HC Deb 23 January 1991 vol 184 cc186-7W
Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are limited to closed visits.

Mrs. Rumbold

The information is not recorded centrally and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any provision within the prison system for unsupervised visits to take place.

Mrs. Rumbold

Under standing order 5, a copy of which is in the Library, there is no provision within the prison system for any visits to take place out of the sight of prison staff.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) at which prison department establishments visits are normally restricted to 30 minutes' duration;

(2) which prison department establishments allow only one visit every four weeks.

Mrs. Rumbold

Convicted prisoners are normally able to receive at least two visits every four weeks, and sometimes more, at all establishments except Brixton, Durham, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Shrewsbury and Swansea.

Visits normally last at least one hour, and frequently longer, at all establishments except Durham, Leeds, Liverpool and Wandsworth.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the annual expenditure on assisted visits each year since 1986–87; and what is the estimated annual expenditure in 1990–91.

Mrs. Rumbold

The annual expenditure on the payment of claims made under the assisted prison visits scheme in the past four years has been as follows:

£
1986–87 905,628
1987–88 793,407
1988–89 1,332,598
1989–90 1,491,204

The scheme is not cash limited and all valid claims are met in full. It is therefore possible to estimate only annual expenditure in 1990–91. It appears likely that end-of-year expenditure will be around £1,650,000.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what special circumstances can prisoners be denied open visits.

Mrs. Rumbold

Standing order 5, a copy of which is in the Library, stipulates that visits to prisoners should take place in open visiting rooms unless security or control considerations require that a special or closed visiting room or a closed visiting box should be used. This may be considered necessary in individual cases in order to prevent, for example, the smuggling of drugs.