§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 525W segregation units there are in prisons for use as (a) isolation units, (b) psychiatric units, (c) segregation units and (d) solitary confinement; how many are currently in use; and how many are being constructed.
§ Mr. JohnSegregation units, as such, exist only in dispersal prisons. They were established following the Report of the Advisory Council on the Penal System in 1968 on "The Regime for Long-Term Prisoners in Conditions of Maximum Security". But every prison has some accommodation where prisoners can, when necessary, be segregated from the rest of the prison community. No central record is maintained of the degree of use which varies from day to day. Such accommodation is not used "as psychiatric units". There is no provision in Prison Rules for placing prisoners in "solitary confinement" and in this connection I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to his Question on 26th May 1976—[Vol. 912, c. 204]—No new units are being constructed other than as part of new prisons or enlarged complexes or, in one instance, to enable accommodation at present used as a segregation unit to be used for another purpose.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list those prisons with screens on the cell windows and indicate in each case the number of cells involved;
(2) what is the function of the screens on prison cells; and of what material they are made.
§ Mr. JohnOver the years, screens have been fitted to the windows of prison cells for a number of different reasons, viz, to block the passage of contraband; to prevent missiles and other matter being thrown from cells; and to provide some degree of privacy for prison staff and other members of the public whose houses or premises are overlooked. The materials used varied according to the main purpose and wire mesh, expanded metal, metal laths, translucent glass and plastic have been used. In the time available it is not possible to give the information in the form requested but it can be said that screens of one sort or another exist at 36 establishments containing between one and 650 cells.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has 526W so far been the cost of putting screens on the windows of prison cells.
§ Mr. JohnSome establishments fitted screens to their windows more than 20 years ago, and it is not possible to give a total cost for such work. In recent years, it is estimated that costs have varied from less than £10 up to £100 a screen, according to the type of material used and the difficulty of installation.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons prisoners are put in cells with screens on the windows; how long in each day they are so confined; and for how many days.
§ Mr. JohnThe majority of cells fitted with screens are for normal occupation, but are chosen for screening because of their proximity to the wall or because they overlook private houses or staff accommodation. All such cells are occupied in accordance with the normal routine for the part of the establishment in which they are situated.