§ 29. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the method of classification of prisoners in Scottish prisons according to age, sentence and record; what psychiatric and other evidence is relied on; and why requests by prisoners asking to be transferred to facilitate visits by members of their families are refused.
§ Mr. NobleThe classification of prisoners by age, sentence, and record is designed, in their own interests, to bring together those of similar character. A prisoner is classified at the prison of first committal, psychiatric advice being obtained if required. If experience shows that he would be better placed in another group, he is moved. Prisoners may also be moved to allow them to follow specialist training courses, and in certain circumstances they may be transferred temporarily to be near their families. But the scheme of classification, which is designed to advance the training of prisoners, would not work if transfers were authorised freely simply to facilitate visits.
§ Mr. HughesDoes the Secretary of State not realise that visits by parents, wives, husbands and, perhaps, children may play a very important part in the reformation and rehabilitation to good citizenship of prisoners? Should not he therefore facilitate such visits, in the hope that they will help to reform prisoners? An instance is the case of the Aberdeen prisoner in Perth prison, about whom I wrote to the right hon. Gentleman asking for his return from Perth to Aberdeen, where he could be visited by his wife, who is expecting a child.
§ Mr. NobleI agree that under proper conditions visits are an important part in rehabilitating the minds of prisoners, but many other factors have to be taken into account, as I said in my Answer. Wherever there is genuine need and the prison authorities think that a prisoner's mental health—if it is the correct expression—will be improved by visits, they do their best to arrange them.
§ Mr. HughesWhat are the other factors?