HC Deb 10 November 1983 vol 48 cc402-3
11. Ms. Clare Short

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will install metal detectors at Her Majesty's prison, Armagh, for the screening of high security prisoners when they leave and re-enter the prison.

The Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Nicholas Scott)

Hand-held metal detectors are already in use as a security aid at Her Majesty's prison, Armagh.

Ms. Short

Is the Minister aware that the introduction of strip searches of the women prisoners at Armagh gaol has caused deep offence to the prisoners and to the Nationalist community in Northern Ireland? Is he further aware that the governor made it clear that the reason for the introduction of the strip searches was the discovery of some keys in the prison and his anxiety to exclude guns, knives and similar objects? Does he agree that those objects would be better found by installing high-quality metal detection devices than by the offensive searches that take place at present?

Mr. Scott

I cannot believe that strip searching is a pleasant experience, either for the prisoners or for those who carry it out. However, I am convinced that it is necessary, in the interests of security at Armagh and other prisons, for us to have that procedure available to ensure security.

Sir John Biggs-Davison

Will my hon. Friend remove the impression given by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms. Short) that these searches are restricted to Republican prisoners?

Mr. Scott

Strip searches are available in all prisons in Northern Ireland and are used according to the judgment of the governors of those prisons. Perhaps I might put a further point to the hon. Lady. Metal detectors are of no use in tracing explosives.

Mr. McNamara

Was it not rather strange and sudden that after so many years, because of one minor incident, a prison governor should have gone off in the way he did and introduced this most rigorous system, causing great dissatisfaction among the people concerned, and in many cases creating more problems for the security forces than existed before?

Mr. Scott

As the hon. Gentleman knows from questions that he has tabled, there have been further discoveries of illicit materials as a result of strip searching.

Mr. William Ross

Can the Minister give the people of Northern Ireland an assurance that no guns are floating around inside Northern Ireland prisons now?

Mr. Scott

All that is humanly possible is being done to ensure that no illicit material gets into the prisons in Northern Ireland.

Rev. William McCrea

Does the Minister agree that what is needed in Northern Ireland is tighter security inside the prisons, rather than lighter security?

Mr. Scott

Of course. We want maximum security both within and at the perimeter of our prisons, and we do our best to ensure that.