§ Mr. ByersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) at what date in October 1994 he received a copy of the letter from the Chief Inspector of Prisons to the Director General of the Prison Service concerning security at Her Majesty's prison, Parkhurst; and if he will place a copy of the letter in the Library;
(2) what action he took following receipt of the copy of the Chief Inspector of Prisons' letter to the Director General of the Prison Service concerning security of Her Majesty's prison, Parkhurst; on how many occasions he wrote to the director general concerning security at Her Majesty's prison Parkhurst and on what dates; and what steps he instructed the director general to take.
§ Mr. Howard[holding answer 10 January 1995]: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Judge Stephen Tumim, wrote to the Director General of the Prison Service, Derek Lewis, on 7 October 1994. His letter set out some concerns about security at Parkhurst expressed by an inspection team. As I announced in my statement of 10 January 1995, Official Report, columns 31–46, I have placed a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
A copy of the letter was received in my office on Friday 7 October 1994. I spoke to the director general on the same day and again that weekend and asked for a full report. I received that report on 11 October 1994. On the basis of advice from the governor of Parkhurst, the director general advised me that all Judge Tumim's recommendations had been implemented.
My office wrote to the director general on 14 October 1994 to ask for further details on the use of the X-ray machine in the prison's gatelodge and on plans to search 683W all staff coming on duty. The director general replied to my office on 21 October 1994, again informing me that procedures had been changed to address Judge Tumim's criticism.