§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take following the recent reports by the Chief Inspector of Prisons to improve hygiene conditions in prisons and to reduce the safety hazards to prisoners because of fire risks.
§ Mr. HurdThe measures which we are taking to reduce overcrowding and upgrade accommodation will make a substantial contribution to higher standards of hygiene. Fire risks for prisoners will be considerably reduced by the introduction of an entirely new type of flame retardant mattress, which has been developed for prison use as a result of intense research sponsored by the Prison Department in conjunction with the Property Services Agency supplies. This mattress is to be supplied to all closed cellular establishments.