§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by prison and remand centre in England and Wales for the last 12 months, the number of occasions that food poisoning has been reported; what action was taken; when was the last occasion that they had been inspected by an outside health inspector; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggSince 1 May 1988 there have been four reported outbreaks of suspected food poisoning at prison service establishments. These were as follows:
Date HMP Cardiff June 1988 HMP Lincoln August 1988 HMYOI Hollesley Bay Colony January 1989 HMP Ashwell April 1989 The local authority environmental health officers (EHOs) attended each establishment to help in tracing the source of the outbreak and to suggest measures to prevent further spread of infection.
Informal visits to establishments by local authority EHOs are encouraged, but no central record of these visits is maintained. None of the four establishments had been visited by local authority EHOs prior to the reported outbreaks of food poisoning. Each establishment had, however, been visited by Home Office health and safety officers or officers from the Home Office supply and transport catering group. All officers carrying out these inspections are professionally qualified. Their visits took place on the following dates:
Date HMP Cardiff March 1988 HMP Lincoln July 1987 HMYOI Hollesley Bay Colony December 1988 HMP Ashwell November 1988