§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will issue an instruction to governors of prisons in England and Wales to appoint visiting ministers of other faiths only after consultation with the authorities of the faiths concerned, and, in the case of prisons which are remote from larger centres of population, not to raise objections to the appointment of a visiting minister on the grounds that it would involve higher travel costs, but always to negotiate special arrangements with the authorities of the faith concerned.
13WA
§ Baroness BlatchResponsibility 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 to Lord Avebury from the Director General of the Prison Service, Mr. Richard Tilt, dated 9th July 1996.
Lady Blatch has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking for an instruction to governors to be issued about the appointment of visiting ministers and the payment of their expenses.
Advice to governors 42/1994 contained information about appointment of part-time sessional and substitute chaplains and visiting ministers to establishments with effect from 1st November 1994.
Detailed guidance notes were issued in October 1994. The Nomination for Employment makes it clear that the nominating authority must agree that appointment. Details of the nominating authority will be found in the directory and guide on religious practices in the Prison Service.
The payment of fees and travelling expenses of sessional chaplains, substitute chaplains and visiting ministers is detailed in instruction to governors 106/1995. Paragraph 8 of that instruction makes it clear that special provision is made for an approved visiting minister travelling 45 miles or more to an establishment to receive proper reimbursement.
In view of the present guidance and instruction I do not believe further instructions are required. Copies of the Prison Service notices have been placed in the Library.