§ 75. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the hardship caused under the classification scheme by which prisoners are imprisoned in Her Majesty's Prisons distant from their homes thereby pre venting family visits; and if he will alter that scheme so as to permit appropriate family visits.
§ Mr. RossI recognise that the classification scheme inevitably means that some men with sentences of 12 months or over will serve in a prison distant 281W from their homes. One must hold the balance between the need for classification and the advantages of visits. I would not feel justified in altering the scheme which is designed for the rehabilitation of prisoners, but if such prisoners are in a prison more than 50 miles from their homes they may be returned to their local prison to receive accumulated visits.