§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will confirm that, under the provisions of Prison Standing Order 5B 30, prisoners are allowed to write to box number addresses when they do not know the addressee's private address; and whether any exceptions are made to this provision which are not to be found in that standing order.
§ Lord EltonStanding Order 5B 30 confers on the governor a discretion to allow a prisoner to write to a box number if he does not know the address of his correspondent, or if there are reasons for not sending the letter to the address, provided that security is not threatened. In exercising this discretion the governor would need to satisfy himself that the box number was not being used for an improper purpose, for example to circumvent the other restrictions set out in Standing Order 5B.