§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of prison sieges or hostage takings which took place in each prison in England and Wales during 1996. [12163]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility 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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 29 January 1997:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question, about the number of prison sieges or hostage-takings which took place in each prison in England and Wales during 1996.
There were nine hostage incidents during the year 1 January 1996–31 December 1996 as detailed in the attached table.
Date Prison 10 February 1996 HMP Frankland 11 February 1996 HMP Whitemoor 25 March 1996 HMP Wakefield 1 August 1996 HMP Whitemoor 7 September 1996 HMP Belmarsh 9 September 1996 HMP Liverpool 11 September 1996 HMP Leeds 2 October 1996 HMP Durham 27 December 1996 HMP Wakefield