examine the need for additional data in respect of the underground rock. [14139]

Sir Paul Beresford: We are considering the matter.

3 Feb 1997 : Column: 449

HOME DEPARTMENT

Risley Prison

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to publish the report by HM chief inspector of prisons into the female wing of HMP Risley. [13494]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 30 January 1997]: Responsibility for the publication of the report into the female wing at Her Majesty's prison, Risley lies with the chief inspector of prisons. I understand that the chief inspector plans to publish this report on 21 February.

Geoffrey Thomas

Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the physical restraint of Geoffrey Thomas in a hospice in Cardiff will be completed. [13532]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 30 January 1997]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Phil Wheatley to Mr. Ron Davies, dated 3 February 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your Question about the completion of his investigation into the circumstances surrounding the physical restraint of Geoffrey Thomas in a Cardiff hospice.
The inquiry has been completed and the Director General has received the final report. The report raises a number of issues which require careful but urgent consideration. An announcement will be made in due course.

Whitemoor Prison (Escape)

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he had read a transcript of the trial of the men accused of the 1994 escape from HMP Whitemoor before his announcement that he was considering legislation that would allow the prosecution to appeal against judges' rulings stopping trials. [13419]

Mr. Howard [holding answer 30 January 1997]: No transcript was available at the time of my announcement on Friday 24 January, but I had been fully briefed on the outcome of the proceedings and the reason given for his decision by the trial judge.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will (a) alter the conditions under which those accused in connection with the Whitemoor prison escape are held and (b) hold an independent inquiry into how far the conditions under which the accused are held are responsible for the health of the accused. [13417]

3 Feb 1997 : Column: 450

Letter from S. G. Norris to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 3 February 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about conditions under which those accused in connection with the Whitemoor prison escape are held.

The prisoners who escaped from Whitemoor prison in September 1994 have all been categorised as Exceptional Risk Category A prisoners and their security category and escape risk classification are subject to annual reviews. Exceptional Risk Category A prisoners must be held in accommodation with an appropriate level of physical security. The units used are known as Special Secure Units (SSUs).
In June 1996, Sir Donald Acheson of the Department of Public Health and Safety at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was asked by the Prison Service to examine what effect, if any, the current SSU regime may have on prisoners' health. As a result of his report, a system of reviewing the health of individual prisoners every three months was introduced. There are no plans to hold a further inquiry into this particular issue.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will request a report from the Director General of the Prison Service on the evidence of (a) Mr. Brodie Clarke and (b) Mr. Richard Vart at the trial of the men accused of the 1994 escape from Whitemoor prison; and if he will make a statement; [13418]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answers 30 January 1997]: The circumstances surrounding the escape from Her Majesty's prison, Whitemoor on 9 September 1994 were thoroughly investigated by Sir John Woodcock. While his inquiry found evidence of many loopholes in the adopted practices and procedures, it found no evidence that prison officers assisted in organising the escape. The report of the inquiry was published on 19 December 1994 and is available in the Library. Cambridgeshire constabulary has also carried out a thorough and detailed investigation of the escape. No charges have been brought against any member of Prison Service staff as a result of that investigation. If any person has any additional information concerning the escape, this should be made available to the police as soon as possible.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to locate the missing Prison Service category A books logging the movements of the six men accused of the 1994 escape from HMP Whitemoor; and if he will make a statement. [13420]

Letter from Phil Wheatley to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 3 February 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about missing Prison Service Category A books logging the movements of the six men accused of the 1994 escape from HMP Whitemoor.

The six category A Exceptional Risk prisoners who escaped from Whitemoor Prison in 1994 did not have category A books during their period at Whitemoor in the Special Secure Unit.

3 Feb 1997 : Column: 451

Secure Units

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the criteria under which prisoners in England and Wales are selected for detention on special secure units; [13415]

(3) what explanation is supplied to prisoners in England and Wales for their detention in special secure units.[13416]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 30 January 1997]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from S. G. Norris to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 3 February 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Questions asking what are the criteria for allocating prisoners to special secure units, what guidance is issued in respect of the maximum time prisoners may be held in such units and what explanation is supplied to prisoners in England and Wales for their detention in special secure units.
Special secure units hold prisoners who have been classified Category A with an exceptional escape risk classification. Prisoners are categorised as exceptional risk because they have a history and background which suggests that they have the motivation and the resources to make a concerted escape attempt and they are usually criminals who pose a particularly grave danger to the public.
There are no time limits relating to the period of detention in special secure units. Once a prisoner is no longer classified as exceptional risk he will be moved out of the unit.
Remand prisoners who Prison Service Headquarters have decided meet the criteria for such a classification are provisionally categorised pending conviction and sentence. At this stage, reasons for the decision are not automatically provided but it is the practice of the Prison Service to do so if requested.
Following conviction and sentence, all such prisoners have their cases reviewed by the Category A Committee in accordance with procedures introduced following the judgement in the case of Regina v. the Secretary of State for the Home Department ex-parte Duggan. Under these arrangements, prisoners are provided with the gist of those matters of fact and opinion relevant to the determination of their security category and given the opportunity to make representations. These arrangements also require that a prisoner be given the reasons for any decision which results in him remaining a Category A prisoner and, if appropriate, being classified as a high or exceptional escape risk.
The security category and escape risk classification are thereafter reviewed annually in accordance with the same procedures.

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