HC Deb 11 April 1984 vol 58 cc215-6W
Mr. Frank Field

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the advice of outside organisations concerned with penal matters has been or will be sought in the design of the proposed 10 new prisons.

Mr. Hurd

It is not our practice to consult outside organisations on the design of individual projects, but in developing desing solutions account is taken of the range of current thinking on prison design generally.

Mr. Frank Field

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the association representing prison governors and prison officers has been consulted on the designs for the proposed 10 new prisons.

Mr. Hurd

The trade unions representing prison governors, prison officers, and other prison staff are consulted on new prison projects at the preliminary design stage, and thereafter as necessary. Such consultations have taken place or are in progress in relation to 10 of the 14 schemes in the current new prison programme. Consultations on the other four schemes, which were added to the programme in November 1983, will take place when the preliminary designs are available.