§ 13. Mr. Haymanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether separate lavatory accommodation has yet been provided for the female clerical staff at Dartmoor Prison.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeYes, Sir.
§ Mr. HaymanIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that up to a day or two ago my information was that a lavatory had not been provided for the lady who was working in the pay office? Will he make an inquiry to verify that?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI am afraid I have not got all the details of these matters, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that one was completed on Monday. I am not sure about the other one.
§ 14. Mr. Haymanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the estimated cost of adapting the hospital block at Dartmoor Prison to provide accommodation for the clerical staff; and when the alterations are likely to be completed.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeOne thousand pounds; the alterations are likely to be completed by the end of 1957.
§ Mr. HaymanWill not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman reconsider this situation? The office accommodation is terrible. Is he aware that six years ago it was given top priority in his office, and that it cannot properly be cleaned? Why cannot £1,000 be spent on it so that the accommodation can be made available quickly?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThis work depends upon the availability of labour and other things. [An HON. MEMBER: "There is plenty of labour there".] They do a lot of work. This £1,000 is only part of a bigger scheme which will take five years to complete.
§ Sir H. StudholmeAs Dartmoor happens to be in my constituency and not in west Cornwall, may I ask if it is not true that, had it not been for the war and the fact that until recently the future of Dartmoor was uncertain, these and many other improvements would have been carried out long ago?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThat is so.
§ 15. Mr. Haymanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the bad state of the present accommodation and his inability to provide permanent alternative accommodation before the next financial year, whether he will provide immediately alternative temporary accommodation for the clerical staff of Dartmoor Prison, either inside or outside the prison.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeInquiries are already being made about temporary accommodation. I will communicate their results to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. HaymanMay I ask the right hon. and gallant Gentleman to bear in mind that, adjoining the outer courtyard. is an unoccupied flat owned by the Prison Commissioners? Will he take that into account?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeYes.
§ Mr. Harold DaviesIn view of the right hon. Gentleman's Answer to my Question on conditions for the staff on 17th May, when he agreed that there was dampness—that was the Answer—may I ask whether anything has been done about that? Is he aware that the last visit by a Home Secretary was in 1950. and will he himself have a look at the conditions?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeCertainly, I will do my best to look round prisons when I can. If it had not been for the war and other things, of course a lot of this work would have been done. There is a tremendous lot to be done, and, as I say, it will take five years to complete. I will certainly look to ascertain how it is getting on.