§ Mr. Terry Davisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it has already taken six weeks to check the records of 23 unsentenced prisoners who were segregated or put in solitary confinement at Winson Green prison during November 1984 to ascertain whether there is any reference to his noble Friend, Lord Elton, in the records concerning their segregation or solitary confinement; and when he expects these inquiries to be completed.
§ Mr. MellorThis reply also contains information pursuant to the reply of 20 December 1984, at column291.
The inquiries have been completed. They show that in addition to the 25 unsentenced prisoners segregated during November 1984 at Birmingham under rule 43 of the Prison Rules, one unsentenced prisoner was segregated under Prison Rule 48(2) pending adjudication and no unsentenced prisoners were awarded cellular confinement as a punishment. There is no reference to my noble Friend Lord Elton in any of the records pertaining to the prisoners' segregation. The time taken to obtain the information resulted from the need to look through the prisoners' records at Birmingham and other establishments to which some of the prisoners had been transferred.