§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what study he has made of the difficulties experienced by Channel Islands families in visiting prisoners in United Kingdom prisons; if he will take steps to improve these visiting arrangements; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JohnOffenders sentenced in Channel Islands courts may be transferred to prisons in the United Kingdom, on request by the island authorities, who have no suitable accommodation for long term prisoners. On transfer they may receive visits on the same conditions and at the same frequency as other prisoners; the problems for their families is mainly that of distance and cost of travel. Any question of help to relatives in meeting the expense of travel, such as may be available to those resident within the United Kingdom, is a matter for the island authorities. Governors have discretion to allow two or three visits to be taken together, on successive days, to enable the number of journeys to be reduced. Prisoners may be returned periodically to a prison in Jersey or Guernsey to receive visits on an accumulated entitlement, the costs of the transfer being met by the Island authorities.