HC Deb 20 February 1989 vol 147 cc495-7W
Ms. Richardson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many strip searches were made of female prisoners on remand in Her Majesty's remand centres at(a) Pucklechurch, (b) Low Newton, (c) Risley, and (d) Her Majesty's prison Holloway in each month of 1988, giving the number of prisoners involved and the number of times each was searched; what items the possession of which was a breach of any rule of the establishment or of any law were discovered in any such search indicating how many in each category; in how many cases remand prisoners refused to be searched and were restrained while the search was being conducted; and what were the reasons for the search under the following headings: (a) making a remand appearance at court, (b) attending trial, (c) cell change, (d) inter-prison visit, and (e) other reasons;

In connection with remand hearings Trial Cell change Inter-prison visit Other reasons
January 6
February 14 5
March 4 3
April
May 1 2
June 1 2
July 1
August
September 1 1

Between 1 January and 30 October 1988, there were three, and between 31 October and 31 December 1988,

Inmate Cell changes and cell searches Court appearances Before or after visits Other reasons
January A 1 2
B 1 2
C 1 1 1
February A 1
B 1
C 1 1

(2) how many strip searches were made of convicted female prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons (a) Holloway, (b) Cookham Wood, (c) Styal and (d) Durham in each month of 1988, giving the number of prisoners involved and the number of times each person was searched; what items the possession of which was a breach of any prison rule or of any law were discovered in any such search indicating how many in each category; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and were restrained while the search was conducted; and what were the reasons for the search under the following headings: (a) cell change, (b) attendance at court, (c) before/after receiving a visit, and (d) other reasons.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Comprehensive records of strip searches are available only in respect of category A women prisoners. Between 1 January and 27 September 1988, one such prisoner was held on remand in Risley remand centre. During this period, she was strip searched on the following numbers of occasions:

there were four convicted category A women prisoners in Durham. These prisoners were strip searched on the following occasions:

Inmate Cell changes and cell searches Court appearances Before or after visits Other reasons
March A 1 2
B 1 3
C 1 2
April A 2 3
B 2 3
C 1 1
May A 1 2
B 1
C 3
June A 2 2
B 1 1
C 1 1 2
July A
B 1
C
August A 2 3
B 2
C 2 1 2
September A 2
B 1 4
C 1 1 2
October A 1 2
B 2 4
C 1 1
D
November A 1 2 1
B 1 3 1
C 2 1 1
D 2 1 1
December A 1 3
B 1 5
C 2 1
D 2 2

No unauthorised article was discovered on any of these occasions. On no occasion did any of these prisoners refuse to be strip searched.

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