HC Deb 26 January 1982 vol 16 cc343-4W
Mr. Stephen Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to make the prison regime in Scotland more closely comparable with that in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Rifkind

Prison regimes in Scotland are kept under regular review but there are no plans to bring regimes in Scotland into line with those in Northern Ireland.

The present differences reflect the separate development and different needs of the two systems, the larger proportion of long-term prisoners in Northern Ireland and the absence there of a parole scheme.