§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are their reasons for having introduced a "prior ventilation rule" into the procedure for putting grievances to the Prisons Ombudsman, in the light of their replacement of that rule by a "simultaneous ventilation rule" with effect from 1st December 1981, in relation to complaints by prisoners to Members of Parliament and legal advisers;
Whether they will replace the "prior ventilation rule" by a "simultaneous ventilation rule" in relation to the procedure for submitting complaints to the Prisons Ombudsman;
Whether they consider that the "prior ventilation rule" tends to deter prisoners from putting their grievances to the Prisons Ombudsman; and
Whether they have conducted any study to ascertain whether the inclusion of the "prior ventilation rule" in the procedure of submitting complaints to the Prisons Ombudsman tends to deter prisoners from using this procedure; and if not, whether they will undertake such a study, or request the Prisons Ombudsman so to do.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch)The Prisons Ombudsman was established by the Home Secretary in order to provide an independent point of appeal for prisoners who have failed to obtain satisfaction from the Prison Service's internal complaints procedure. It is right that the Prison Service should have the opportunity to consider grievances before they are referred to the Prisons Ombudsman and no change to the arrangement is planned. There is no evidence that this deters prisoners from using the Prisons Ombudsman. Numbers of complaints are monitored regularly, but no study has been carried out on this matter and none is currently proposed. The Prisons Ombudsman in his recent annual report states that the high number of complaints made to him shows that prisoners were prepared to put their trust in his independence.