HC Deb 23 April 1996 vol 276 cc87-8W
Ms Lynne

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 3 April,Official Report, columns 289–90, about the timing and implementation of improvements and other recommendations at Buckley Hall prison, (a) on what dates verbal recommendations were made by the area manager for Buckley Hall, (b) how these are recorded by the Home Office controller and the director of the prison and (c) what system is in place to ensure that the recommendations are carried out. [25759]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility 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 Richard Tilt to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 23 April 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about verbal recommendations made by the area manager regarding Buckley Hall prison. The area manager makes regular visits to the establishment. He also chairs a monthly progress meeting at which any recommendations are recorded in the minutes. During scheduled visits he meets the Director and Controller and he may make recommendations, which are then monitored by the Controller as part of her normal duties. The area manager's recommendations can be separated into those which attract an immediate solution and those which do not. In the case of the former, the Director will seek to act upon comments by the area manager without delay. In the case of the latter a more formal approach would be taken. The Director would be required to submit a full report to the area manager at the next progress meeting. The Controller would be required to monitor progress both before and after to that meeting. The Controller also produces a monthly progress report for the area manager and monitors any points raised on his behalf.

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