HC Deb 16 December 1997 vol 303 cc88-9W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on prison policy and rules relating to the(a) issue of and (b) payment for telephone cards and access to and use of prison telephones for contact with close relatives outside the jurisdiction; and how many minutes and how many calls are permitted each week for prisoners who are (i) on remand and (ii) on trial. [20337]

Ms Quin

In accordance with the rules and policy set out in Prison Service Standing Order 5 and Circular Instructions 61/1989 and 21/1992 (copies of which are in the Library) governing prisoner access and use of cardphones, prisoners may purchase from the prison shop phonecards using their earnings or private cash. Foreign nationals with close family ties abroad are exempted from the limits on access to private cash which apply under the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme.

Current policy on conditions of use allow all prisoners to have free access to a cardphone during association hours and at such other times as is reasonably practicable. Cardphones should normally be available for use of a period of not less than two hours a day. However, governors have discretion to impose time limits or a booking system for each prisoner if this is necessary to ensure equitable access to cardphones in their establishment.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many family telephone calls and of what duration Brian McHugh was permitted to make in(a) September, (b) October and (c) November 1997. [20332]

Ms Quin

Mr. McHugh made 34 calls in September 1997; 28 calls in October 1997; and 30 calls in November 1997. All the calls made were to members of Mr. McHugh's family. The length of Mr. McHugh's calls varied from three to 20 minutes.

The standard procedures concerning the use of telephones by high risk prisoners at Belmarsh Prison do not set an upper limit on the duration of any telephone call. Prisoners cannot, however, make calls when their phonecards have expired or when the call would prevent another prisoner's pre-booked telephone call taking place.