§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether there is presently adequate accommodation in Her Majesty's Northern Ireland prisons to facilitate the transfer of prisoners normally resident in Northern Ireland from prisons in Great Britain to complete their sentences in Northern Ireland prisons. [35594]
§ Sir John WheelerResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Northern Ireland Prison Service under its chief executive, Mr. Alan Shannon. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from M. A. Mogg to Mr. Roy Beggs, dated 18 July 1995:
1386WThe Secretary of State has asked the Northern Ireland Prison Service to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the availability of accommodation in Northern Ireland prisons to facilitate the transfer of Northern Ireland residents who are in prison in Great Britain. I am responding on behalf of the Chief Executive.Information is not available on the total number of Northern Ireland prisoners held in Great Britain and it is not possible therefore to say whether sufficient accommodation would be available if all sought transfers to Northern Ireland.We are aware of requests from 28 serving prisoners and if all these requests were approved, there would be sufficient accommodation at present for them within the Northern Ireland prison estate.