HC Deb 19 June 1975 vol 893 cc1645-7
2. Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will amend the appropriate section of the Prison Rules 1964 to ensure that letters written by prisoners to their Member of Parliament are not subject to censorship.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Roy Jenkins)

I am urgently examining ways of reducing such censorship. I do not, however, envisage prison governors being left with no powers in this matter, particularly in order to ensure that a prisoner makes full use of the prescribed channels of complaint before approaching a Member of Parliament.

Mr. Cartwright

I am glad to know that the matter is under review, but does my right hon. Friend not accept that this form of censorship is a quite unneces- sary interference in a relationship between a Member of this House and a constituent? Moreover, in a case with which I am familiar a prisoner was prevented from telling his Member of Parliament of developments which would vitally affect his future in prison. Is not the use of censorship in circumstances such as that quite improper? Does not this raise some doubts about the motives of the prison authorities?

Mr. Jenkins

I do not think so. I understand the attitude of my hon. Friend and I am aware of the case to which he has referred. It is my desire to reduce censorship in relation to both communications with Members of Parliament and other communications, where this is reasonably possible. It is important, however, that prisoners should use the established channels of complaint within the prison and, indeed, outside the prison—for example, boards of visitors—before they complain to Members of Parliament about an issue which has not had the opportunity of being investigated on the spot.

Sir George Young

Will the right hon. Gentleman take steps to ensure that Members of Parliament who visit constituents who are, unfortunately, in prison, can have an interview with the prisoner without the governor or deputy governor insisting on being present?

Mr. Jenkins

That depends on the security category of the prisoner. I shall certainly consider what the hon. Member has said in my general review of these issues. It is important that when prisoners have exhausted methods of complaint they must be free to communicate with Members of Parliament. Although we always facilitate visits by Members of Parliament, it is not desirable for them to be treated totally differently from the way in which relations and other individuals who visit prisoners are treated.

Mr. Mikardo

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the problem is not merely that of censorship of prisoners' letters but of the prevention of prisoners writing to their Members of Parliament? Is he aware that recently I received a letter from a constituent in prison six months after it had been date-stamped by the prison authorities, and that since then the same prisoner has sent six letters which have not arrived? By what authority do prison governors prevent prisoners from exercising their right of communicating with their Members of Parliament? They are still electors and citizens.

Mr. Jenkins

Yes, they are electors and citizens. My hon. Friend has communicated with me on this matter. I pointed out to him that the date stamp on a letter is, of course, the date when the writing paper was issued and is not necessarily the date on which the letter was written. If there have been abuses here, I shall investigate them most carefully, because there can be no doubts about the right of a prisoner to write to his Member of Parliament. However, there can also be no doubt that it is desirable that the proper mechanism for the investigation of complaints in the prisons should first be used.