§ Mr. WheelerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the proposed height limit in the proposed prison department design brief for inner multi-storey prisons.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThere is no intention to provide a design brief specifically for inner city multi-storey prisons. The prison department design briefs which are being developed will provide a basis for building prisons of all kinds on the assumption that individual units of living accommodation should not exceed two storeys. Whether or not such units may be "stacked" to create high-rise buildings will depend in each case on factors such as cost effectiveness and operational viability, taking account of location and possible planning difficulties. These factors will also be taken into account in assessing any proposals for urban remand centres likely to be made in response to the recent approach to the private sector by the prisons building board.