§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the key problems which have compromised security at Her Majesty's prison Blakenhurst; and what action has been taken to minimise these faults.
§ Mr. Peter Lloydresponsibility 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.
450WLetter from Mr. A. J. Pearson to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated February 1994:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about key problems that have compromised security at HMP Blakenhurst.
An article about Blakenhurst in the "Birmingham Post" of 17 June 1993 was accompanied by photographs, one of which showed a hand holding a bunch of prison keys. The management contractor at Blakenhurst, United Kingdom Detention Services, took the view that the photograph could enable an expert locksmith to copy the keys. They agreed to change the locks believed to have been at risk at no cost to the Prison Service.
United Kingdom Detention Services have used this experience to reinforce to all staff the importance of constant vigilance in keeping keys out of sight of people not authorised to see or use them.