§ Mr. Wellbelovedasked the Minister of State for Defence if he has received Brigadier Maunsell's report on the Royal Naval Detention Quarters, Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KirkI have received an extremely valuable report from Brigadier Maunsell. I am glad to say that he found no evidence to substantiate the exaggerated criticism of the establishment which has been made in the past. Nevertheless, Brigadier Maunsell has made a number of recommendations, in line with current thinking in penology, to place an increased emphtasis on rehabilitative treatment, which we are pleased to accept. The outcome of Brigadier Maunsell's main recommendations is:—
- (a) Like the Select Committee which examined the Armed Forces Bill, 1970, he feels that it is in the best interest of the detainees to spend the whole of his sentence at the Royal Naval Detention Quarters. Having regard to his advice and the other recommendations now adopted, I have rescinded
373 the order which I announced on 13th January under which some longer-term detainees would have spent part of their sentence at Colchester. - (b) We are proposing to have separate accommodation for young offenders who are necessarily sentenced to detention and staff will be specifically allocated to supervise them.
- (c) The programme of training and treatment is to be re-organised on more constructive lines and the staffing arrangements are to be reviewed.
- (d) We are considering the creation of a single tri-Service detention centre in the longer term which would replace the existing detention quarters.
- (e) An independent Board of Visitors will be appointed.
Some consequential changes to the rules of the Royal Naval Detention Quarters will be laid before the House in a revised Statutory Instrument.