§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the meetings with the Prison Officers Association to discuss the dispute in south Wales that have been(a) held, (b) cancelled and (c) are planned for the current year.
§ Mrs. RumboldFormal meetings with the Prison Officers Association to discuss the current dispute at Her Majesty's prison Cardiff were held on 13, 19, 20 and 28 June and on 12 September. I am not aware that any scheduled meetings did not take place. Discussions with national POA representatives have subsequently taken place aimed at agreeing the basis for a further meeting to see if this matter can be resolved. That meeting, at national level, will be arranged shortly.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his estimate of the total additional costs to his Department, police authorities and local authorities so far incurred by the dispute with prison officers in south Wales;
(2) if he will list (a) the number of cells currently unused in Cardiff prisons, (b) the number of remand prisoners currently held in police station cells in Wales and (c) the number of remand prisoners currently held in police station cells outside of Wales as a result of the present dispute.
§ Mrs. RumboldOn 15 October, the latest date for which figures are available, 193 prisoners were held in police cells who would normally have been accommodated in Cardiff prison; of these 82 were held in Wales and 111 in constabularies in England. I regret that it is not possible to identify separately remand and other classes of prisoner.
Industrial action by officers at Cardiff prison is currently limiting receptions to the uncrowded capacity of the establishment; all available cells are therefore in use.
Information in respect of the cost of holding prisoners from Cardiff in police cells is not available centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.