§ Mr. Douglas-Mannasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he is satisfied with the rights of prisoners to appeal against the allocation of prisoners to control units;
(2) whether he is satisfied that the basis upon which prisoners are allocated to control units permits them to know the grounds of complaint against them and gives them the right to be heard in their own defence.
§ Dr. SummerskillThere is no specific appeal against allocation as such, but prisoners may make representations orally to the governor, a member of the board of visitors, or the regional director or in writing in a petition to the Secretary of State or in a letter to a Member of Parliament. Prisoners have their rights explained to them when they arrive in a control unit and they are set out in a cell information card provided in accordance with Prison Rule 7(1).
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has considered it necessary to commit three prisoners to the control unit at Wakefield Prison; how long they have been detained there and under what conditions; and when they are to be released.
§ Dr. SummerskillThese prisoners fulfilled the criteria set out in my reply to 325W a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Graham) on 14th November 1974. They have been detained since 22nd May and are subject to the conditions which have been set out in detail in the documents of which a copy is available in the Library. They will be eligible for discharge from the unit after a minimum of 180 days, subject to the reviews described in the reply to which I have referred.