§ Miss Maynardasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria for transferring prisoners temporarily to a prison in Northern Ireland to receive visits.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe prisoner must satisfy the conditions for a temporary transfer between prisons in England and Wales to receive visits. He or she must also have been born in Northern Ireland or have lived there for a very long time and there must be exceptional compassionate circumstances. Any application 495W from such a prisoner is considered on its merits, taking into account the availability of accommodation, security and the prisoner's likely behaviour. The agreement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is also, of course, required.
The full conditions under which a prisoner may be considered for a temporary transfer to another prison within England and Wales to receive accumulated visits are set out in prison standing orders, of which a copy is in the Library of the House. They provide that a prisoner is eligible for consideration for such a transfer two years from the date of his transfer from the local prison to which he was sent on conviction and that a prisoner who has been badly behaved or who the governor is satisfied has some ulterior motive for wishing to be transferred may be refused a transfer.