HL Deb 07 March 2002 vol 632 cc390-2

3.15 p.m.

The Earl of Listowel

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the recommendations of the recent report by the Prison Reform Trust and the Federation of Prisoners' Families Support Groups, Just Visiting: A review of the role of prison visiting centres, and to the significant decline in the number of prison visits since 1997.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker)

My Lords, we welcome the report. My honourable friend the Minister with responsibility for prisons, Beverley Hughes, spoke at its launch on 30th January. We want prisoners to maintain close family ties in order to improve their chances of resettlement on release. We accept that there is much room for improvement in the provision of visitors' centres and will consider the report's recommendations.

We share the noble Earl's concerns about the decline in the number of visitors to prisons and last year undertook research on it. We are now consulting the Federation of Prisoners' Family Support Groups about the research findings in order better to understand the underlying reasons and what action, if any, is needed.

The Earl of Listowel

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his helpful reply. Does he therefore endorse the statement by Martin Narey, the Director-General of Her Majesty's Prison Service, that, A stable, supportive family … is a key factor in preventing re-offending on release"? Is the Minister aware that last week on average it took me 20 minutes or four telephone calls to obtain the prison social booking line at London prisons? It has been especially difficult at Pentonville and Brixton. What will the Minister do to improve the booking times at those prisons?.

Lord Rooker

My Lords, we certainly endorse the statement made by Martin Narey, Director-General of the Prison Service. There are difficulties booking visits, there is no question about that. We are considering issuing good practice guidelines for prison establishments and upgrading the information technology and telephones used to book visits. That is simply one factor in the decline of visits per prisoner.

The overall number of visits has not declined during recent years, but of course the prison population has risen while the number of visits has stayed the same, so there has been a relative decline. There are serious issues with regard to booking visits and I regret the difficulties that the noble Earl has experienced—which are no different from those of families. We are trying to address them.

Baroness Linklater of Butterstone

My Lords, can the noble Lord confirm that barely half of all prisons in England and Wales have a well-resourced and managed visitors' centre, many of which struggle for funding? Those centres play an intrinsic role in the visits process. I declare an interest as someone who started the first visitors' centre—at Pentonville, as it happens—30 years ago. Can the Minister clarify the Government's policy for the development of such centres, as it is so well established that family contact—and therefore visits—play a vital role in the re-establishment of prisoners on release?

Lord Rooker

My Lords, it is crucial that every prison has a visitors' centre. In years gone by, there was nowhere; people waited for their visits in the pouring rain. Currently, 77 out of 123 male establishments have visitors' centres—that is 63 per cent. Eight out of 14 female establishments have visitors' centres—that is 57 per cent. So the proportion is slightly more than a half, but there is a considerable way to go. Any new prison built will automatically be kitted out, as it were, with a visitors' centre outside the prison but within its curtilage—usually near the car park.

Currently, work is under way to provide a visitors' centre in Liverpool Walton, which I visited briefly last summer. I think that it is the largest prison in the country, holding about 1,200 prisoners. A visitors' centre is being provided there. For all the reasons given in the report, it is crucial that every prison should have a visitors' centre.

Lord Acton

My Lords, does my noble friend the Minister agree that, on the figures that he has just given, the percentage of visitors' centres in women's prisons, where they are especially important, is disappointing? Are the Government making any special efforts not just to get the numbers up from 57 per cent, but to get them up to 100 per cent?.

Lord Rooker

My Lords, it is a fact that a slightly smaller percentage of women's prisons have visitors' centres. One would have thought that, given the explosion in the female prison population and the need for contact with family and children, there would be more visitors' centres in women's prisons than in male prisons. It is probably caused by the explosion in the female prison population and the number of female prisons.

I will see that the importance of the matter is urged on the Prison Service. Such centres are, generally, provided and managed by the voluntary sector. We want that to continue, but we must consider the resources that the Prison Service can put in, particularly where we are revamping and rebranding prisons. There have, of course, been some changes in the use of buildings recently, and I shall make it my business to ensure that buildings changed from male to female prisons—or vice versa—include a visitors' centre.

Baroness Byford

My Lords, in his answer to the previous question, the Minister referred to the voluntary organisations. I am a former, very active member of the Women's Royal Voluntary Service, a body that, as the Minister will know, has been deeply involved with prisons. Does it concern the Minister that WRVS is pulling out of the work that it has done in prisons and re-defining where its work will be?.

Lord Rooker

My Lords, the noble Baroness has given me information of which I was unaware. In fact, when I was discussing the matter, reference was made to the magnificent work of the WR'VS in the prisons. I was unaware that the service was pulling out, and I shall seek further and better particulars about that.

Baroness Stern

My Lords, the Minister mentioned the explosion in the number of women in prison. He may be aware of the scheme that was running at Holloway prison, where the families of prisoners were able to come in and spend the whole day with their mother in a slightly more normal environment. I understand that that scheme has been suspended. Can the Minister say for how long it will be suspended? Can he assure the House that it will be reinstated as soon as possible?

Lord Rooker

My Lords, I do not know why it has been suspended at Holloway, but one of the great recent advances in penal policy has been the enabling of families, particularly children, to spend a day at the establishment with their parent, outside the regime, perhaps in the gymnasium or the catering facilities. There has been a big increase in the number of people who are able to spend a day at the prison on a full family visit. I do not know what has happened at Holloway. I shall find out about it.