Mr. Alan WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes are planned in prisoner numbers at Swansea prison over the next five years.
§ Mr. Peter LloydResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from D. Lewis to Mr. Alan Williams, dated 2 December 1993:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about whether any changes are planned in prisoner numbers at Swansea prison over the next five years.The present certified normal accommodation of Swansea prison is 232 with an operational capacity of 285.Current plans for Swansea include an extension to D Wing and the building of a new houseblock.It is planned to close D Wing in March 1994 to enable work to commence on the redevelopment. Although there will be an initial loss of 78 operational capacity places, this is part of a wider plan to increase the overall operational capacity to 125. This work should be completed by June 1996.Work should then commence on the building of a new houseblock, providing an additional 70 single cells by March 1998.B Wing is programmed to close in December 1994 with a loss of 60 operational places.
Mr. Alan WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the provision of modesty screening for Swansea prison; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Peter LloydResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from D. Lewis to Mr. Alan Williams, dated 2 December 1993:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about representations he received about the provision of modesty screening for Swansea prison.Provision of 24 hour access to sanitation for prisoners at Swansea is part of the overall sanitation programme set out in the White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice". Given the high population and extensive refurbishment programme at Swansea, it was decided that simple sanitation would be the most appropriate system to install. This involves the installation of a toilet and washbasin in each two person cell, but without any modesty screening. Sixty cells, each accommodating two prisoners, have been converted to date. The bunk bed in the cell is positioned on the same side of the cell as the toilet.No representations have been received about the lack of modesty screening. It is understood that prisoners are generally content with the arrangement.