§ Mr. Ernie Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently held at Wormwood Scrubs, Maidstone, Leicester, Dartmoor and Wandsworth prisons are likely to be released within the next 28 days.
§ Mr. BrittanThe number of prisoners currently serving a sentence of imprisonment and who are likely to be released from the prisons named in the 28 days beginning 27 June is as follows:
Wormwood Scrubs 128 Maidstone 29 Leicester 84 Dartmoor 33 Wandsworth 78
§ Mr. Ernie Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the prisoners due for release in the next 28 days are likely to be homeless or threatened with homelessness and within the priority need as defined in the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977.
§ Mr. BrittanWhenever possible arrangements are made to prevent prisoners being510W homeless on release from prison. I regret that precise information is not available and an estimate could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ernie Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made by welfare departments in prisons and borstals to ensure that the relevant local authority housing departments fulfil their duties under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, particularly towards prisoners likely to be homeless and with priority needs on release.
§ Mr. BrittanWhen discharge is followed by statutory supervision, welfare departments arrange suitable accommodation on release for a homeless person, including reference to the local housing authority where appropriate. Inmates released without supervision are under no obligation to get in touch with welfare departments, but if help is sought it is given.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at how many prisons visits by friends and members of the family are restricted to the statutory minimum of 30 minutes for every 28 days; which ones they are; and what plans are in hand to rectify this situation.
§ Mr. BrittanA governor has a discretion to increase the provisions made in the prison rules for visits to convicted prisoners and currently all prisons allow visits of more than 30 minutes every 28 days to some sections of their convicted prisoners. The arrangements made in prisons differ, however, according to local circumstances, such as the number of prisoners receiving visits, the facilities for visits, and the staff available for supervision.
Visits to unconvicted prisoners may be limited to 15 minutes, but occur at much greater frequency.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at how many prisons and where are facilities provided by voluntary organisations or the probation and after-care service for (a) refreshments and (b) overnight accommodation for visiting relatives and friends; and what plans are in hand for extending these facilities.
§ Mr. BrittanThe information requested is not available centrally. Refreshments 511W for visitors are, however, provided at about three quarters of prison service establishments by the Women's Royal Voluntary Service; at the remainder, a variety of arrangements are made, including the use of probation volunteers or supervised inmates. Overnight accommodation for visitors is provided at a number of prisons. Proposals for new or additional facilities must be subject to resources being available.