HC Deb 19 March 1996 vol 274 c158W
Mr. Mike O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last five years prisoners have telephoned or written from Her Majesty's prisons to witnesses in such a way that charges of perverting the course of justice or other charges relating to attempts to interfere with witnesses in criminal cases have resulted. [20726]

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 Brian Landers to Mr. Mike O'Brien, dated 19 March 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about prisoners who may have telephoned or written to witnesses in such a way that charges of perverting the course of justice or other charges have resulted in criminal cases.

Unfortunately this information is not available.

Mr. O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions prisoners have been disciplined in Her Majesty's prisons in each of the last five years as a result of complaints about letters or telephone calls by prisoners making threats to witnesses in their case. [20727]

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 Brian Landers to Mr. Mike O'Brien, dated 19 March 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about prisoners who have been disciplined in the last five years as a result of complaints of threats to witnesses in their case.

Unfortunately this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.