§ 40. Mr. Corrieasked the Lord Advocate how many prisons he has visited since taking office.
§ The Lord AdvocateI have not visited any prisons since taking office as Lord Advocate. I have, of course, visited many prisons in the past, but they are not my responsibility as a Minister.
§ Mr. CorrieWill the right hon. and learned Gentleman impress upon his right hon. Friends the need to improve pay and conditions for prison officers, in view of the good job that these officers do?
§ The Lord AdvocateI agree that prison officers do a good job, but the hon. Member should not have directed that supplementary question to me. If he wants a reply to it he should table a Question to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
§ Mr. BuchanI recognise that prisons are not the responsibility of the Lord 510 Advocate, but will my right hon. and learned Friend encourage the sheriffs, the magistrates and the judges to visit prisons so that they may know something about the conditions to which they sentence people—sometimes, I think, without understanding all of the implications of those sentences?
§ The Lord AdvocateWithout agreeing with the latter part of the supplementary question, I certainly agree with the former part.