Whitemoor (Hansard, 21 November 1994)

§ Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what evidence has been submitted to him of inconsistency in the application of Prison Service policy directives in respect of the special secure unit at Whitemoor;

(2) what assessment he has made of the efficacy of management action in respect of any failure by staff at the special secure unit at Whitemore prison complying with written instructions;

(3) how many written instructions were issued to prison staff working in the special secure unit at Whitemoor during (a) 1992 and (b) 1993; and what subjects were covered;

(4) what evidence has been submitted to him of a failure by the Prison Service to respond to requests for operational directives in respect of the special secure unit at Whitemoor prison;

(5) whether any ex-Ministers have received letters in accordance with the Salmon procedure from the Woodcock inquiry;

(6) what letters were sent by the Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame A. Rumbold), to the special secure unit at Whitemoor prison regarding body and cell searches;

(7) how frequently inmates in the special secure unit at Whitemoor are allowed special food orders;

(8) what evidence has been sent to him in respect of non-compliance by prison staff with written instructions in respect of the special secure unit at Whitemoor prison during 1994;

(9) how many prison staff at (a) Whitemoor prison, (b) Prison Service headquarters and (c) elsewhere have received letters in accordance with the Salmon procedure from the Woodcock inquiry at Whitemoor prison;

(10) what artistic materials belonging to any prisoners in the special secure unit at Whitemoor during 1994 were placed in storage; how long these materials had been in storage; and from which prison they were transferred;

(11) whether there was any impediment to the observation of the special secure unit by staff while inmates were in the hobby room at Whitemoor during the last 12 months.