§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of his Department towards allowing telephones to be installed in prisons for inmates to be allowed to contact their families in cases where visits from relatives, due to distance to travel, illness or age, are difficult to make.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggCardphones are provided for use by convicted inmates at open establishments and arrangements are in hand to extend this facility to convicted inmates in certain category C establishments and certain female and young offender establishments.
Unconvicted prisoners are allowed to use official telephones in certain circumstances, including where there are urgent domestic reasons. Governors also exercise their discretion in considering requests from convicted inmates to use official telephones.