§ Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridgeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proportion of prisoners at Ashford Remand Centre received their statutory entitlements to visits totaling 1½ hours per week in the most recent convenient week.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)Prison Rule 34(1) gives my right honourable friend discretion to determine prisoners' entitlement to visits. At Ashford he has authorised minimum weekly visits of 15 minutes on alternative weekdays and 10 minutes on Saturdays, totalling 55 or 40 minutes per week. Prisoners at Ashford have received this entitlement, with the exception of two Saturdays only, since June 1986.