HL Deb 19 July 1982 vol 433 c744WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the prison authorities stopped a letter written by Mr. David J. Cheesman, a prisoner in Wormwood Scrubs, to a Peer, dated on or after 19th June, containing factual information about life sentence prisoners, in violation of Standing Order 505 which states that—

"A letter to a Member may only be stopped if it includes a complaint about prison treatment or prison staff that has not been raised through the prescribed procedure for remedying the grievance"

and whether they will immediately cause the letter to be delivered to the Member.

Lord Elton

The letter in question was stopped because it was felt that it conflicted with Standing Order 5B 40 and 5B 34(iv) in that Mr. Cheesman was asking the Member to pass to a third party, on his behalf, information intended for publication referring to identifiable individuals, which he had been told he was not permitted under standing orders to pass direct. However, in view of the unqualified terms of SO 5D 5, I have now directed that the letter should be delivered to the Member.