§ Mr. Gwynoro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the way the prison authorities in Cardiff are administering the facility with regard to the use of the Welsh language as a means of conversation between visitors and prisoners; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MaudlingThe prison authorities do all they can to provide facilities for visits to be conducted in Welsh within the limits imposed by the number of Welsh-speaking officers available and the demands made by their other duties. There are obvious advantages if the prison can be advised in advance that such facilities will be required.
§ Mr. Gwynoro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last month visitors wishing to hold conversation in Welsh with prisoners in Cardiff prison have not been allowed to do so, and why.
Mr. MaudlinOn six occasions in the past month visitors to Cardiff prison have been told that they would be required to converse in English because no Welsh-speaking prison officer was available to supervise their visits. On one further occasion visitors left before a Welsh-speaking officer could be made available. The one prisoner involved has had 14 visits in which Welsh was spoken during the same period.
§ Mr. Gwynoro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Welsh-speaking prison warders there are in Cardiff prison; and if he will make a statement on the staff available to enable conversation between prisoners and visitors to be conducted in Welsh.
§ Mr. MaudlingFour prison officers in Cardiff prison and three in the attached remand centre speak Welsh. These officers are made available to supervise visits in Welsh whenever practicable.