§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the size and composition of the visitors' committee of Her Majesty's prison, Greenock; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIn a reply I gave to the hon. Member on 23 March 1993,Official Report, column 474, I said that it was the intention of my right hon. Friend to appoint a visiting committee to Her Majesty's prison Greenock, when the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings Act 1993 became law. However, since then the Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules have been drafted and widely circulated for consultation. These rules seek, among other things, to amend the constitution of existing visiting committees and to establish new visiting committees for Her Majesty's prisons Greenock, Friarton and Longriggend. As the revised rules will be laid before the House in the spring, it seems sensible that the new visiting committees should be constituted on a basis which is consistent with them. The visiting committee appointed for Her Majesty's prison, Barlinnie will therefore continue to cover Her Majesty's prison Greenock until the new rules are approved.