§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many specialised Rule 43 units there are at each of Her Majesty's prisons by location; what is the individual accommodation of each unit; what is the size of the waiting list at each prison for admission to a Rule 43 unit; what is the longest period that a prisoner has remained in a Rule 43 unit; and when these were established.
§ Mr. JohnThere are three special units in Gloucester, Reading and Wakefield prisons. These units house men who have been segregated for their own protection under Rule 43 elsewhere and are likely to need such segregation for a considerable time. The other details asked for are:
Gloucester Reading Wakefield Number of cells 81 92 39 Waiting list* 17 8 5 Date opened October 1973 April 1970 November 1975 * On 4th March 1977. The longest period a prisoner has remained in one of these units is seven years—that is, since the unit at Reading opened.