§ Mr. Irvingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what directions he or previous Secretaries of State have made under rule 56 of the prison rules, as amended by the Prison (Amendment) Rules 1974; and whether boards of visitors now have the power to remit or mitigate disciplinary awards made by governors.
§ Mr. HurdThe directions of the Secretary of State under prison rule 56(2) are to be found in section 3D 41 and 42 of prison standing orders and circular instruction 58 of 1976, copies of which are in the Library of the House; boards of visitors have the power to remit or mitigate disciplinary awards made by governors only in the limited circumstances described in paragraph 5 of the circular instruction: that is where there is an application for the restoration of forfeited remission which was imposed by a governor and exceeds 28 days or which was imposed by both a governor and a board on separate occasions.