HC Deb 21 January 1992 vol 202 cc132-3W
Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice was given to prison authorities over the placing of prisoners on remand for offences arising from a violent incident in Bradford earlier this year.

Mrs. Rumbold

I understand from the chief constable of West Yorkshire and the governor of Leeds prison that it was not considered necessary to make special arrangements in respect of the location of the prisoners concerned. No advice from the police on the question of location was therefore passed to the prison.

equipment for searching visitors was first made available at Her Majesty's prison, Armley; and on how many days since then the equipment has not been used to search visitors because of insufficient staff.

Mrs. Rumbold

The date when hand-held metal detectors were first issued to Her Majesty's prison, Armley is not readily available but was prior to October 1986.

The equipment is used to screen-selected visitors including those to prisoners considered to present a high risk to security. There is no record of detectors not being used because of a shortage of staff.