HL Deb 19 January 1981 vol 416 cc332-3WA
Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What investigations have been or are being carried out into possible improvements in the system of adjudicators before prison boards of visitors; when they expect the results to be published; and whether they will make a statement.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Belstead)

The report of a working party on adjudication procedures in prisons was published in 1975 and in 1977 standard procedures for the conduct of adjudications were issued. An experiment has been conducted at one prison by the Home Office Research Unit in which a member of the board of visitors explained the procedures to prisoners awaiting adjudication. It is not yet possible to say when the report of this experiment will be published.