HL Deb 23 November 1987 vol 490 cc527-8WA
Baroness Carnegy of Lour

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect to receive the action plan on Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons Report on the 1986 prison disturbances.

The Earl of Caithness

We have now received and endorsed the action plan prepared by the Director General of the Prison Service on the report by the previous Chief Inspector of Prisons, Sir James Hennessy, on the 1986 prison disturbances. As I reported to the House when announcing publication of the report on 16th July, action had been set in hand on a number of fronts, including contingency planning before the chief inspector's report was received. Work has continued since.

Following the chief inspector's report, all establishments were required to review their contingency arrangements in the light of his findings and to submit revised plans to prison department headquarters by the end of the year. New guidance is to be issued shortly on the industrial relations and personnnel management aspects of planning responses to industrial action.

As regards the chief inspector's conclusions on the wider issues, work is being taken forward in the context of the major changes in management structure and working practices known as Fresh Start now being introduced in the prison service.