§ Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he gave instructions to the Governor of Brixton Prison that the letter from the Birmingham Mail newspaper requesting the right hon. Member for Walsall, North, then held in Brixton as bail had been refused, to write a message for his constituents should be returned to the Birmingham Mail with the message that it would not be passed on to the addressee; and why the right hon. Member was not advised that such a letter had been received at Brixton.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe letter was not issued because it invited my right hon. Friend to submit material for publication, something which is expressly forbidden by prison standing orders, which apply to all prisoners. A reply explaining why the letter had not been issued was sent to the newspaper. Prisoners are not normally informed when letters are not issued to them because they invite a breach of prison standing orders and the governor saw no reason to make an exception in this case.