§ Mr. AlisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has, in the context of the review of the organisation of the prison service, to ensure that the headquarters team of the prison chaplaincy can continue to exercise an appropriate supervisory role, on behalf of diocesan bishops, in regard to the ministry in prisons of full-time chaplains; how this church linkage will be reconciled or integrated with possible changes in the chaplains' operational accountability to governors; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorThe report of the review of prison service organisation above establishment level accepts the case for208W retaining a chaplain general for the prison service, with a small team of staff providing professional support to chaplains and contributing to the development of policy on the role of chaplains in the service. There are no proposals for changing chaplains' operational accountability to governors.
We have yet to reach decisions on the report's proposals. Any new organisational structure for the prison service would have to take account of the role of the relevant Church authorities in respect of the appointment and ministry of chaplains.