§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if IRA prisoners in Whitemoor prison have been permitted to make telephone calls of up to one hour's duration per month on telephones not limited to inland calls;
(2) what steps were (a) required by his Department and (b) taken by the Prison Service, at Whitemoor prison prior to 9 September, in response to (i) Prison Governors Association comments concerning Whitemoor prison (ii) representations from Whitemoor's board of visitors, (iii) HM chief inspector of prisons' report on Whitemoor and (iv)representations from the Prison Officers Association regarding Whitemoor;
(3) what (a) discussions there with the present governor of Whitemoor prison and (b) instructions were given to him regarding any change in regime from that pertaining immediately prior to his appointment;
(4) what arrangements existed for monitoring phone calls made on official telephones by IRA prisoners at Whitemoor prison prior to 9 September;
(5) how the prison regime at Whitemoor differs from any other comparable prison;
(6) if high-risk prisoners in special secure units (a) are and (b) have been permitted to make telephone calls of up to one hour's duration per month on telephones not limited to inland calls.
(7) what special instructions he gave to the director-general of the Prison Service regarding the security arrangements for IRA prisoners, following the announcement that IRA prisoners, following the announcement that IRA prisoners would be moved from the mainland back to Northern Ireland;
(8) what arrangements exist for monitoring phone calls made on official telephones by high-risk and exceptional risk category A prisoners.
(9) in what ways the Whitemoor regime for IRA prisoners is different in terms of control and privileges from that of other category A prisoners;
(10) what measures have been taken to review and improve the security of prisons, following the recent security breaches at Whitemoor and Durham prisons.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 24 October 1994]: These issues are a matter for the Director General of the Prison Service. He wrote to the hon. Member on 25 October and a copy of that reply has been placed in the Library of the House.
§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he required the Director General of the Prison Service to review the circumstances and the security arrangements of IRA prisoners under Prison Service control following the recent movement of IRA prisoners from the mainland to Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 24 October 1994]: There was no requirement to review the security of IRA prisoners remaining in prisons in England and Wales following the transfer of IRA prisoners to Northern Ireland. Security arrangements are to be examined in the light of the results of the inquiry by Sir John Woodcock.