§ Mr. Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the conditions under which Simon Brown, aged 17 years, has been held in police cells at Horseferry road police station; for how long he has been held there: and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how and when the family of Simon Brown, aged 17 years, were informed that he was to be moved from police cells at Horseferry road police station to Ashford remand centre; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many visits Simon Brown was allowed from members of his family while he was being held in police cells at Horseferry road police station; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenPolice cells in the metropolis are the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. The police provide the best conditions they can under difficult circumstances, but we are well aware that facilities may leave much to be desired. The measures which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced yesterday are designed to alleviate the present situation.
I am informed that Simon Brown was held in Horseferry road police cells from 8 to 11 July before being transferred to Ashford remand centre.
The police do not allow visits to prisoners in Horseferry road police cells although they do allow food and changes of clothing to be taken in by the prisoner's family
The police are not obliged to inform prisoners' families when they are transferred to prison custody, but they do so if the prisoner requests it. No record is kept which would enable the police to say whether that was done in this case.