§ Mr. Flanneryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Hugh Doherty of Winson Green prison, No. 338636, and Eddie Butler of Durham prison, No. 338637, have been held in solitary confinement since February 1978, and for what reason.
§ Mr. BrittanIn February 1978, Mr. Doherty and Mr. Butler, together with other former inmates of the special security wing at Leicester prison, were transferred to other local prisons to enable necessary improvements to security to be carried out at Leicester. There is no such thing as solitary confinement; but whilst in local prisons they have been 347W segregated from other prisoners under rule 43 of the Prison Rules, in the interests of good order and discipline, and except for exercise periods have normally been confined to their cells. The building work at Leicester was completed very recently and Mr. Butler returned there on 8 May. Mr. Doherty will be moved from Birmingham soon.