§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to relocate prisoners convicted to terrorist offences from prisons in Great Britain to Prisons in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. [16635]
§ Mr. HowardThe Criminal Justice Act 1961 contains provision for prisoners sentenced to imprisonment in one United Kingdom jurisdiction to request transfer to another United Kingdom jurisdiction. Requests are considered on their individual merits against criteria announced to Parliament on 23 November 1992. There are no plans to change these provisions.
It is not possible for prisoners to transfer between United Kingdom jurisdictions and the Republic of Ireland. The Republic has not joined the United Kingdom in ratifying the Council of Europe convention for the transfer of sentenced persons or otherwise sought an international agreement with the United Kingdom to provide for such transfers.