§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on keeping prisoners in suitable accommodation as close to their families as possible; and what are the exceptions to that policy. [34018]
§ Mrs. WiddecombeResponsibility 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 Derek Lewis to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 19 July 1995:
1455WThe Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the policy on keeping prisoners in suitable accommodation as close to their families as possible and the exceptions to that policy.The 1991 White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice" confirmed the Prison Service's commitment to preparing prisoners for release by providing opportunities where practicable for prisoners to maintain links with their families. The White Paper also endorsed the principle of holding prisoners as close to their homes as possible, subject to consideration of their status, security category, behaviour and sentence needs.The Prison Service continues to adhere to this policy although, although the pressure of numbers often makes this difficult. The Service's plans for the development of the prison estate are directed to providing a better match between accommodation needs and provision in each area of the country, and to providing greater flexibility in the use of accommodation.