HL Deb 27 January 1994 vol 551 cc79-80WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their expected timetable for receiving further legal advice, considering it and resuming transfers for the limited number of prisoners applying to move from English prisons to Northern Irish ones.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)

Legal advice has now been received on the operation of arrangements for the transfer of prisoners between United Kingdom jurisdictions and the recent judicial challenges mounted by a number of prisoners transferred to Northern Ireland. This will need to be carefully considered. It is hoped that it will not be too much longer before decisions can be made on outstanding requests made by prisoners to transfer to Northern Ireland.