HC Deb 17 January 1996 vol 269 cc583-4W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the(a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average time during which inmates at HMP Holloway have been detained in a bodybelt or mechanical restraint since January 1990. [8443]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 17 January 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what is the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average time during which inmates at Holloway prison have been detained in a bodybelt or mechanical restraint since January 1990. The shortest period of time prisoners have been restrained in a bodybelt or mechanical restraint at Holloway prison since January 1990 is 1 hour 40 minutes; the longest is 5 hours 10 minutes; and the average time is 3 hours 13 minutes.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often the Home Office official at HMP Holloway responsible for the punishment of inmates has authorised the use of(a) bodybelts, (b) ankle straps, (c) handcuffs and (c) special segregation unit cells for each year since January 1990. [8423]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 17 January 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how often the Home Office official at Holloway prison responsible for the punishment of inmates has authorised the use of (a) bodybelts, (b) ankle straps, (c) handcuffs and (d) special segregation unit cells for each year since January 1990. The use of body belts, ankle straps, and special cells in the segregation unit have been authorised by the governor since 1990 on the number of occasions shown in the attached table, as a means of restraint and not punishment. Handcuffs are used as a security measure when prisoners are being moved and are a routine occurrence. In the context of restraining violent prisoners there is no record of their use.

Body belt Ankle straps Special cell Segregation Unit Handcuffs
1990 0 0 9 0
1991 0 0 1 0
1992 0 0 13 0
1993 0 0 13 0
1994 1 0 17 0
1995 2 0 14 0