HC Deb 11 February 1994 vol 237 cc527-9W
Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the reason for the recent trawl at Her Majesty's prison Brixton for staff; and how many prison staff had been subjected to compulsory transfers from Brixton in 1993.

Feltham, Glen Parva, Gloucester, Wigan, Iancaster, Durham, Doncaster, Northallerton, Norwich, Reading, Rochester, Market Drayton, Swansea and Milton Keynes.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

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 Ms Diane Abbott, dated 11 February 1994:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking if he will give a breakdown by race, on the most convenient date, of the inmates held in the remand centres at Featherstone, Cardiff, Dorchester, Exeter, Feltham, Glen Parva, Gloucester, Wigan, Iancaster, Durham, Doncaster, Northallerton, Norwich, Reading, Rochester, Market Drayton, Swansea and Milton Keynes.

The readily available information is for 30 June 1992 and is given in the attached table. Some of the Prison Service establishments listed in the Question were not operating as remand centres on that date. The breakdown given is in terms of the ethnic classification used at the time. A new ethnic coding was introduced in prisons from 1 October 1992.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

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. Doug Hoyle, dated 11 February 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question concerning the reason for the recent trawl at Brixton prison for staff, and how many prison staff had been subjected to compulsory transfers from Brixton in 1993. Following an increased demand for staff in the north of England, a number of staff took the opportunity to transfer there from Brixton. Subsequently, a national trawl was held to replace some of the staff at Brixton. Prison officers are mobile grades and all permanent transfers are "compulsory". Where practicable the wishes of staff are taken into account. If this is not possible staff are issued with a compulsory transfer notice against which they can appeal. In 1993, 26 officers were issued with compulsory notices in Brixton. 19 of these appealed and the compulsory notices were subsequently withdrawn. Seven did not appeal and were subsequently transferred to Belmarsh.