§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why, following an earlier Question about the failure of the prison authorities to notify Mrs. G. Scale when her son Peter Seale was to be moved from one prison to another after she had arranged to visit him, she was sent a visiting order to visit him in Leicester Prison on 27th November, but when she travelled there on 9th December at a cost of £9.50 she found he had been moved to Wandsworth; and whether they will apologise to Mrs. Seale and repay to her the cost of the abortive journey.
§ Lord BelsteadIt is for a Category A prisoner, and not the prison authorities, to notify relatives once a move has taken place unless the prison authorities are aware, at the time of the move, that a visit is imminent. When Mr. Seale was transferred to Wandsworth on 389WA 27th November, neither the prison staff there, nor those at Leicester were aware that a visit had been planned for 2nd December, as the visiting order sent from Leicester Prison on 24th November was valid for one month. On arrival at Wandsworth, Mr. Seale was given the opportunity to notify his relatives of his whereabouts but chose not to do so. In these circumstances, no question of repayment arises.