HC Deb 23 March 1989 vol 149 cc806-7W
Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South,Official Report, 27 January, columns 769–70, how the inspections by his Department's health and safety officers are validated; and if there are any prison inspections by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Inspections carried out by Home Office health and safety officers are validated by random inspections undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive. These random inspections include prison service establishments.

Formal hygiene inspections of prisons carried out by Home Office health and safety officers are also subject to random, unannounced validation inspections by an environmental health officer from the Department of Health.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires there have been in prisons in the last ten years; who is responsible for fire precautions in prisons; and who validates the inspections that take place.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 1988, 2,829 fires were reported in penal establishments. Many of these would have been small fires (for example, a lighted rag or newspaper thrown out of a cell windows, and quickly extinguished by prison staff.

The responsibility for fire precautions in each establishment rests with the governor, who nominates a fire officer from among his staff to be responsible to him for all fire safety matters. Governors and fire officers are encouraged to maintain close contact with their local fire brigade.

The responsibility for implementing recommendations resulting from fire prevention surveys conducted by local brigades rests with prison service line management, ie, governors, supported by regional directors and ultimately by headquarters, where the advice of Her Majesty's fire service inspectorate is available if any question arises as to the validity of a particular recommendation.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent. South on 27 January.Official Report, column 769–70, how many validating prison inspections by environmental health officers from the Department of Health were carried out in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Since 1 April 1988, 12 validation inspections have been carried out at prison service establishments by an environmental health officer of the Department of Health.