HC Deb 28 January 1960 vol 616 cc361-3
8. Mr. V. Yates

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he intends to carry out for remodernising Her Majesty's Prison at Dartmoor; what will be the cost of such improvements; and how long it will be before a new prison is built upon a more suitable site.

Mr. Vosper

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 17th December to the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Hayman) and the hon. Member for Leeds, South East (Miss Bacon). At this stage no estimate has been made of the cost of replacing the prison, nor is it possible to say when the work could be completed.

Mr. Yates

Before a final decision is made upon this matter, in view of the opinion of former Home Secretaries and the vast majority of penal reformers, will the Minister ask his right hon. Friend to visit Dartmoor Prison before the winter has gone, so that he may see the hellish conditions under which the staff, as well as the prisoners, have to work?

Mr. Vosper

My right hon. Friend will note that request. I visited the prison earlier this month, but I do not want to prejudge the conclusions of the inquiry.

Mr. Gordon Walker

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is rather reactionary and, in the long run, extravagant to build a new prison on Dartmoor—and not merely to extend the old one—as I understand the proposition now is?

Mr. Vosper

I would rather leave the matter until we have the inquiry and see what it has to say about that and other aspects of the matter.

Mr. Lipton

Could we send a questionnaire to the prisoners?

Mr. Hayman

I hope that the Minister will not remember too much the rigours of his journey to Dartmoor earlier in the month.

Mr. Vosper

I thoroughly enjoyed my journey.

29. Mr. Hayman

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the public inquiry into the siting of the new prison to replace Dartmoor will take place.

Mr. Vosper

The arrangements are still under consideration but I hope that an announcement will be made soon.

Mr. Hayman

Will the right hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend when he is considering the report of the public inquiry to remember not to give undue weight to the financial investment in the present prison at Dartmoor, but to bear in mind the human needs of the prison officers and the fact that the prison is situated in a National Park?

Mr. Vosper

I am sure that my right hon. Friend will give equal consideration to all the factors, including that of the prison officers.

30. Mr. Hayman

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers were transferred to and from Dartmoor Prison, respectively, during 1959; and what was the total cost of these transfers.

Mr. Vosper

Twenty-two prison officers were transferred to, and 36 transferred from, Dartmoor Prison during 1959 under special arrangements applying to that establishment, at a total cost of about £7,800. In addition, 13 officers were transferred to, and 9 transferred from, Dartmoor under normal arrangements apply to all establishments at a total cost of about £2,300.

31. Mr. Hayman

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the sum paid to the staff of Dartmoor Prison during 1959 to compensate them for the inconvenience of the locality.

Mr. Vosper

Approximately £11,900.

Mr. Hayman

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the charges which he has enumerated in reply to this and the previous Question are annual and recurrent charges and might therefore be obviated if the prison were situated in a better place?

Mr. Vosper

I should point out that in many penal establishments special allowances are paid, although not at the Dartmoor rate.

Miss Bacon

Since one of the reasons given for rebuilding the prison at Dartmoor is the waste which would otherwise occur because of the officers' quarters not being used, will the right hon. Gentleman do as my hon. Friend says and take into consideration not only the loss of money involved in taking the prison away, but the annual amounts which are spent to keep the prison on Dartmoor?

Mr. Vosper

I am sure that that will be considered both at the inquiry and on its consideration.