§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the board of visitors at Wandsworth prison as to the physical conditions in A wing; and if he will make a statement of his Department's policy to improve conditions there. [20357]
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerResponsibility 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 B. Landers to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 26 April 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about what representations he had received from the Board of Visitors at Wandsworth prison about the physical conditions in A wing and what plans there are to improve the conditions there.566WThe Board of Visitors raised their concerns about the physical conditions on A wing in their Annual Report for 1994.A wing will be closed at the end of January 1996 for major refurbishment, although showers have already been installed. A wing already provides better accommodation and facilities than would be available to prisoners in police cells. The delay in closing A wing was necessary in order to avoid the locking out of prisoners into police cells in the London area this year.