§ Mrs. GoldingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many divisions use taxis to transport prisoners(a) to court and (b) to other prisons; and if he will give details of the numbers involved and a breakdown of the costs.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggInformation on the extent and cost of the use of taxis by prison establishments in England and Wales is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Taxis are used when circumstances—for example, short notice or urgency—prevent recourse to the normal movement arrangements which operate in the particular locality and which mostly involve contract coaches or minibuses.