§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Copeland of 17 December 1987,Official Report, column 626, he will publish the report and recommendations of the inquiry into security arrangements at Haverigg prison, Millom, Cumbria;
(2) if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Copeland of 17 December 1987, Official Report, column 626, he will state whether any security arrangements have been changed at Haverigg prison, Millom, Cumbria;
(3) if he will list all those occasions in the last twenty years on which prisoners have escaped, or attempted to escape, from Haverigg prison, Millom, Cumbria.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggStatistics on escapes are published in annual reports on the work of the prison department, copies of which are available in the Library, and show that the following numbers of prisoners escaped from Haverigg:
Number 1969 — 1970 1 1971 3 1972 9 1973 6 1974 — 1975 2 1976 4 1977 6 1978 2 1979 6 1980 2 1981 1 1982 5 1983 3 1984–85 14 1985–86 5 1986–87 5
Population of Haverigg closed training prison on 31 March: by security category, 1979–88 Security category1 Total population in establishment A B C D not recorded centrally 1979 — — 435 10 60 506 1980 — — 370 15 145 534 1981 — — 470 10 40 522 1982 — — 495 10 10 518 1983 — — 475 20 45 539 1984 — — 490 15 15 522 1985 — — 465 15 40 521 1986 — — 495 10 35 533 1987 — — 480 10 20 512 1988 — — 465 10 45 518 1 The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate, detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.
§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what investigations have been carried out into alleged drugs abuse at Haverigg prison, Millom, Cumbria, in the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggWe attach much importance to keeping illicit drugs out of prison establishments and are determined that counter-measures are taken. The regular
642WThe 1984–85 figure is for the 15-month period from 1 January 1984–31 March 1985. Subsequent reports relate to the year from 1 April. Between 1 April 1987 and 31 May 1988, five prisoners escaped.
As to attempted escapes, the readily available information relates to 1986–88. During these years, the following numbers of prisoners were caught while in the process of attempting to escape, or were apprehended or seen in circumstances which suggested that they were about to make an attempt:
Year Number 1986 30 1987 18 11988 4 1 To 31 May. In accordance with standard practice, inquiries were made for internal management purposes into particular incidents at Haverigg to which the hon. Member's question answered on 17 December 1987 related. No changes arising specifically out of those incidents were deemed necessary but the experience of escapes at Haverigg and elsewhere is in forming a general review of security arrangements in medium-low security establishments which is in progress.
Work has been carried out on the installation of a new fence around the sportsfield at Haverigg, which will bring this area up to current security standards in keeping with the main perimeter of the prison; and work to install a similar fence around the prison's farm was scheduled to start in the near future.
§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the various categories and numbers of prisoners held at Haverigg prison, Millom, Cumbria, in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe readily available information is given in the table.
monitoring of the incidence of drugs is a normal management function. Following the issue of further guidance last autumn, governors were required to review and report upon the situation in their establishment and the need for additional measures to be taken. A full search by drug dogs took place at Haverigg on 23 March, when some cannabis was found. Allegations concerning the 643W availability of drugs at Haverigg will be investigated by the deputy director general of the prison service as part of his inquiry into the recent incidents at the prison.