§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy regarding prisoners at Her Majesty's prisons receiving letters and printed material in languages other than English; and whether the policy varies from one prison to another.
§ Mr. MellorSubject to the normal rules governing the receipt of letters and printed material by prisoners, there 29W is no restriction on the receipt of these items in languages other than English. However, the prison authorities are entitled to satisfy themselves that correspondence and printed material received by prisoners do not contain matter which contravenes prison regulations, and it may therefore be necessary to delay passing a letter or printed matter in a language other than English to its recipient until it can be scruntinised in translation or by an officer familiar with the language in question.