§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints the prisons ombudsman has received in connection with Doncaster prison since it opened; what were the nature of the complaints; and if he will list those complaints that have been upheld. [24487]
§ Miss WiddecombeSince the prisons ombudsman began to take complaints from prisoners on 24 October 1994, he has received 26 complaints from Doncaster. Twenty-two of these were ineligible—21 because the prisoner had not exhausted the internal request/complaint system and one because it came from a third party. Investigations were started on the remaining four cases. One complaint was later withdrawn by the prisoner, two complaints were not upheld and one complaint was upheld. Of the complaints received, 10 involved complaints about transfers, seven were about property and five concerned home leave. The remaining four involved a medical matter, an assault, visits and an adjudication.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 28 November 1995, Official Report, column 661, which gave details of the one complaint about Doncaster the prisons ombudsman has upheld.