HL Deb 09 July 1998 vol 591 cc151-2WA
Lord Acton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (a) whether an independent inquiry will be held to establish the causes and facts of the disturbances at the Medway Secure Training Centre on 26 June;
  2. (b) whether they will publish the findings of any such inquiry; and
  3. (c) whether they will delay signing any further contracts to run secure training centres pending the result of such an inquiry. [HL2532]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

There was one disturbance at Medway Secure Training Centre on 25 June. The incident commenced at 8pm and was brought under control by 10pm. There were no serious injuries either to the trainees or staff. The contractor has commissioned its own investigation into the incident and a report is expected shortly. I understand that the investigation will look at issues such as physical security, the design of the centre and materials used, and the operating procedures. Any lessons learned from the incident will be incorporated in our requirements for future centres. On present information, there are no grounds for an independent inquiry or for delaying signature of further contracts.

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