§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether governors of prisons in England and Wales have discretion to stop, or require the rewriting of, letters written in ink of a colour other than blue or black; and, if so, whether they will 1076WA issue a Circular Instruction making it clear that the colour of the writing is not to be used as a reason for stopping, or requiring the rewriting of, a letter.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)So long as a prisoner's letter is clearly legible it should not be stopped because of the colour of the ink used. We are aware of no complaints from prisoners on this subject and have no plans to issue a Circular Instruction about it.