HC Deb 08 December 1994 vol 251 cc333-4W
Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the number of employees at Blakenhurst prison who have a criminal record;

(2) what inquiries are made about the criminal records of staff employed at Blakenhurst prison (a) on permanent contracts and (b) as temporary employees of subcontractors.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Peter Luff dated 8 December 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about security checks on staff at Blakenhurst prison. All people who work at contracted prisons and for the contracted court escort service are subject to routine enquiries about their suitability to work with prisoners. These enquiries are similar to those made in relation to applicants for Prison Service employment. Candidates who apply for employment, either in the public or the private sector of the Prison Service, in custodial duties are exempted from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 by the Rehabilitation Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 and therefore convictions ordinarily regarded as "spent" are taken into account. Security audits are carried out at regular intervals for all contracted prisons and court escort services to ensure all staff have undergone such clearance. The last audit at Blakenhurst did not reveal any employees with a criminal record.

Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reinstate Mr. Tony Urosevic to his position as a nurse at Her Majesty's prison Blakenhurst.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Peter Luff, dated 8 December 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about Mr. Tony Urosevic. As you know from Michael Forsyth's letter to you of 2 September, the Prison Service reviewed Mr. Urosevic's case but decided that it was not possible to clear Mr. Urosevic for employment at Blakenhurst and that it was not, therefore, possible for him to be reinstated.