HC Deb 30 January 1947 vol 432 cc1103-4
41. Mr. W. J. Brown

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that married prison officers have been living in cellular accommodation, separated from their families, since the reopening of Pentonville prison; if he will give information as to the alternative accommodation for other officers required to serve at this prison in future; and, as single women officers from Holloway prison are occupying flats normally accommodating married officers, their wives and families at Pentonville prison, as two of these flats have been empty for 13 months and as, in two other cases, two women officers are occupying flats comprising seven rooms whilst there is empty accommodation at Holloway prison, what action he proposes to take to make better use of the accommodation available.

Mr. Ede

Steps have been taken to ensure that the provision of additional quarters for prison officers shall have its full share in the national housing programme, and about 200 houses of various kinds including both permanent and temporary houses are in course of erection. Meanwhile there is no alternative to providing at several prisons, of which Pentonville is one, accommodation inside the prison premises for officers for whom no other places of residence are available. Plans have been made for additional quarters for the Holloway staff, but until these additional quarters are available, no better scheme is possible than to use for these officers the flats to which the Question refers. All the accommodation in these flats is required for the Holloway staff, which is still below the necessary strength, and will, I hope, be augmented at an early date by the active recruiting measures now in progress.

Mr. W. J. Brown

Is it not the case that there are still several sets of accommodation at Holloway gaol which are vacant now and have been vacant for some time past, and is it not possible to find some use for them in view of the fact that many prison warders are sleeping in prison?

Mr. Ede

I had a careful investigation made before I replied to this Question, and I could not find the spare accommodation to which the hon. Member alluded. If he has any information that would be helpful, I would be very willing to consider it.

Professor Savory

Would the right hon. Gentleman explain the phrase "cellular accommodation," because I do not think I can find it in the Oxford Dictionary?

Mr. W. J. Brown

Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that there are more things in heaven and earth than have been heard of in the Oxford Dictionary?